The museum complex acquired two new upper floors, as well as a bright yellow façade of 8 million ceramic tiles. The task of the museum's architect and management was to transform the oldest children's museum in the world (it first opened in 1899) into a modern educational center, focused not only on the children's audience and also serves as a "community center" for Brooklyn residents.
The renovated building has a library, new exhibition halls, cafes and classrooms. The roof terrace with a summer theater, which has existed since 1970, is now more closely connected with the rest of the building thanks to new staircases and lobbies. Additional railings and windows on a lower than usual level, other interior details remind visitors that this building is primarily designed for children; and that its halls are filled not only with curious exhibits from the historical and natural sciences, but also toys and attractions, including a sandbox with azure sand.
The Brooklyn Children's Museum is set to become the first museum in New York State to receive a silver LEED energy certification: geothermal wells are used to heat and cool the building, solar panels are installed on the facades, and eco-sensors regulate lighting and ventilation systems.
