by: Linda G. Miller
DXA Studio Breaks Ground on Historic Brooklyn Brewery Restoration
Ground has been broken on the restoration and conversion of the historic William Ulmer Brewery, located at 81 Beaver Street in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. Led by DXA Studio, the 60,000-square-foot project fully rehabilitates the 19th-century former brewhouse building, one of the last remaining and best-maintained structures from an era in which Brooklyn was the brewing capital of the United States. The building will be converted to commercial use on the ground floor and three subterranean cellar levels, and to residential use on the second, third, fourth, and penthouse levels. Designed by noted German-American architect Theobald Englehardt and first completed in 1872, the brewery was once the largest piece of a multi-building brewery complex, which also included an office, an engine-machine house, and a stable-storage facility. After the brewery closed during Prohibition, parts of the Ulmer complex fell into disrepair while others found new uses. The brewhouse served as a manufacturing space until the 1940s, and the office building was converted into a townhome. In 2010, the building was designated a New York City Landmark, becoming the first brewery in the city to receive this status. Since 2017, when Rivington Company purchased the then-vacant brewhouse, DXA Studio has worked with both the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to restore the building to its original design intent while maintaining its historic architectural character. DXA’s two-phased approach tackles both the interior and exterior of the building. The exterior renovation involves a thorough restoration of the existing masonry; the removal of all ahistorical elements such as fire escapes; the installation of new, energy-efficient windows that will match the configuration of the historic double-hung windows; the restoration of the grand, wood-paneled arched doors leading into the original arched wagon entry; and new, enlarged glass storefronts for commercial tenants on both the Beaver and Belvidere Street façades. A new, copper-clad penthouse—whose form echoes the classic rooftop storage structures of Brooklyn’s most prominent breweries—will be added to the roof.
AECOM Reimagines Brooklyn’s Dumbo Archway Plaza
AECOM’s Landscape and Design Studio (LAUD), in collaboration with the NYCDOT and the DUMBO BID, has designed a flexible plaza environment as part of the Dumbo Archway Plaza. Managed by DDC, the project is part of the larger street and utility reconstruction program for the Dumbo and Vinegar Hill neighborhoods. The 4,000-square-foot project has transformed an underutilized street and parking spot into a large plaza that creates more space for pedestrians and less for vehicles while connecting the neighborhood to the Archway under the Manhattan Bridge. Designed by AECOM’s Gonzalo Cruz, ASLA, multi-tiered bleacher-like seating called the” folded boardwalk” takes cues from the former historic waterfront environment. Custom-designed umbrellas by Dumbo-based artist Liz Collins dot the plaza. The design of the paving traces the historic street grid, and the broken cobbles and asphalt were replaced with rehabilitated Belgian blocks and new ADA-approved stones. Now through December 24, the bright orange Construction Cone Tree is on view at Dumbo Archway Plaza. The DUMBO BID commissioned Brooklyn artist Casey Opstad to create the piece in response to the area’s capital street improvement project.
Thomas Phifer and Partners Completes Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
The Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Poland (MSN Warsaw), Thomas Phifer and Partners’ first built project in Europe, was completed in time to participate in Warsaw Under Construction, a three-week long cultural festival. The public had the opportunity to view large-scale sculptures and installations by Polish and international women artists whose work will be presented in dialogue with the new building. Located in Plac Defilad (Parade Square), the museum is framed by the Soviet-era Palace of Culture and Science on one side and an arcade of shops and malls on the other. The 213,000-square-foot building contains 48,911 square feet of exhibition space and is the first purpose-built home for the institution whose operations for years had previously been located in different temporary spaces. The museum also features conservation studios, an open ground level with bookshop and café, education areas, an auditorium, and a 150-seat theater. The three-story building is organized horizontally and composed of two rectangular forms. Composed of white, cast-in-place concrete hand-crafted by skilled local craftspeople, the façade expresses the institution’s ethos and offers a lasting and timeless presence. A three-foot-tall horizontal slot surrounds the entire façade and contains clerestory windows for light and views. At the heart of the interior is a monumental double-symmetrical spiral stair that is flooded with natural light. Each suite of galleries on the two main exhibition levels features windowed “city rooms” lined in European ash that offer places for pause and reflection and framed views of the city. The galleries range in height from 13 to 25 feet. A system of louvres and scrims modulates natural light and activates the galleries throughout the day. The roof, referred to as the building’s “fifth façade,” offers continuous diffused daylight into the galleries. Outside, a continuous arcade on the ground level serves as a transitional space between the city and the museum and is lined with honey locust trees that lightly enclose the forum. In the future, the TR Warszawa Theatre, also designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners, will join the museum in the square.
Morris Adjmi Architects Designs Home for UC Berkeley Transfer Students
Designed by Morris Adjmi Architects (MA), the Helen Diller Anchor House is a 450,000-square-foot dormitory on the campus of UC Berkeley designed to aid transfer students thrive academically, socially, and culturally. Providing students with a prime location to live, study, and socialize, the building features charcoal-hued hand-laid Interstate Brick at the base of the building beginning at ground level, continuing toward internal courtyard areas. Floors four through twelve feature a lighter, warm gray brick alongside a metal grid expression. Floors thirteen and fourteen have a dark metal, two-story single bay expression. A central courtyard, as well as multiple terraces and balconies, offer lush, outdoor space for work and leisure with views. Bricks from a now-removed bus depot that previously occupied the site were repurposed, and the parabolic arch shape of the former depot has been reimagined in the courtyard. The 14-story dorm contains 244 studio and two- and four-bedroom apartments (roughly 772 beds). Each unit contains private bedrooms with custom built-in desks in front of large operable windows and is equipped with a full kitchen, an in-unit washer and dryer, central air conditioning, and high ceilings. A maker space run by the Berkeley Art Studio hosts classes for the students and the community. Rausser College of Natural Sciences uses a culinary classroom and rooftop vegetable garden to promote healthy eating and sustainable cooking. In addition, there are also two spacious event spaces with individual catering kitchens and an 8,600-square-foot fitness center, complete with a yoga and meditation room. Local firm BDE Architecture served as Architect of Record and BCV Architecture worked on the interiors.
Spectorgroup Renovates Lower Manhattan Landmark Building
Inside the red cast-iron façade at 836 Broadway, just south of Union Square is a repositioned workplace designed by Spectorgroup for ZG Capital Partners. A New York City-designated landmark, the store and loft building was originally designed by Stephen Decatur Hatch in 1876, and housed manufacturer Mitchell, Vance, & Co. The design concept for the renovation of the exterior, lobby, and three floors of rentable space offering 13,600 square feet of prebuilt office suites on each, drew inspiration from the building’s original cast-iron facade and Néo-Grec detailing. Obstructive louvers on the ground floor were removed, opening the façade. The profile of the ornamental windows was integrated into the design as a repeating metal frame element, forming an illuminated archway visible from the street. The office floors feature neutral tones, natural wood, exposed brick, and curvilinear details. The original iron columns have been painted black and provide visual contrast to the preserved brickwork along the south wall. A central pavilion frames the pantry to create a communal hub. Custom millwork throughout creates pockets informal spaces. The top floor is a double height space with an upper mezzanine level connected by a floating staircase with glass sides, all of which is illuminated by a large skylight.
In Case You Missed It
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has selected Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini Corporation and O&G Industries of Torrington, CT., to design the new AirTrain at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Working within the team and collaborating with Lead Engineer Parsons Corporation, Dattner Architects will design the new 2.5-mile elevated rail structure and three new stations serving Terminals A, B, and C. A critical component of PANYNJ’s vision to transform the airport into a world-class transportation hub, the new structure replaces the existing AirTrain system, built in 1996, which is unable to meet the growing demand of air travelers.
99 Park Avenue, a 26-story Emery Roth & Sons-designed building, will undergo a capital improvement program that includes a lobby redesign, and new amenity spaces including a conference center, a speakeasy, tenant barber shop and salon, and an entertainment center with a bowling alley and golf simulator. Designed by VOCON for Global Holdings, the project is expected to be completed by Q1 2026.
With a growing student body and in anticipation of the upcoming 2026 World Cup visit, Georgia State University has announced an ambitious transformation of its flagship downtown Atlanta campus putting into action a recent plan by Cooper Robertson that includes nine projects which includes expanding an existing campus greenway with an elevated plaza, enhanced walkways, and newly pedestrianized streets.
Caples Jefferson has been selected by Copland House, a music and arts center, to plan, design, and develop Bluestone Farm, a recently acquired satellite venue in Brewster, NY. The addition of the 24-acre former grade school campus enables Copland House to extend its artistic support, audience reach, public presentations, educational engagement, and programs that champion the creative process.
TONAB Architecture has completed the restoration and office fit-out of Building 111, located on the north-side of JFK Airport for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). The firm assembled a team of MWBE consultants including IN-SITE Interior Design, Sabir Richardson & Weisberg Engineering (SRW) and Celin Munoz Consulting Engineer (CMCE), who worked on all aspects of the project. Originally constructed in 1948, the 188,000-square-foot, three-story building houses the JFK Redevelopment Program, program management teams, and private terminal developers who work collaboratively. In addition to necessary upgrades to the 75-year-old building, the project includes the addition of an employee lounge, collaborative spaces, and a cafeteria.
Studio Cooke John Architecture and Design has completed a project that activates Zion Triangle Plaza and other public spaces in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Working with the Pitkin Avenue BID, the illuminated plaza is now a welcoming destination for residents, shoppers, and visitors. A project of Urban Design Forum, the enlivened spaces are designed to increase economic opportunities and provide access to arts, culture, and community celebrations for residents and businesses within their own neighborhood.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art announced the six finalist teams including Selldorf Architects, Studio Gang, and Weiss/Manfredi, who will take part in the international design competition’s second stage to integrate the campus, the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park, and the two existing buildings into a cohesive new experience. The competition attracted 182 submissions from 30 countries.
Works by iconic artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Arik Brauer, Salvador Dalí, Sonia Delaunay, Monika GilSing, Keith Haring, André Heller, David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, and Kenny Scharf are part of the reprise of Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy at The Shed at Hudson Yards. Their designs wrap around carnival rides, on view now through January 5, 2025.