The National Aviary celebrates the completion of The Garden Room, a new 9,000-square-foot event space that opens up to offer access to a beautiful patio and garden. Purposefully designed and versatile, The Garden Room is available year round to host weddings, corporate events, and gatherings like birthday parties and showers. The new facility provides ample space for National Aviary education programs and events, such as Brunch in the Garden and Holidays in the Garden while maintaining physical distancing. The Charity Randall Foundation Eagle Hall provides interior connectivity between the National Aviary’s habitats and The Garden Room, and includes a nearly 2,000-square-foot lobby.
“The completion of The Garden Room is momentous for the National Aviary. Since the funds for the project had been raised prior to the pandemic, the project was able to continue despite what has been a turbulent and unpredictable year. The successful completion of this project was only possible because of our generous donors, our talented partners, and dedicated project team,” says Cheryl Tracy, Executive Director of the National Aviary. “The Garden Room provides us with a beautiful and abundant space to hold events like small group brunches, holiday celebrations, and education programs that serve our community. It also provides a dazzling space for rentals, which helps to generate critical funding to support the mission of the Aviary and the care of our birds during this uncertain time.”
The National Aviary anticipates receiving LEED Certification for The Garden Room, which offers the conveniences of a new event space with innovative sustainability features. The building is constructed of wood and masonry with bird-friendly glass walls and windows on three sides, complementing the surrounding garden and park. The large windows and doors that open up onto an elegant terrace incorporate about 2,700 square feet of Vitro Architectural Glass, which employs a bird-safe pattern to help prevent window strikes by wild birds in the neighboring park. Vitro Architectural Glass is a sponsor of The Garden Room. Other sustainability features, such as an onsite stormwater management system and light refracting skylights that provide natural lighting and heating, are found throughout the space. The project team was led by architects Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel and contractors Jendoco Construction Corporation.
“This project is unique in its requirements to be environmentally friendly and provide a stunning visual complement to both the National Aviary and the surrounding Allegheny Commons historic park,” says Anthony Pitassi, Principal at Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel. “The result is a design that is truly innovative, incorporating Vitro Architectural Glass’s energy-efficient, solar-control glass partnered with Walker Glass’s bird-safe treatment and with the ability to open up for open-air access to the garden, industry-leading accessibility features, and a spacious lobby connecting to The Charity Randall Foundation Eagle Hall, among other state-of-the-art features.”
Inside The Garden Room, two grand fireplaces bookend a spacious room that can accommodate up to 200 guests for a seated dining service. The highly versatile space offers a great setting for celebrations and gatherings while physical distancing guidelines are in place. The construction also included new ADA-accessible restrooms and an industrial kitchen with walk-in refrigeration for Atria’s Specialty Catering, the exclusive caterer of the National Aviary and a sponsor of The Garden Room.
“The National Aviary has always offered a one-of-a-kind venue for weddings, corporate events, and celebrations, with Atria’s providing an exceptional dining experience using fresh, local ingredients,” says Josef Karst, Chef for Atria’s Specialty Catering. “The restaurant-quality kitchen in this beautiful new space will enhance our ability to serve creative, gourmet dishes to event guests. The Aviary’s Brunch in the Garden provides an opportunity to showcase Atria’s culinary abilities and is a wonderful way to support the National Aviary and Atria’s, two of Pittsburgh’s beloved institutions.”
Beginning October 25, The National Aviary will offer Brunch in the Garden every Sunday through December 13, with delectable entrees prepared by Atria’s Specialty Catering. Guests can relax and sip mimosas in an elegant setting, with enhanced safety protocols including physically distanced seating and mask requirements, while also enjoying admission to the National Aviary as part of the inclusive package. The Garden Room will also host Holidays in the Garden between Christmas and New Year’s, when the Aviary will be open late for guests to enjoy a festive light display and explore the Aviary’s tropical habitats.
Bookings for weddings, events, and celebrations like showers and birthday parties are being accepted now. Gatherings in The Garden Room and all National Aviary activities actively follow the guidance of the Allegheny County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The National Aviary is a 2019 WeddingWire “Couples’ Choice Awards” and The Knot’s “Best of Weddings” award-winning venue.
Lead funding for The Garden Room was provided by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, with additional funding provided by The Charity Randall Foundation, Hillman Foundation, Eden Hall Foundation, Allegheny Regional Asset District, Allegheny Foundation, Allegheny County, Jack Buncher Foundation, The Charles M. Morris Charitable Trust, Robert and Mary Weisbrod Foundation, and original National Aviary Board of Trustees member Michael Flinn and his wife, Eileen Flinn, both long-time supporters of the National Aviary. These funds, which were restricted for the $4 million project, were years in the making and raised before the pandemic.
Major project partners include Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel and Jendoco Construction Corporation. The Garden Room project sponsors include Vitro Architectural Glass and Atria’s Specialty Catering.