New York City’s Javits Center has completed another phase of its $1.5 billion expansion project — as of last week, an impressive new 200,000 square-foot rooftop event space is open for business, offering a glass-enclosed pavilion, an outdoor terrace, and a one-acre working farm.
The Javits expansion will play an important role in the city’s post-pandemic recovery by driving new business in the events and hospitality sectors after having served as a vaccination center for the past several months. It was also built with sustainability in mind and achieved LEED gold certification from US green building council, which will make it even more appealing to eco-conscious planners who are looking to limit the carbon footprint of their events.
“We are excited for the public to enjoy this pioneering design that exemplifies how the built environment can support the natural environment while prioritizing the health, safety and well-being of building occupants,” Bill Barton, Construction Executive at Turner Construction Company, said in a statement.
The farm, which is perhaps the most unique aspect of this space, is expected to generate up to 40,000 pounds of produce annually and will provide a true farm-to-table experience for guests. It will use recycled rainwater for irrigation, and the roof will also include the largest rooftop solar farm in Manhattan to generate solar energy for the convention center.
“This new rooftop is one of the most exciting event spaces in New York City in more than a generation,” said Alan Steele, President and CEO of The New York Convention Center Operating Corporation, which operates the Javits Center, in a statement. “With stunning skyline views and state of the art technology, the rooftop creates a unique roof to table experience for our guests while enabling our staff to push the boundaries of sustainability and further explore how to improve the quality of life for our neighbors — those with wings and those without.”
The Javits Center continues to be on the cutting edge of innovation — over the summer, it became the first convention center in the US to open a completely touchless café using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology — and will be an example for other venues around the country and the world when it comes to customer experience and sustainability.