A N I n t e r i o r

A magazine by Architect 's Newspaper October 2015

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Chicago BiennialArchtober Preview

WorkAC at Home

Manufactured MattersA 1900 Brooklyn factory is reimagined as a sophisticated, moderen apartment complex that nods to the area’s in-dustrial past. Fred A. Bernstein

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F e a t u r e

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R I G H T

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and water.” In this case the bui lding fal ls

within the DUMBO landmark distr ict , so the

brick perimeter wal ls had to be preserved,

as did the large openings for the casement

windows. Four new f loors were bui l t after

the inter ior was hol lowed out to accomodate

an addit ional two stor ies. As a result , the

f loor plates were shifted, causing window

heights and configurations to vary from

f loor to f loor, and on some f loors, even from

apartment to apartment. Nearly two thirds

of the units wi l l face the street through

these windows. The rest wi l l front a newly

enlarged inter ior courtyard planted with a

St i l l , to Chen, founder of the New York City–

based ODA (Off ice for Design & Architec-

ture), which had just been tapped to help

turn the 87,000-square-foot bui lding at 51

Jay Street into a high-end residential con-

dominium, there was a powerful authenticity

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to the early 20th-century structure. I t spoke

of a t ime when cargo ships st i l l pul led up to

the then- industr ial enclave on the East River

and rai lway cars rumbled about on tracks

embedded in the cobblestone streets to and

from factories.

The enormous skyl ight on the shedl ike top

f loor cal led to mind the great, glor ious train

stat ions of that era, f i l tered with a l ight

that Chen described as magical . He and his

team of architects and designers sought to

evoke the romance, i f not the real i ty, of that

bygone age in the 74-unit complex they were

tasked with designing.

F iguring out how to tuck those residences

into the shel l of the histor ic structure took

some f inesse. ODA has considerable expe-

r ience with adaptive reuse, and, as Chen

knows f irst -hand, combining an old bui lding

and a new function is often “ l ike mixing oi l

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open onto wide l iv ing rooms, some with

double-height cei l ings. The main l iv ing area

in each apartment wi l l have an expansive,

loft - l ike feel .

The units’ air iness is balanced by a range

of r ichly textured f inishes and dark, sub-

stantial - looking cabinetry. To develop their

materials palette, the designers researched

what was considered luxury when the facto-

ry was bui l t , and then came up with modern

interpretat ions for 51 Jay.

Take the handsome herr ingbone-patterned

oak f loors in the l iv ing rooms, for example.

The architects learned that herr ingbone

f loors were popular in high-end apartments

at the turn of the 20th century. But instead

of using four- to s ix- inch wood str ips, as

would have been done then, the architects

opted for 8- and 24- inch oak str ips, which,

Chen explained, are more akin to the wide-

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R I G H T

T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K K T K T K T K T K T-

K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K K T K T K T K T K K T K T-

K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K

B E L O W

T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K K T K T K T K T K T-

K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K K T K T K T K T K K T K T-

K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K

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plank f loors found in old industr ial ware-

houses; the wood was smoked and wire-

brushed for an aged effect.

The architects also discovered that French

cabinetmaking was fashionable in New York

in the 1900s—the cabinets often received

three coats of paint, then was sanded at the

corners to expose the underlying wood. The

paneled cherry kitchen cabinets of 51 Jay

wi l l be s imi lar ly patinated, the dark stain

appl ied to them rubbed away at the corners

to reveal the ruddiness of the wood under-

neath. Some of the cabinet doors wi l l be

faced with corrugated glass—more indus-

tr ial - looking than tradit ional clear glass—a

material that might wel l have been made in

the bui lding during the years i t was a glass

factory.

The same corrugated glass wi l l appear in

the master baths, and wi l l front the doors

and dark-brown lacquered vanit ies. Copper

tr im wi l l edge the vanit ies and medicine

cabinets above—an unusual accent for a

bath, but, l ike the corrugated glass, a mate-

r ial that appealed to the architects in part

because i t had once been produced in the

bui lding. Also unusual is the walnut-colored

honed marble chosen for the f loor, tub front,

and vanity counter.

Whi le many of the same materials wi l l

be used in the powder rooms, the so-cal led

“secondary” bathrooms, which are to be

found in the larger units, wi l l have a decid-

edly l ighter, more casual look, with white-

washed oak vanit ies and recessed medicine

cabinets.

An avalanche of amenit ies are being add-

ed, including a rooftop terrace tr icked out

with a k itchen, f i replace, and outdoor show-

er. In the basement wi l l be what has become

the latest must-have for luxury residential

developments: a pet washing and grooming

stat ion.

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L o n d o n D e s i g n 2 0 1 5

G I R A F F E C O N S O L E A N D ‘A’ C L O T H E S R A I L&NEW

These vibrantly colored steel furnishings have a visual l ightness that bel ies their structural strength.

andnew.co.uk

F E E L F E L TT A R T U A R T C O L L E G E

Imagine a blanket that is at once enveloping and support ing: That’s the underlying notion of this rocking chair, which fea-tures a felt panel draped over a steel framework. Designed by Kätl in Eskla, Mihkel Mölder, Teele Tenso, and I l ja Uhl inov.

artcol .ee

S H A R D S T A B L EM A R K M C C L U R E S T U D I O

Designed in col laboration with Hardy Handmade Furniture, the coffee table is topped with a geomet-r ic composit ion of painted reclaimed wood. Custom orders are accepted.

markmcclurestudio.com

E Y E S E R I E SM Y U N G N A M A N

Inspired by the works of Salvador Dal í , this col lec-t ion of br ist ly ceramic pieces fascinates with their colors and forms.

myungnaman.co.uk

P A T É L C H A I RM E S T I Z

The Patél chair borrows from the text i le tradit ion of Salt i l lo, Mexico, with serape upholstery that is hand woven by master craftsman Hector Tamayo. The chair ’s frame is pine.

mest iz .mx

R I P P L EP O E T I C L A B

Shining through a handblown glass globe, l ight dapples the surrounding surfaces as the f ixtures rotate.

lobmeyr.at

S H A R D S T A B L EM A R K M C C L U R E S T U D I O

Designed in col laboration with Hardy Handmade Furniture, the coffee table is topped with a geomet-r ic composit ion of painted reclaimed wood. Custom orders are accepted.

Shining through a handblown glass globe, l ight dapples the surrounding surfaces as

T h e L a t e s t f r o m L o n d o n

S t a g e d c o n c u r r e n t l y w i t h t h e

L o n d o n D e s i g n F e s t i v a l , t h e Te n t

L o n d o n s h o w p u t s i n d e p e n d e n t

t a l e n t s f r o n t a n d c e n t e r. H e r e ’s

a s a m p l i n g o f t h i s y e a r ’s w a r e s .

B y L e s l i e C l a g e t t

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