Liggett Courtyard, part of The New York Climate Exchange , New York/ Vereinigte Staaten

Press release by White Arkitekter | October 08, 2025

 

 

 

White is part of a team of world-class architects, engineers, project managers, and industry leaders that The Exchange has assembled to create this innovative project. The team is led by architects Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill in collaboration with Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects as well as engineers Buro Happold and Langan. The development of the project is managed by Cumming Group and Sterling Project Development. Skanska has been appointed as construction manager.

 

 

 

 

White Arkitekter's design approach goes hand in hand with the Exchange’s vision. This part of the campus will be for experimentation as well as the center for student life on the island.

 

Material salvaged from the disassembly of buildings is paired with new bio-based materials, illustrating the potential of what is already at hand. This commission can show how a critical reassessment of our relationship with the built environment and its finite resources can point towards alternative models for design and construction.

 

This reparative approach can also be applied to grown elements, where the existing trees are the starting point for building a biotope which supports a distinct ecological community.

 

The project is the result of a competition arranged by Dovetail Design Strategists who curated, crafted and led the invited international design team selection.

 

The Exchange on Governors Island is scheduled to open in 2029.

 

Climate change is an escalating global crisis that threatens every person, community, organization, economy, and ecosystem. Impactful solutions to this crisis are not being implemented. Unprecedented, inclusive collaboration is required. The New York Climate Exchange (“The Exchange”) is a new nonprofit that unlocks climate solutions at speed and scale by activating a broad, multi-stakeholder model. Our physical campus, coming to Governors Island in 2029, will serve as a global hub for climate research, education, convening and innovation. This facility represents a major investment in the future of Governors Island and a key component in NYC’s plan to establish itself as a world-renowned hub for climate innovation.

Learn more at nyclimateexchange.org/

 

White Arkitekter is a renowned Scandinavian architecture practice founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1951. Known for our commitment to sustainability and socially just design, White is now an employee-owned collective of 700 people working across studios in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the UK. White Arkitekter’s philosophy centres on creating buildings and spaces that promote social, environmental, and economic well-being. Their projects span diverse sectors, including residential, cultural, healthcare, and urban development, often incorporating innovative approaches to energy efficiency, renewable materials, and circular design principles. Through a mix of tradition with contemporary analysis, White Arkitekter continues to inspire sustainable architecture globally, aiming for all projects to be climate-neutral by 2030.