Commissioned by The Exchange, White Arkitekter has designed Liggett Courtyard, a new public and educational space which connects the new campus to the island’s 120 acres of open space. The project will showcase the creative re-use of local resources and an ecological approach to the design of public space at a time when climate action is more crucial than ever.
White Arkitekter delivers part of The New York Climate Exchange
The New York Climate Exchange is building a state-of-the-art home on Governors Island which will serve as a global hub for climate research, education, convening and innovation. This Climate Hub – including both new construction and adaptive reuse of historic buildings – represents a major investment in the future of Governors Island and a key component in New York City’s plan to continue its leadership in climate innovation.
White Arkitekter is part of a team of world-class architects, engineers, project managers, and industry leaders that The Exchange has assembled to create this innovative project. The team is led by architects Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill in collaboration with Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects as well as engineers Buro Happold and Langan. The development of the project is managed by Cumming Group and Sterling Project Development. Skanska has been appointed as construction manager.
We are so happy to have been a small part of this hugely ambitious project for the city of New York. We have applied our Scandinavian perspective to a project seeking global solutions to the interconnected climate and nature crisis. This is a fantastic opportunity to illustrate how a creative approach to the design of public space can be bioregional, low-tech, circular and beautiful.
Jake Ford, Landscape Architect, Partner, White Arkitekter
Rethink, Rebuild, Reuse
White Arkitekter’s design approach goes hand in hand with the Exchange’s vision. This part of the campus will be for experimentation as well as the center for student life on the island.
Material salvaged from the disassembly of buildings is paired with new bio-based materials, illustrating the potential of what is already at hand. This commission can show how a critical reassessment of our relationship with the built environment and its finite resources can point towards alternative models for design and construction.
This reparative approach can also be applied to grown elements, where the existing trees are the starting point for building a biotope which supports a distinct ecological community.
The project is the result of a competition arranged by Dovetail Design Strategists who curated, crafted and led the invited international design team selection.
The Exchange on Governors Island is scheduled to open in 2029.
About The New York Climate Exchange
Climate change is an escalating global crisis that threatens every person, community, organization, economy, and ecosystem. Impactful solutions to this crisis are not being implemented. Unprecedented, inclusive collaboration is required. The New York Climate Exchange (“The Exchange”) is a new nonprofit that unlocks climate solutions at speed and scale by activating a broad, multi-stakeholder model. Our physical campus, coming to Governors Island in 2029, will serve as a global hub for climate research, education, convening and innovation. This facility represents a major investment in the future of Governors Island and a key component in NYC’s plan to establish itself as a world-renowned hub for climate innovation.
Learn more at nyclimateexchange.org
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