The Grace Farms Foundation’s River building was designed by SANAA, the Pritzker Prize-winning architecture firm based in Tokyo, with landscape design by OLIN. The building wanders as a river does through the landscape and is meant to blend transparently into woodlands, wetlands, and meadows.
With the Library, the Commons, the Court and the Pavilion, the Sanctuary (pictured) is one of five glass-enclosed volumes at Grace Farms in New Canaan, Connecticut. Designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architecturefirm, SANAA, the building winds through the landscape and blends seamlessly with meadows, wetlands, and woodlands.
The Grace Farms 80-acre site with a distant view of the River building. Seventy-seven of the 80 acres will be preserved in perpetuity as meadow, woodlands, and wetlands.
Interior view of the Library: a staffed library with resources to research nature, the arts, justice, and faith. It includes a glass-enclosed conference room and fireplace for discussion and hospitality, as well as Grace Farms Foundation offices. (4,550 sf)
Interior view of the Court: a partially below-grade gymnasium/multi-purpose space with adjoining media lab and game room, for recreation, youth activities, receptions and arts performances. (16,900 sf)
The original barn was renovated to serve as a welcome center with a greeting space in each of its two wings. The barn houses many of the day-to-day programs, with classrooms, an art studio, a rehearsal space with sprung floor, offices, and lounge.