Evergreens Cemetery

Mar 24

Brooklyn, New York

Design

Design Team
Max Worrell, Jejon Yeung, Emma Scott, Khant Wai Yan, Diandra Rendradjaja

Collaborators
Landscape Architect: Understory
Structural Engineer: KPFF
MEP Engineer: Altieri
Civil Engineer: AKRF

The restoration and expansion of Evergreens Cemetery adds a new gathering space within the historic landscape, embracing the spirit of the original design while creating a new community hub. Founded in 1849, the 225-acre cemetery features a landscape designed by Andrew Jackson Downing, a pioneer of American landscape architecture.

Named Grace Hall in homage to one of the cemetery’s original founders, the addition creates a space of quiet reverence for celebrations of life, with a wood-trussed roof crowning a dramatic double-height room. Wood-lined walls add warmth, while a continuous clerestory and a large square aperture bring in soft natural light and contemplative views of a landscaped internal courtyard with a simple water feature. The low-lying addition is connected to the historic chapel originally designed by A.J. Davis in 1850, which has been restored and repurposed as a visitor’s center. The formal connection between the two structures is reinforced through a shared palette of local Jet Mist granite with the new building incorporating stone shingles. Elsewhere on the property, a new outbuilding and landscape feature serve as an observation deck, providing one of the best opportunities for stargazing within the city.