National Design Award winner Walter Hood, principal of Hood Design Studio, was responsible for the final phase of Cooper Hewitt’s transformation: the renovation and reimagining of the Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden. A landscape architect who has dedicated his career to public garden design, Hood, working in collaboration with RAFT Landscape Architecture and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, created a vibrant new community green space ideal for engagement and discussion. The garden will be open free to the public at 8am on weekdays, and its new plantings, seating, pathways, and rockery will provide a contemporary landscape experience that draws in neighbors and visitors for coffee, conversation, public programming, and more.
Walter Hood will share how he drew on the special considerations of the garden’s close proximity to Central Park and the historic nature of the mansion (including Richard Schermerhorn, Jr.’s unbuilt 1901 design plans for the garden) to create a contemporary verdant setting for all to enjoy. This program is being held in conjunction with the NYC Landmarks50 Alliance, as part of the Alliance’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the city’s Landmarks Law.
The Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden redesign is made possible by major capital funding from The City of New York. Generous support is provided by Nancy Marks. Additional funding is provided by Enid and Lester Morse, Leslie and Charlotte Moore Foundation, Madeleine Rudin Johnson, and the Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden Endowment Fund.
