275 Atlantic Avenue
HOK · Downtown Brooklyn · 2027
North facade from Boerum Place.
Facade installation is underway at the 15-story Brooklyn Detention Complex in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Designed by HOK, the 339-foot-tall structure replaces a previous detention complex on the full block site bounded by Atlantic Avenue, Smith Street, State Street, and Boerum Place. Superstructure is close to topping out and curtain wall panels by Enclos are starting to be installed on the lower floors. The facade design includes alternating multi-story panels of glass and champagne and bronze metal panels with a twisting shape that gives added depth. Outdoor recreation spaces are located vertically along several of the facades and are articulated as large eroded voids. When completed, the facility will be able to house up to 1,040 inmates as part of the city’s plan to replace the Rikers Island detention complex with new facilities in each borough except Staten Island. Community facility space will also be located at the ground floor along Atlantic Avenue.
Northwest corner from Boerum Place.
West facade from Boerum Place.
South facade from Smith Street.
Southeast corner from Atlantic Avenue.
Looking up at the east facade from Smith Street.
Northeast corner detail.
East facade detail.
Northeast corner from State Street.
Northeast corner from Smith Street.
Looking up at the north facade from State Street.
North facade detail.
North facade detail.
Looking up at the north facade from State Street.
Looking up at the north facade from State Street.
Architect: HOK; Contractor: Tutor Perini; Client: NYC Department of Design and Construction; Program: Detention Facility, Community Facility; Location: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: 2029.
589 Fulton Street - The Brook
Beyer Blinder Belle · Downtown Brooklyn · 2025
Southeast corner from the intersection of Fulton Street and Flatbush Avenue.
Facade installation is progressing at Witkoff Group and Apollo Global Management’s 51-story residential rental tower The Brook at 589 Fulton Street. Designed by Beyer Blinder Belle, the 575-foot-tall tower’s facade features a curtain wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and light bronze toned metal panel. When completed, the development will offer 591 rental units and two floors of amenities for the residents.
Looking up at the southeast corner.
Looking up at the east facade.
Close-up of the curtain wall facade.
Close-up of the curtain wall facade.
Close-up of the tower crown’s southeast facade.
Looking up at the east facade.
Northeast facade from University Place.
Southwest facade from Hanover Place.
Close-up of the tower crown’s curtain wall facade.
Tower Views
View to the north towards the East River waterfront.
View to the north towards Lower Manhattan and Midtown.
View to the southwest towards Gowanus.
Architect: Beyer Blinder Belle; Interiors: Bonetti Kozerski; General Contractor: Suffolk Construction; Developers: Witkoff Group and Apollo Global Management; Program: Residential; Location: Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: Second Half of 2025.
Nine Chapel
SO-IL · Downtown Brooklyn · 2024
Southwest corner from Jay Street.
Facade installation is nearing completion at Tankhouse’s residential tower at 9 Chapel Street in Downtown Brooklyn. Designed by SO-IL, the tower rises 158 feet and features a massing broken down into smaller blocks to achieve a more varied appearance and more variety in the residential organization than the zoning code typically produces. This is the second residential development that SO-IL has designed for developer Tankhouse, with the recently completed 450 Warren being the first.
South facade from Jay Street.
Designed by SO-IL in collaboration with Kane AUD and Laufs, the facade features undulating, perforated anodized aluminum panels that provide privacy at exterior living areas while allowing in light and air. Each home will offer significant private outdoor space ranging from 98 SF to 2,237 SF. The undulation of the panels is created by the rotation and mirroring of just three unique facade panels. A secondary exterior skin of precast concrete blocks mimic and complement the undulating form of the primary metal facade. Operable windows and glass doors are provided by Kleidco and designed for reduced energy consumption.
Close-up of the southwest corner from Jay Street.
Rendering of the residential entrance. Provided by Tankhouse.
Looking up at the west facade.
West facade from Jay Street.
Looking up at the northwest corner.
Looking up at the south facade from Chapel Street.
Northeast corner from Chapel Street.
Northwest corner from Jay Street.
North facade from Concord Street.
Close-up of the west facade.
Close-up of the west facade.
Close-up of the south facade.
Architects: SO-IL (Design Architect), Kane Architecture and Urban Design (Architect of Record); Structural Engineer: Silman; MEP Engineer: CES Engineering; Facade Consultant: LAUFS; Lighting Design: Lighting Workshop; Developer: Tankhouse; Program: Residential Condo; Location: Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: 2024.
Construction Update: 141 Willoughby
East facade from Flatbush Avenue.
Facade installation is nearing completion at Savanna Real Estate’s office tower 141 Willoughby in Downtown Brooklyn. Designed by Fogarty Finger, the tower’s facade features a curtain wall of floor-to-ceiling glass and bronze toned metal panel. The expression of the horizontal banding between glazing increases in height from the ground floor to the roof, ranging from one floor to five floors between the horizontal bands of bronze.
Looking up at the east facade.
Southeast corner from Flatbush Avenue.
Southeast corner from Flatbush Avenue.
Closeup of the east facade.
Architect: Fogarty Finger (Design Architect), SLCE (Executive Architect); Developer: Savanna Real Estate; Program: Office, Retail; Location: Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: Early 2023.
Tour: 1 Boerum Place
Northwest corner from Boerum Place.
Construction is wrapping up at residential rental tower One Boerum Place in Downtown Brooklyn from developers Avery Hall Investments, Allegra Holding, and Aria Development Group. Designed by Avery Hall, the 22 story tower features a brick and punch window facade with private terraces and corner loggias.
Looking up at the west facade.
Southwest corner from Boerum Place.
Northeast corner from Fulton Street.
Close-up of the brick facade at the residential entry.
Residential Entry Lobby
Residential lobby featuring a work by Dustin Yellin.
A piece by artist Dustin Yellin, founder and director of Pioneer Works, greets the residents on their way to the elevator lobby and mail room.
A piece from Dustin Yellin’s Pyschogeographies series.
Model Residence
The tower offers 96 residential rental units ranging in size from one to four bedrooms. Design of the interiors is led by Gachot Studio and features 10 foot ceilings, wide plank White Oak flooring, and 8-foot-tall custom doors. Kitchens offer a custom Tambour wood radius culinary island, Tundra Grey countertops, and Waterworks fittings.
Primary bathrooms offer Bianco Dolomite marble flooring and accent walls, custom millwork vanities, and Waterworks fittings
Amenities
Entertainment lounge.
Residents have access to a collection of amenities that include a rooftop terrace, two-story fitness center, swimming pool, entertainment lounge, children’s playroom, parking garage, and storage room.
Fitness center.
Fitness center.
Swimming pool.
Children’s playroom.
Rooftop Views
Owner and Design Architect: Avery Hall; Co Developers: Allegra Holding, Aria Development Group; Interiors: Gachot Studios; Landscape: Brook Landscape; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Borough Hall, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: 2022.
Construction Tour: 90 Sands Street
Supportive housing provider Breaking Ground is set to turn a former hotel for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society into permanent supportive and affordable apartments for formerly homeless and low to moderate income individuals. Located at 90 Sands Street in Downtown Brooklyn, the 29-story tower was built in 1992 to house members of the Jehovah’s Witness. As part of a larger selling off of the Jehovah’s Witness’ assets in Downtown Brooklyn, the building was sold in 2017 and eventually acquired by Breaking Ground from RFR in 2018.
The current plan to repurpose the former hotel requires approval through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) given the site’s zoning for manufacturing use. When completed, the Beyer Blinder Belle led renovation will offer 507 residential units ranging from studios to 1-bedroom apartments. Residents will have access to a range of health and employment services as well as a multipurpose room for community events and meetings, a digital library, a fitness room, and plaza space for public use. Breaking Ground will also seek out community serving uses for the existing vast spaces at the lower levels for meetings and food service that were built for the hotel. Before construction begins later this year, I was given a tour of the building which has not been altered since the Jehovah’s Witness moved out in 2017.
Lobby
Lower Level Meeting and Food Preparation
Residential Floors
Rooftop Terrace
Architect (Renovation): Beyer Blinder Belle; Landscape Architect: W Architecture and Planning; Client: Breaking Ground; Program: Supportive and Affordable Housing; Location: Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: 2021.
7 DeKalb Avenue
The City Point development.
Construction has wrapped up at COOKFOX's 7 DeKalb, part of phase two of the City Point development in Downtown Brooklyn. Developed by BFC Partners, Washington Square Partners and Acadia Realty Trust, the 23-story, 225,000 square foot tower is now almost fully rented, with only a handful of its 250 units remaining.
The City Point development.
A podium with 660,000 square feet of retail is also included in phase two of the project. Tenants for the retail portion will include Century 21, Target, Alamo Drafthouse, various other smaller scale shops, and a food market. A central street will run through the ground floor retail and allow a public connection between Flatbush Avenue and Gold Street.
The tower is clad in a unitized metal panel system of light grey zinc that will patina and age over time.
Close-up of the zinc façade.
Resident amenities include two lounges, multiple terraces, gym, media/screening room, children's playroom, and bike storage.
Lower residential terrace.
Looking up at 7 DeKalb and City Tower from the lower residential terrace.
Lower residential terrace.
Lower residential terrace.
The view from the future residents lounge.
Living room.
Bedroom.
Private residential terrace.
View from the upper residential terrace.
Architects: COOKFOX Architects; Developers: BFC Partners, Washington Square Partners and Acadia Realty Trust; Program: Retail, Residential; Location: Downtown Brooklyn, NY; Completion: 2016.
