SANAA Designs ‘River’ Building for Grace Farms Foundation

A meandering series of pavilions under a single roof will aim to blend into the New Canaan, Conn., landscape.

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Rendering of the proposed "River" building for the Grace Farms Foundation in New Canaan, Conn.

Courtesy SANAA and OLIN

Rendering of the proposed "River" building for the Grace Farms Foundation in New Canaan, Conn.

The winner of the 2010 Pritzker Prize, SANAA (the Tokyo-based practice of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa), has designed a new building with OLIN for the Grace Farms Foundation in New Canaan, Conn. The new structure will twist along more than an acre of the 75-acre Grace Farms property, with multiple pavilions housed beneath a single continuous roof. One end of the proposed ‘River’ building—so named for its meandering, sinuous form—will house a sanctuary for the Grace Community Church, while other pavilions will provide spaces for children, a small library, and meeting rooms. According to its press release, SANAA hopes that the architecture will “become part of the landscape without drawing attention to itself” through its minimal form comprised of glass, concrete, steel, and wood. The proposal, already reduced from its original form, awaits approval by the New Canaan Planning and Zoning Commission, with a ruling expected by the end of this year.

This story will be updated.

About the Author

Deane Madsen

Deane Madsen, Assoc. AIA, LEED Green Associate, is the former associate design editor for ARCHITECT, and still covers architecture and design in Washington, D.C. He earned his M.Arch. at UCLA's Department of Architecture and Urban Design. Follow Deane on Twitter at @deane_madsen.

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