Foster + Partners Development Comes to Brooklyn
Image courtesy Foster + Partners
Architects & Firms
Foster + Partners, the London-based firm founded by Norman Foster, unveiled plans today for a mixed-use office development in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The development, spearheaded by Thor Equities, will be built on a former waterfront industrial site and include over 600,000 square feet of office space and another 23,000 square feet for retail outlets and restaurants.
According to a release from Foster + Partners, the development hopes to build on the recent tech boom in the Red Hook neighborhood and Brooklyn generally; as Bloomberg News reported, there were over 16 million square feet of planned office development in Brooklyn as of March. This includes another complex designed by NBBJ. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has also proposed a new streetcar line through the neighborhood, which would likely accelerate development.
The timber-framed complex will consist of two separate four-story volumes. Renderings show that both low-rises will feature prominent glazing on the upper levels and will be surrounded on three sides by the water, a position which, according to the firm, will provide “unmatched views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.”
The complex also seeks to “revitalize” its formerly industrial surroundings through the creation of a public esplanade that will connect the development to the nearby Brooklyn Greenway, a 14-mile waterfront pedestrian and cycling route. Nigel Dancey, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners, said the building “pulls its natural surroundings into the site” through rooftop terraces and a green courtyard between the site’s twin buildings.
“The design references the area’s industrial heritage, respecting the scale of the neighborhood, while creating flexible, innovative workspaces that will support new collaborative ways of work,” Dancey said.
Construction on the development is expected to begin this summer.
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