THE ARTHUR ROSS TERRACE, SPECTACULAR NEW OUTDOOR PUBLIC SPACE, OPENS SEPTEMBER 23 AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

One-Acre "Celestial Garden" with Plaza, Grand Staircase, Trees, Plantings, Splashing Water Jets Designed by Kathryn Gustafson with Landscape Architects Anderson & Ray, Inc. and Polshek Partnership Architects, LLP

The Arthur Ross Terrace, a magnificent 47,114-square-foot public outdoor space at the American Museum of Natural History—built with a generous grant from Museum Trustee Arthur Ross—opens to the public on Saturday, September 23, 2000, announced Museum President Ellen V. Futter. The Arthur Ross Terrace's design links the historic, traditional appearance and function of the Museum with the gleaming materials and futuristic design of the Frederick Phineas & Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space. Adjacent to the Rose Center, the new Terrace is accessible from the Museum, as well as from Theodore Roosevelt Park at 81st Street and Columbus Avenue. The Ross Terrace was designed by a team including renowned landscape designer Kathryn Gustafson, with landscape architects Anderson & Ray, Inc., and Polshek Partnership Architects, LLP.

In February 2000, the American Museum of Natural History opened the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space. The Rose Center celebrated its 2 millionth visitor on August 30. Now visitors can view the west side of the Rose Center from a new vantage point—the Terrace, with the striking Rose Center as a stunning backdrop.

"The addition of a one-acre public space in the middle of New York City is a major occurrence itself. The addition of one as spectacular as the Arthur Ross Terrace is like discovering a hospitable new planet amidst the vastness of the universe," said President Futter. "This beautiful Terrace in its elegant yet simple design harmonizing with nature and the Cosmos, is a gift to the citizens of New York City and to our millions of visitors. The Arthur Ross Terrace is, in effect, an additional outdoor permanent hall at the Museum, where visitors can socialize, enjoy the wind, the sun, and the stars, and have a chance to reflect upon our place in the wonders of nature."

"This important outdoor space on the Museum's north side, with its distinctive architecture and landscaping, adds a significant new dimension to a great public institution," said Arthur Ross. "The Terrace further underscores the commitment of the American Museum of Natural History to serve its ever-growing audience and the local community as well, and I am delighted to be a part of this great initiative."

Terrace Design Inspired by the Science of Astronomy

Kathryn Gustafson conceived the design for the Terrace after seeing an illustration of shadows cast by a lunar eclipse. The resulting design, developed in collaboration with Anderson & Ray, Inc., includes wedge-shaped "shadows" of stone that appear to be "cast" onto the plaza by the great Hayden Sphere within the Rose Center, evoking a lunar eclipse, and echoing the visions of outer space as seen in the Sphere. Granite in graduated shades, along with panels of lawn, creates these triangular "shadows" on the ground. Changes in level, low walls, trees, and plantings further define the Terrace's walkways and seating areas. The Terrace, rich in trees and plantings, with sloping lawns and a central plaza with water jets, is built over the new parking garage on 81st Street. Visitors may relax at large wooden benches that double as "activity tables," and at café tables and chairs set amongst the trees on the upper terrace, facing the Rose Center. Highlights of the Terrace are:

The Central Plaza: The darkest, central "shadow," a wedge dark stone, draws visitors to the center of the Terrace with the playful glimmer of water jets, fiber optic lights in blue, green, and purple, and hundreds of tiny mirrors set in the stone, reflecting the changing sky above, and creating the appearance of scintillation of stars. These dynamic lights are arranged in the well-known pattern of the Orion constellation. Fine "meteor trails," subtly etched into the stone, create small rills of water that flow from the water jets to a reflecting pool at the base of the glass curtain wall of the Rose Center. The entire central "shadow" panel can be flooded with a thin wash of water that originates near the upper reaches of the Terrace, and flows toward the reflecting pool at the base of the Rose Center.

The Promenade: Pagoda trees (Sophora japonica "Regent") form a double row along the northern edge of the plaza. These arching, fine-textured trees will eventually form a canopy of filtered light and fragrant seasonal bloom, leading visitors from the entry stairs in the Theodore Roosevelt Park into the Rose Center. Along the double row of Pagoda trees, visitors will find a series of stopping spots for viewing the landscape beyond the edge of the Terrace. These repetitive "nooks" are furnished with a staggered line of large, simple benches. These nooks and benches will accommodate small school groups or tour parties for lessons and discussions.

Entry Stairs: As visitors ascend the steps from Theodore Roosevelt Park to the space-themed Terrace, stairway planters offer Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) called "Olympic Fire." The laurel is flanked by native shrubs such as Inkberry (Ilex glabra), and Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha). Traditional perennials and groundcovers include Christmas Fern, Violet, and Bellflower to complement the historic brick of the adjacent building and the native plant collection in the park below.

Museum Entry Area: The simple terrace of stone at the entry to the new public space is the western destination of the central "shadow." It is separated from the rest of the plaza with a line of white, granite seating steps. This area is planted with a group of Ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba). The Ginkgo is the only surviving species of a family of trees that originated during Earth's Carboniferous Period, some 340 to 290 million years ago. As these trees mature into a shady grove, the boughs of brightly colored "fossil leaves" will frame the view of the futuristic Rose Center on the other side of the plaza. In the fall, the bright green leaves of the Ginkgoes will transform into a glowing, clear "solar" yellow. Moveable café tables and chairs on the upper terrace provide flexible social opportunities.

The "Mist" Planting: In the spring, along the wall at the northern edge of the Terrace, the dramatic white bloom of densely planted native Beach Plum (Prunus maritima) will create two lines of white "mist." The "mist" will have at its base a "sky" collection of blue flowering perennials like Milky Way Epimedium (Epimedium younianum 'Niveum') and Blue Wonder Nepeta (Nepeta 'Blue Wonder').

Landscape Designers and Architects

Kathryn Gustafson was born in Yakima, Washington, and has lived in France since 1973. In 1970, she attended the University of Washington, Seattle. She received her A.A.S. degree in styling and textiles from the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, in 1973, and her diploma in landscape architecture from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure du Paysage, Versailles, France, in 1979. Since 1980, she has worked extensively as an environmental artist and landscape designer, primarily in France. Her work has been predominantly civic, institutional, and corporate, including parks, gardens, and community spaces. Among her projects are the Human Rights Square in Evry, France (1991), and the soon-to-open Great Glass House for the National Botanic Garden of Wales. Gustafson is currently working with Gustafson Partners Ltd. on the new Civic Center for the City of Seattle.

Anderson & Ray, Inc., based in Seattle, Washington, has a long history of architectural design of public spaces including the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center at Mount St. Helens Volcanic Monument, the Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Garden, and Colman Park, Genesee Meadow, and Greg Davis Park, all in Seattle. Anderson & Ray, Inc., also worked with Ms. Gustafson on the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California.

Polshek Partnership Architects, LLP, architects of the Frederick Phineas & Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space, is located in New York City. Since the founding of the practice in 1963, the firm has been known for architectural excellence and for its longstanding commitment to cultural, educational, governmental, and scientific institutions. A few of its many New York City projects are, a new 640-seat performance hall at Carnegie Hall, the Seaman's Church Institute, and Scandinavia House. The Partnership is also working on the Clinton Library.

Support

The Arthur Ross Terrace is supported by a generous grant from Arthur Ross.

Public support of the North Side Project, including the Rose Center, has been provided by the State of New York, the City of New York, Office of the Mayor, the Speaker and the Council of the City of New York, and the Office of the Manhattan Borough President. Significant educational and programming support has been provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The American Museum of Natural History

The Rose Center, including a newly rebuilt, state-of-the-art Hayden Planetarium, presents to the public — in easily understood exhibits — profound astronomical concepts such as the size, age, and origin of the universe and the evolution of galaxies, stars, and planets. The structure itself, a seven-story-high glass cube enclosing the magnificent Hayden Sphere, has quickly become a New York City landmark due to its beautiful and innovative architecture. The Space Theater in the Hayden Sphere utilizes the most advanced projection system available, allowing visitors not only to see a realistic representation of the night sky but also to take a virtual journey through the universe. Six years in the making, the Rose Center for Earth and Space is the most ambitious endeavor in the 131-year history of the American Museum of Natural History, and is a crowning achievement in the advancement of science education in the United States and beyond.

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world's premiere museums, scientific institutions, and cultural and educational resources. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced a mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a broad-reaching program of field exploration, scientific research, innovative exhibitions, and pioneering educational programs.

Hours

The Museum is open daily, 10:00 a.m.—5:45 p.m.
The Museum is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Admission to the Museum
Suggested admission to the Museum is as follows:

Adults:  $19
Children (2-12):  $10.50
Seniors/Students with ID:  $14.50
Adult Members:  Free
Child Members:  Free

Suggested General Admission, which supports the Museum's scientific and educational endeavors, includes admission to all 45 Museum halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space. Should you wish to pay less than the suggested admission, you may do so by purchasing tickets at any admissions desk at the Museum.

By purchasing tickets online, you agree to pay the full suggested admission plus a service charge per ticket.

Admission to the Arthur Ross Terrace
Admission to the Terrace is free if visitors enter via the stairs in the Theodore Roosevelt Park at 81st Street and Columbus Avenue. Suggested admission applies when accessing the Terrace from within the Museum.

Public Information
For additional information, the public may call 212-769-5100.

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