NEW YORK, NY.- Award-winning interdisciplinary firm Ayers Saint Gross recently completed its latest community-centered project: the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center at the Missouri Botanical Garden. As a global leader in plant science research and the nation’s oldest botanical garden in continuous operation, the destination welcomes 1M+ annual visitors.

Ayers Saint Gross teamed up with Michael Vergason Landscape Architects (MVLA) to create a bold, transformative arrival experience for the Garden. Designed for accessibility, the project includes a North Garden and World Woodland Garden that serve as a living library of 46,000+ plants that represent 300+ species from around the world – many of which are endangered – while creating an inviting connection to the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center.

Featuring a transparent south façade that mimics traditional greenhouse design, once inside, guests become immersed under a custom 80-panel scrim with a perforated pattern inspired by the Garden’s ginkgo trees. The Center’s design tactfully weaves in elements of the natural world, and includes terrazzo floors with river rock inlays and Missouri woodland-inspired brass accents. The Sassafras Restaurant and Café, designed with local firm Tao+Lee, features overhead lighting mimicking flora in full bloom and a custom bench made from the trunk of a Shumard Oak Tree that was previously part of the Garden.

Also featuring an event center, flexible auditorium and classroom space, guest shop, and cafe, this 94,000 GSF LEED Gold project bolsters the Garden’s mission to “discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life.”

The Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center was recently recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) with an AIA Maryland Excellence in Design Honor Award for Institutional Architecture. Honor awards are the highest designation of award a project can receive in a particular category.