Explore the urban oasis that is the Javits Center’s roof

By Emma Peterson. 

This innovative roof not only increases biodiversity and sustainability, but it mitigates stormwater runoff and produces fresh fruits and vegetables! 

When you’re in New York City, New York, sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the bustling, chaotic streets and take a walk somewhere green. Maybe take a stroll under some apple trees and watch American kestrels and bees fly around you. But the spot we’re thinking of isn’t the famous Central Park, no it’s around 23 blocks away in Hudson Yards. We’re talking about the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, more specifically its incredible green roof.  

The Javits Center, which is operated by the public benefit corporation New York Convention Center Operating Corporation, was originally opened in 1986. Located along the scenic Hudson River, this venue boasts extensive resources, services and staff that make blockbuster events of all kinds possible. From New York Comic Con to the Westminster Dog Show, nearly 40,000 companies choose the Javits Center as their venue, making it the busiest convention center in the U.S. But it’s not just inside the Javits Center that is busy.  

In 2010, the facility embarked on a renovation project. The goal? Create a more environmentally friendly space. From installing over 100 energy-efficient HVAC units to investing in bird-safe glass, they spent $452 million working with Tishman Construction to make changes throughout the Javits Center. The crowning achievement of this? Their green roof, which uses the Xero Flor Green Roof System. This system has been well recorded and tested for performance (such as resistance to wind uplift and combustibility) and utilize a system of vegetative mats that can be moved if maintenance is needed beneath them. From a logistical perspective a green roof presented a way to reduce storm runoff volume/peak flow and conserve energy by moderating temperatures. From a design point of view, a green roof helped the Javits Center stand out among the towering skyscrapers of New York. And from an environmental viewpoint, the “green roof is a respite from the surrounding 300 square miles of inhospitable human habitat of mostly asphalt and concrete that makes up New York City.” 

Then, in 2021, another acre was added to the existing 6.75 acres of green roof, featuring honeybee hives and a farm. Julia Widmann, the sustainability operations manager at the Javits Center, shared a bit about how the Farm fits into the Javits Center’s operations, “This is an exciting milestone in our sustainability journey. The Farm at the Javits Center enables us to expand how we model sustainable practices and green infrastructure, showing what’s possible for large venues and destinations worldwide. What better way to engage our visitors, employees and community in urban agriculture than through roof-to-table experiences that result from a harmonious collaboration of crop planning between the Brooklyn Grange farm crew and our on-site culinary team, Cultivated.” 

Over the years, the Javits Center roof has been monitored and studied by the New York City Audobon as a prime example of green roofing and biodiversity in urban spaces. Specifically in 2017, their team reported that “the living roof was nurturing 26 different species of bird life, five bat species and thousands of honeybees in hives.” Further, research published by Drexel University and Cooper Union found that “over the course of a year, the green roof retains more than 75% of the rain that hits it, which mitigates nearly seven million gallons of stormwater runoff annually.” This has been reported to be up to 18 times as effective as a subsurface cistern would be at managing that volume of stormwater.  

Photo credits in order of appearance: Javits Center, GreenRoofs.com and Javits Center