A LEED Platinum Award for the Liberty Island Welcome Center

MARCH 31, 2011

As the first new construction on Liberty Island since being placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966, the Liberty Island Welcome Center was recently awarded a coveted LEED Platinum certification. ADP Architects designed the 6,700 SF ground-up, modular pavilion to house a retail space, food and beverage concessions, administrative offices and visitor restrooms for the more than 2.5 million visitors that enter Liberty Island each year.

Project Facts:

Sector: Cultural

Location: New York, NY

Scope: Architectural Design and Planning; Historic Preservation; Sustainability

Project Type: Ground-Up, Sustainable Modular Construction

Status: Completed

LEED Platinum-specific details include a high-performance building envelope, a 1,500 foot deep geothermal well, LED lighting, waterless urinals, a generator that disposes of excess cooking oil from food concessions, and rainwater storage. Low-E insulating windows and glass with a reflective roof surface allows the building to take advantage of the island’s ample natural light while incorporating a methodology for rapid cooling of the space in the hot summer months. Additionally, the Welcome Center was constructed in a modular way with a steel frame and exterior and interior footings that could allow the building to be moved if necessary with minimal impact to the historic site.