take a first look inside SHoP architects' gotham-esque brooklyn tower

brookyln tower: interiors revealed

Just in time for the completion of its textural facade, SHoP Architects opened the doors of Brooklyn’s first ‘supertall’ tower for an early glimpse of its interiors. Since the completion of its crown earlier this year, New Yorkers have regarded the new landmark as a modern ‘Tower of Sauron’ — an apt comparison as the architects at SHoP drew inspiration from the dark edge of Gotham city. In contrast to the tower’s intentionally foreboding exterior, its interiors are luminous and welcoming. These include public spaces by Woods Bagot along with three completed model residences by local practice Gachot Studios.

The timing of SHoP Architects‘ skyscraper coincides with its ultra-thin 111 West 57th Street tower which now stands at Central Park South. SHoP Architects’ founding principal Gregg Pasquarelli notes the dialogue between the two projects, that the Manhattan tower exudes a sense of sophisticated luxury over the coolness and edge of its Brooklyn cousin.

image © Max Touhey

the welcoming lobby interiors by woods bagot

Krista Ninivaggi of interiors studio Woods Bagot worked closely with the team at SHoP Architects to harmonize the spaces with the new tower and its historic context in Downtown Brooklyn. Details in the lobby are designed as an homage to the landmark, 1859-era Dime Savings Bank from which it rises — hexagonal motifs along the tiled flooring reflect those preserved within the bank, while custom furnishings are crafted to evoke the image of rolled coins. Another playful detail includes an array of ‘dimes’ which wrap the vaulted ceiling of the elevator hall, a reminder of the bank’s philosophy that patrons could open an account with just a dime. The warm, white-oak paneling which wraps the lobby interiors takes on a texture designed as a direct reflection of the fluted facade of the new tower.

Woods Bagot lobby | image © Adrian Gaut

the completed facade by Shop Architects

From its interiors to its facade, the design of the Brooklyn Tower establishes a dialogue between the borough’s history and its promising future. SHoP Architects draws influence from the hexagonal forms, and unique patterning discovered within the preserved interior of the Dime Savings Bank. Interconnected hexagons are integrated even into the overall volume of the tower, its figure blurred with its rhythmic texture and cascading setbacks, resulting in a skin that shimmers with an interplay of bronze and black hues.

This composition shifts from all angles, the diverse array of fluted, cylindrical, and triangular shapes framed by large glass panels. Before transitioning into the darkened stainless steel and bronze facade, the unique choice of materials begins with white marble ‘convexacave’ columns at street-level (see designboom’s coverage here). Here, classical design is translated through a contemporary lens and fabricated with advanced, digital techniques. 

Woods Bagot lobby | image © Adrian Gaut

gachot studios’ model residences

The focus of the Brooklyn Tower is to provide new homes to Downtown Brooklyn with welcoming, moderin interiors. The team notes that JDS Development requested the same level of quality given to a luxury tower along Central Park. Manhattan-based firm Gachot Studios has curated each residence, incorporating an elegant aesthetic and a strong connection to the tower’s distinctive hexagonal structure. With 10′-3″ ceilings, the residences have been carefully planned to make the most of the tower’s exceptional viewpoints, ensuring that the expansive city and water vistas can be enjoyed to the fullest through floor-to-ceiling windows. Many of the units open onto multiple different views across Brooklyn and the city beyond, from Fort Greene Park just next door to the distant silhouette of the Verrazano Bridge on the horizon.

Woods Bagot lobby | image © Adrian Gaut
Woods Bagot lobby | image © Adrian Gaut

Gachot Studios model residence | image © Nicole Franzen

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Gachot Studios model residence | image © Kelly Marshall

Gachot Studios model residence | image © Kelly Marshall

Gachot Studios model residence | image © Nicole Franzen

image © Max Touhey

image © Max Touhey

image © Max Touhey

project info:

project title: The Brooklyn Tower

architecture: SHoP Architects | @shoparchitects

location: 9 Dekalb Avenue, New York, NY

interior design (model residences): Gachot Studios | @gachotstudios

interior design (public spaces): Krista Ninivaggi of Woods Bagot| @woodsbagot

developer: JDS Development Group

real estate firm: Douglas Elliman Development Marketing

construction manager: JDS Construction Group

original architect: Mowbray & Uffinger

landscape architecture: HMwhite

previous coverage: November 2015, September 2021, March 2022, February 2023

photography: © Max Touhey, Adrian Gaut, Nicole Franzen, Kelly Marshall