Landscape Information
Located approximately four-and-a-half miles east of the Village of Rhinebeck, this 30- acre property, dominated by hillocks and hollows, was acquired in 2014 by the nonprofit Steven Myron Holl Foundation. The site includes densely-canopied woodlands punctuated by rocky outcrops, meadows, permanent and temporary sculptures, and structures including a house, studio, and archive, designed by Steven Holl Architects.
Visitors arrive via Round Lake Road, and proceed along an inclined drive, edged by sculptures, including Holl’s Cold Jacket (2016). The drive meets a renovated 1940 cabin before curving east. The cabin is abutted by a structure that houses a gallery and archive, nestled into a steep hillside. The structure’s northern entrance is partitioned from the drive by a masonry wall, and includes a stone slab patio that is shaded by oaks and edged by rainwater catch basins. A secondary, perpendicular drive diverges from the main drive and leads north to a studio that incorporates a former 1959 hunting lodge.
The primary drive transitions to crushed stone and terminates at a clearing featuring a guest house established in 2014, known as Ex Of In House, set on a relatively level ground plane. The structure is complemented by an adjacent, rectilinear pool planted with aquatic specimens. To the south, a footpath enters the forest, dominated by red maples, pignut hickories, white pines, and oaks. The one-and-a-half-mile long path, laid out by Holl in 2017, navigates the topographically varied property, passing site-specific installations by artists including Richard Nonas, Oscar Tuazon, and Arlene Shechet. The trail leads to the studio and can be navigated from either direction, each providing a unique choreographed procession.
