The new building was designed by architect Ayers Saint Gross and landscape architect Michael Vergason. Alberici is managing construction. The entire project will be LEED-certified.

Visitors will first see new gardens in front of the building as well as wide pathways and more drop-off areas.

The center will include a lobby with a soaring, 50-foot ceiling that will serve as a beacon of sorts and be visible from Interstate 44, Wyse Jackson said. Ticketing will be streamlined at a single desk, along with membership and other information.

The new center will include a gift shop with outdoor plants, meeting spaces and a restaurant with views of the garden, as well as an option for grab-and-go food. An auditorium will show a film about the garden.

“We’re anxious to be able to get our history and mission right there,” said Bob Woodruff, chief operating officer of the garden. He said that renovating the Ridgway Center was a need noted during a 2008 capital campaign.

A new conservatory will be the new home of the train and orchid shows, and new gardens outside will be the growing spot for rare and endangered plants from around the world that will do well here. The gardens will serve as a “Noah’s ark” for those plants and trees, Wyse Jackson said.