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OMA's New York studio has unveiled its first ground-up development for Brooklyn, forming part of a masterplanned transformation of the Greenpoint waterfront. The post-industrial edge of warehouses, factories and surface parking lots is being converted into a mixed-use neighbourhood by Brookfield Properties, Park Tower Group and Handel Architects.
Greenpoint Landing reimagines the northern-most tip of Brooklyn, and OMA's rental project on Block D will extend Eagle and Dupont streets to greet a new waterfront esplanade on the East River. The two residential towers rise from a trapezoidal site as a ziggurat and its inverse, creating an 18-metre gap between them that visually links the pair. The 122-metre-tall building expands its floor plate eastwards as it rises to optimize views, while the shorter 91-metre-tall sibling widens towards the ground to create a number of large terraces.
The building envelope is comprised of precast concrete panels that frame expansive windows. "Much like the buildings’ forms, the precast panels are carved by a series of angled planes," OMA says. "The carved faces react dynamically to the movement of the sun throughout the day. This expression changes orientation with each block (vertical, horizontal and diagonal), dividing the tower into a finer scale."
Two levels of green space meet the waterfront in reflection of the neighbourhood's history of farming. The terraces are activated by common spaces and amenities, with the space above connecting the two towers with a fitness centre and pool for residents. 30 percent of the 745 units in the complex will be affordable.
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