When Mies van der Rohe uttered those three famous words “less is more,” he encapsulated the founding philosophy of an entire architectural genre, and nowhere does that phrase feel more poignant than in the quaint, tree-lined streets of New Canaan, Connecticut. In this small town, Philip Johnson’s Glass House — inspired by Van der Rohe’s own Farnsworth House built a couple of years earlier — has long been a key icon for followers of minimalist architecture, and this exemplar of modernism has now been joined by another exhibition in subtle sophistication, orchestrated by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA.
Grace Farms opened on Friday, and Architizer was lucky enough to be there for a guided tour by the architects themselves. The undulating, ribbon-like building — dubbed “The River” due to its meandering form and reflective aluminum roof — forms a multi-functional hub for the residents of New Canaan. It was funded by the Grace Farms Foundation and offered as a gift to the local community to provide space for creativity, fitness and wellbeing, and reflection within the serene landscape of southern Connecticut.
© Iwan Baan
The footprint of this low-rise building is expansive — 83,000-square-feet in total — but its appearance at ground level is remarkably subtle, reminiscent of a silver snake asleep upon the grass. The roof — a sculpted plane of metal with a warm timber underside — forms a continuous shelter from the auditorium at the summit of a hill to the gym at its base, a drop of some 43 feet. A sequence of glazed, pavilion-like spaces are united by this canopy, which expands and contracts as necessary to accommodate the center’s diverse mix of uses.
Within the auditorium — which Grace Farms has named the Sanctuary — artistic performances of music, theater, and ballet take place with an extraordinary backdrop of rolling hills and groves of trees. From here, walking down a gently curving flight of steps brings you to the library, housing research books primarily on justice, the arts, nature and faith. This space includes a conference room wrapped in glass, and a fireplace to allow for gathering year-round.
Next, a larger pavilion entitled the “Commons” houses catering facilities including a dining area with a capacity of 300. Long, communal tables have been constructed from trees harvested on the site, in line with the Grace Farm Foundation’s desire for a low-impact building at one with the surrounding landscape. This space also shows off the ingenuity of The River’s roof construction, with minimal details characteristic of SANAA — Glu-Lam timber beams and slender columns frame the interior space, with each beam carefully tilted to follow the gradual change in terrain.
Further down the slope, visitors can relax in the Pavilion, a 950-square-foot room that functions as a ceremonial tearoom and performance space for intimate music performances throughout the year. This forms the penultimate structure before one arrives at what is perhaps the most surprising spatial moment within SANAA’s snaking chain of volumes — the gym, a cavernous space carved into the earth and covered by the very same roof that sheltered the Sanctuary at the top of the hill.
The “Court” is fitted with a hardwearing timber floor upon which a plethora of sports can be played, as well as yoga sessions and dance performances. This area is bounded by further rooms aimed specifically at the youth of New Canaan, with a digital media lab and games room offering modern amenities for activities pertaining to arts and recreation at the heart of the complex.
© Iwan Baan
Given this building’s stunning natural context, landscaping was central to SANAA’s vision for the site, and the Japanese firm collaborated with OLIN to create an integrated network of community gardens, athletic fields, and walking trails. The sustainable ethos of Grace Farms is exemplified with the inclusion of 500-foot-deep geothermal wells within the grounds, which will serve to heat and cool The River throughout the year. Ambitious plans for the exterior space continue to be developed — a playground, also designed by SANAA, is due to open early next year.
The River forms an idyllic illustration of how minimalism — in the right hands – can merge beautifully with a striking natural environment. While the material palette and detailing is highly modern, akin to many of SANAA’s markedly more urban works, an unbreakable bond with the terrain ensures the building does not overwhelm its context. Following in Philip Johnson’s footsteps, the Japanese firm has once again shown that less can indeed be more — and New Canaan has gained a fresh architectural icon in the process.
