Skidmore, Ownings, and Merrill (SOM) has released updated renderings for the Center of Climate Solutions, a climate research hub on Governors Island. The project seeks to place New York City at the forefront of the nations climate research, education, and jobs while enhancing the existing natural, cultural, and educational resources on Governors Island. The $700 million project began with a rezoning proposal in 2020 by the Trust for Governors Island and renderings by WXY architecture + urban design. After a two-year, competitive request for proposal process, The New York Climate Exchange, a cross-sector consortium led by Stony Brook University in partnership with Boston Consulting Group, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Pace University, Pratt Institute, the University of Washington, IBM, and Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) was chosen from four finalist teams to anchor the project. SOM joined them soon after in 2023.The Center for Climate solutions will host programs and events year-round. (Courtesy The New York Climate Exchange and SOM)Once fully operational, the 400,000-square-foot campus is expected to serve 600 postsecondary students, 4,500 K12 students, 6,000 workforce trainees, and 250 faculty and researchers every year while supporting up to 30 businesses annually through its incubator program. Related projects include the inaugural Climate Change Solutions Challenge through the Trusts Living Lab program as well as an inclusion and expansion of The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School. The new additions, elevated by eight feet to protect from storm surges and sea level rises, are primarily constructed of mass timber and glass. This new set of renderings also includes a first-look at a grand convening hall, giving a perspective into the picturesque and nature-packed scenery that can be experienced through large windows incorporated into the design. The seamless incorporation of green space can adapt to the changing seasons, including ground floor labs and exhibition spaces with outdoor access.Visitors to The Exchange on Governors Island will dock at Yankee Pier. (Courtesy The New York Climate Exchange and SOM)The grand convening hall is one of many spaces that promotes listening and learning. (Courtesy The New York Climate Exchange and SOM)The buildings exterior has maintained its curvilinear shape in the updated renderings, with increased fluidity added to the previously slated solar panel roof. The result is a wave-like formation that will welcome visitors from the harbor at Yankee Pier. The view from the pier also highlights the use of restoration amid new construction. Sections of Liggett Hall, former military barracks in a McKim, Mead & Whitedesigned masonry building, will be repurposed into student dormitories and faculty accommodations.In addition to its sustainable design systems, the site also employs energy-positive design strategies and will be one of the first in the country to achieve True Zero Waste certification. Further, every building on the campus is designed to meet the Living Building Challenge standards, a goal that no building in New York City has yet achieved.The design incorporates the adaptive reuse of Liggett Hall. (Courtesy The New York Climate Exchange and SOM)The project also marks a transition for Governors Island from a popular summer recreation destination to a sustainable urban environment thats accessible year-round. The hubs programming will include topics such as education, workforce development, and jobs training alongside public exhibits, special events, talks, and art.The campus will be funded in part by significant gifts of $100 million from the Simons Foundation and $50 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Exchange will raise funds to support the remaining costs.Construction is set to be completed in 2028.