Peaking through autumnal foliage, the Frederic Church Center for Art and Landscape is the newest addition in Upstate New York's historical site of Olana – a generous, leafy expanse of rich natural landscape and eclectic architecture, formerly the home of landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900). Opening this month in Greenport, near Hudson, the contemporary visitor centre designed by New York studio Architecture Research Office (ARO), is the first structure to be added to the precious complex since its original owner was alive.
Explore the Frederic Church Center for Art and Landscape at Olana
The visitor centre was designed to be discreet and enrich the guests' experience through its presence within the designated US historical landmark that is the painter's wider estate and its grounds – which were restored by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects as part of a master planning initiative.
The new building's presence was conceived to feel delicate from the outside, wrapped in glazing that doesn't contrast with the natural backdrop. At the same time, expansive, contemporary interiors cater to the Olana site's growing audience, allowing for orientation and education spaces, tour programmes, a café (due to open in spring 2025), and other services for visitors.
ARO created its design as a mass timber structure, respecting the surrounding nature and as a nod to the numerous, mature trees surrounding the plot. Meanwhile, the expansive glass walls were chosen to be bird-friendly, and are matched by dark red vertical wood siding that similarly echoes the context.
ARO, led by Stephen Cassell, Kim Yao, and Adam Yarinsky, was founded in New York in 1993 and has a slew of accomplished projects under its belt – several of which are in the public and cultural realm, like the Frederic Church Centre, but also including a growing portfolio of private homes such as the Bucks County Home in Pennsylvania.
-
The world’s best swimwear brands, according to Wallpaper*From architectural precision to a sense of ease and luxury, our comprehensive guide to the world’s best swimwear brands – for both men and women – will help you find the perfect beach attire this summer
-
Aesop’s Queer Library bookmarks brilliant literature, no purchase requiredReturning to London’s Soho, 3-6 July 2025, the Queer Library pop-up offers complimentary books by LGBTQIA+ authors and allies
-
Wangechi Mutu's powerful sculptures take over the palatial interiors of Rome's Galleria BorgheseThe Kenyan-born artist is the first living woman to have a solo exhibition at the villa
-
Inside Frank Lloyd Wright’s Laurent House – a project built with accessibility at its heartThe dwelling, which you can visit in Illinois, is a classic example of Wright’s Usonian architecture, and was also built for a client with a disability long before accessibility was widely considered
-
Tour this fire-resilient minimalist weekend retreat in CaliforniaA minimalist weekend retreat was designed as a counterpoint to a San Francisco pied-à-terre; Edmonds + Lee Architects’ Amnesia House in Napa Valley is a place for making memories
-
A New Zealand house on a rugged beach exemplifies architect Tom Kundig's approach in rich, yet understated luxuryThis coastal home, featured in 'Tom Kundig: Complete Houses', a new book launch in the autumn by Monacelli Press, is a perfect example of its author's approach to understated luxury. We spoke to Tom Kundig, the architect behind it
-
Tour architect Paul Schweikher’s house, a Chicago midcentury masterpieceNow hidden in the Chicago suburbs, architect Paul Schweikher's former home and studio is an understated midcentury masterpiece; we explore it, revisiting a story from the Wallpaper* archives, first published in April 2009
-
The world of Bart Prince, where architecture is born from the inside outFor the Albuquerque architect Bart Prince, function trumps form, and all building starts from the inside out; we revisit a profile from the Wallpaper* archive, first published in April 2009
-
Is embracing nature the key to a more fire-resilient Los Angeles? These landscape architects think soFor some, an executive order issued by California governor Gavin Newsom does little to address the complexities of living within an urban-wildland interface
-
Hop on this Fire Island Pines tour, marking Pride Month and the start of the summerA Fire Island Pines tour through the work of architecture studio BOND is hosted by The American Institute of Architects New York in celebration of Pride Month; join the fun
-
A Laurel Canyon house shows off its midcentury architecture bonesWe step inside a refreshed modernist Laurel Canyon house, the family home of Annie Ritz and Daniel Rabin of And And And Studio
