PROJECT  Missouri Botanical Garden Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center

LOCATION St. Louis, Missouri, US​

ARCHITECT Ayers Saint Gross

CLIENT Missouri Botanical Garden

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM Ayers Saint Gross
Local Architect: Tao + Lee Associates, Inc.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Ltd.
CONTRACTOR Alberici Constructors, Inc.

ENGINEERS
KPFF
Civil Design, Inc.
IMEG Corp.
IMEG Corp.

PHOTOGRAPHER Casey Dunn

CONSULTANTS (if applicable)
Lighting Design: RBLD
Technology: IMEG Corp.
Plumbing: IMEG Corp.
Conservatory Design: Rough Brothers Inc.
Fire Protection: IMEG Corp.
Acoustics: McClure Engineering
Accessibility: Cohen Hilberry
Code: Code Consultants, Inc.
Food Service: Ricca

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  4/26/2023

PROJECT SUMMARY
Missouri Botanical Garden, a global leader in plant science research and one of the nation’s oldest botanical gardens in continuous operation, needed a new gateway for their more than one million annual visitors. This new state-of-the-art Visitor Center represents a bold, transformative vision for the Garden, reflecting its mission “to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life.”

The Visitor Center blurs boundaries between indoors and outdoors, creating an immersive experience by incorporating elements of the natural world. Visitor Center amenities include a flexible auditorium and classrooms, a restaurant and café, a new gift shop, and an event center that will be host to private and public events. Accessible guest services include barrier-free restrooms, family restrooms, and a calming room.

The Visitor Center integrates seamlessly into the Garden’s arrival sequence, serving as part of a series of thresholds through which the Garden reveals itself. Upon arrival, visitors pass through the historical stone garden wall into the thoughtfully designed new north garden. Designed for accessibility, the garden includes gently sloping paths and generous terraces where visitors can linger and rest. Durable materials including granite, brass, and native limestone convey the longevity and significance of the institution and strengthen the relationship between the new gardens and their historic counterparts.

The building’s solid north façade mimics traditional greenhouse design and is broken up by a transparent portal and vertical glass lantern. Once inside, visitors are immersed in natural light as they take in views through the lobby of the extensive gardens beyond. The lobby axis is centered on garden paths and fountains, providing an immediate sense of place. The Visitor Center’s main lantern feature is suspended from the ceiling and includes a custom-designed scrim perforated in a pattern inspired by tree canopies. By filtering dappled light into the lobby, the lantern evokes the feeling of entering a clearing in the woods. At night, the glow of the lantern acts as a beacon for visitors and the community.

Biophilic design elements are woven throughout the visitor center, including custom terrazzo flooring that reflects the local landscape with inlays of river rock and over 200 hand-laid brass leaves from 12 native woodland species.

The ticketing and visitor engagement desk forms are influenced by rounded pebbles, while pendant lights above provide a luminescent sparkle calling to mind drops of rain. Walls dividing the dining areas and café include pressed botanical specimens from the Garden’s collection, while the overhead lighting mimics the form of flora in full bloom. Also in this space are a custom bench and community table made from a Shumard Oak Tree that was previously part of the Garden’s living collection.

JURY COMMENTS (if applicable)

IMAGES – CAPTIONS & CREDITS

Image 1  The state-of-the-art Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center represents a bold, transformative vision for the Garden. Photography: Casey Dunn
Image 2  The visitor center integrates seamlessly into the Garden’s arrival sequence. Photography: Casey Dunn
Image 3  The lobby axis is centered on garden paths and fountains, providing an immediate sense of place. Photography: Casey Dunn
Image 4  Custom terrazzo flooring reflects the local landscape with inlays of local river rock and brass accents representing the native Missouri woodland that appear as fallen leaves. Photography: Casey Dunn
Image 5  The main lantern feature filters dappled light into the lobby, which evokes the feeling of entering a clearing in the woods. Photography: Casey Dunn
Image 6  The ticketing and visitor engagement desk forms are influenced and inspired by the shape of rounded rocks and pebbles. Photography: Casey Dunn
Image 7  The world-woodland garden that surrounds the center emphasizes plant diversity, visual cohesion, and clear orientation for the visitor. Photography: Casey Dunn
Image 8  The Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center is designed to help visitors pause and reflect on the scale and importance of the work being done at the Garden. Photography: Casey Dunn

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF