The Brooklyn Children’s Museum was founded in 1899 as the world’s first museum for children. Originally occupying one, then two Brooklyn mansions, the museum moved in 1975 to a bermed, underground facility, designed by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, in Bower Park.

The most recent major expansion, designed by Raphael Viñoly Architects, doubles the museum’s space to 102,000-sf, increasing annual capacity from 250,000 visitors to 400,000. Its yellow, undulating exterior wall, which curves in two directions to embrace the earlier building, was designed in its entirety using an extraordinary show of 3-D computer technology. The porthole windows are set from 18” to 36” deep, and some are vertical, some canted as the building wall turns inward. This work needed a mason, ironworker, carpenter, and tile supplier. The wall was modeled and tested at a specialty lab.

The architecture of the new building is compelling and inviting to children, its glittering envelope of 8.1 million yellow ceramic tiles creating a landmark attraction. Two stories of new construction integrated with the existing structure add a spacious lobby, exhibition galleries, classrooms, a library, a cafe, a gift shop, and administrative space.

Serving as the Engineer-of-Record at DMP and working with Rafael Vinoly Associates, Skanska, and NYCDDC Radhi Majmudar  was responsible for the structural renovations for this 38,000 square foot red brick and limestone building originally constructed in 1923, which serves as a gathering place for social and intellectual interaction among University faculty as well as alumni and graduate students. Structural renovations included interior beam and column modifications, new addition to the fourth floor, new entryway system, and two new elevators (dumbwaiters) for food transport. LEED Certified with its energy efficient lighting, energy efficient windows, and recycling of construction debris. The structural renovations were completed in 2009.