October 9, 2003

A new "Buddhist bakery building, designed by Maya Lin, recently opened in Yonkers, New York, marking her first industrial work. The $9 million, 23,000-square-foot Greyston Bakery is an aluminum-skinned structure consisting of two intersecting skylights, a glass-enclosed mezzanine level, and a main reception/display area. The bakery hires 60 homeless people to produce 2 million pounds of brownies annually for Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Proceeds go towards supporting the non-profit Greyston Foundation, a Buddhist-inspired organization that operates self-sufficiency programs for low-income families, the homeless and HIV/AIDS patients.

"Greyston is very much about helping people move along their path," says Lin. "I wanted to bring in natural light and use it as a symbolic path to move through the space."

Situated on a 1.6-acre brownfield site, adjacent to the Hudson River waterfront, the facility has a day-lit lounge connected to a small, private outdoor garden, designed by Edwina von Gal, for employee breaks, plus a production space with a 40-foot-long tunnel oven and spiral cooling rack. The new building will triple the bakery's capacity.

Tony Illia

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