Commons
About the Commons
The Commons serves as a central community gathering place within the River building. Fresh food and beverages are available for purchase Tuesday-Sunday (a light lunch menu is offered from 11-3 Tuesday-Saturday and from 12-3 pm Sunday; snacks available until 5 pm). Guests are invited to sit along 18-foot-long communal tables made from red oak harvested on site, and enjoy time together or individually while surrounded by seasonal views. Produce used in the Commons kitchen is often harvested from Grace Farms’ Community Garden or sourced locally, and pastries are made on-site daily.
A site-specific artwork by Teresita Fernandez, Double Glass River, is located in the Commons and includes 10,000 hand-silvered glass cubes, which can be seen from many locations on site.
Commons Experiences | Community
Commons Experiences | Faith
Commons Experiences | Justice
The Commons is the location for Grace Farms' monthly Community Dinners. These dinners offer a special opportunity for individuals to share a special meal with family, friends, and neighbors, while enjoying expansive views of the River building and music from local performing artists.
In March 2018, Grace Farms Foundation and the Interfaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut hosted an Interfaith Seder, during which people from various denominations and faiths came together to share in historic Seder traditions.
In October 2018, Grace Farms Foundation held its annual Benefit in collaboration with Geometry Global, J. Walter Thompson, Shazam and Thomson Reuters. The Benefit focused on raising money and partnership support for “Unchain,” a campaign to increase public awareness and activism around modern slavery.
Architectural Facts
The Commons is the connective community area between the serene spaces of the River building, and more active spaces. It winds around a grove of 80-foot tall black locust trees, with notable architectural details including:
- Structural capacity for 300 people
- Full-scale community kitchen equipped for daily operations
- Casual living room area with bench seating and fireplace overlooking the BBQ Courtyard
- Seven 700-pound communal tables with wood harvested from site-yielded oak
- 42-seat Lecture Hall in the lower-level theater for curated visual programs, trainings, and presentations
- SANAA-designed circular and j-shaped lighting
- FLOS globe lights adorn the ceilings
© 2017-2020 Grace Farms Foundation
nature. arts. justice. community. faith.
