David Rockefeller Arts Center

The David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center was once the winter home of John D. Rockefeller’s orange trees. The historic 15,000 gsf greenhouse dates back to the early 1900s.

An ambitious adaptive reuse, the century-old Orangerie is now a flexible facility for public performance events, rehearsal, exhibitions, and studios. Reimagined as an Artists-in-Residence studio space, it enhances the Center’s public programs, advancing the vision of a vibrant, multi-disciplinary campus and encouraging collaboration among artists, presenters, and patrons.

To highlight the historic building, FMS designed a flexible low-profile lighting system integrated into a pair of structural beams that run the length of the Orangerie. The custom system provides upper and lower mounting locations for a soft ambient glow to the ceiling while downlights or spotlights illuminate gallery and performance spaces below.

Aligned with the mission of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Center is a demonstration project for accessibility, inclusion, and sustainable design. An extensive photovoltaic array and geothermal system enables the building to achieve Net Zero annual energy consumption.