Grace Farms is an 80-acre public space in New Canaan, Connecticut. Grace Farms is owned and operated by Grace Farms Foundation, which supports initiatives in the areas of nature, arts, justice, community, and faith, and encourages participation locally and globally.
Grace Farms Foundation set out to create a building nestled into the existing habitat that would enable visitors to experience nature, encounter the arts, pursue justice, foster community, and explore faith. The River building, designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning, Japanese architecture firm SANAA, is a part of the landscape without drawing attention to itself. Under the continuous roof are five transparent glass-enclosed volumes that can host a variety of activities and events, while maintaining a constant sense of the surrounding environment. The areas of the River building are: the Sanctuary, a 700-seat amphitheater; the library, a staffed library with resources related Grace Farms Foundation's initiatives; the Commons, a community gathering space with 18-foot-long tables; the Pavilion; a welcome reception and conversation space with tea service; and the Court, a partially below-grade recreational and performance space. Approximately 77 of Grace Farms' 80 acres are currently managed as open meadows, woods, wetlands, and ponds.
The site is open to the public six days a week.
Permanent contemporary art installations by Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Teresita Fernández, Beatriz Milhazes, and Susan Philipsz are located around Grace Farms.