Rockefeller University Master Plan

Rockefeller University
New York, NY

This project is a master plan for Rockefeller University. Our landscape architectural scope includes analysis of the historic campus design by landscape architect Dan Kiley, assessment of how the use and physical configuration of the campus has changed over time, and recommendations for improvements that will serve the university’s needs for the next 100 years, accommodate new architecture, organize the use of outdoor spaces, and encourage perception of the campus as a precinct of connected buildings, landscapes and experiences without limitations of access between indoors and outdoors and new and historic buildings.

In the Master plan, we propose to both strengthen the Kiley concepts of defined outdoor rooms and allées of tree planting as well as implement a key set of aesthetic rules that will enable the University to grow, change and modify the landscape moving forward. In addition to planting guidelines, we propose circulation guidelines that clarify hierarchy and connectivity, overlaying historic and new crossings and paths.  We interpret the Kiley plan as three zones that are targeted in the master plan: the Entry Allée, Garden Rooms and Recreation Area, in addition to patches of residual landscapes that could be remade.

In every case, our recommended upgrades strengthen the linear form of each of these spaces, and encourage programmatic overlap between inside and outside, while diversifying the tree and plant palette. Notably, we envision the Master Plan to be a second conceptual successional phase of the landscape, that incorporates shade tolerant understory trees such as American Beech, Carpinus, Carolina silverbell, Witch Hazel, Redbud, Sourwood, and Sassafras.

Credits:
Rafael Viñoly Architects