As The Observer previously reported, Brooklyn Bridge Park had attracted a swell of high-profile development and design attention to the first new development parcel planned alongside the park. Calling for a hotel and luxury apartments, the competition attracted not only the firms we knew—Two Trees, Toll Brothers, Dermot, Extell and Hamlin—but also Starwood Capital (working with Hamlin), SDS Procida and Robert A. Levine. The latter are known for On Prospect Park and One Brooklyn Bridge Park, respectively.
All of them have hired top notch architects, offering the kind of dynamic neighborhood BBP president Regina Meyer said she was hoping for. The community was not exactly thrilled with what they saw at the unveiling of the designs tonight—more on that tomorrow—but without further ado, here they are.
I like this one best. Two Trees is a local firm and they don’t build crap. The green facade is a big plus.
These are all awful. Why didn’t any of these architects even try to match the character of the neighborhood? They are all in such a damn hurry to build the same boring glass boxes that they think are exciting. If they want to win this design competition, a little consideration of the surroundings would be nice. These are neither Brooklyn Heights nor Dumbo. yuck, yuck, yuck
I think that these all look amazing and each has their own merits. For anyone who thinks that they have to “match the character” of the neighborhood; these are not actually in the Heights, they are in a contemporary park, and they all match that well. Brooklyn is a creative place and these designs show that to the world. We are living in the 21th century, and our architecture should reflect that. With the attitude that all future buildings should look like the previous generation, we would all be living in mud huts! Let’s live in the now!