EMPIRE STORES IN NEW YORK CITY BY STUDIO V

Brooklyn Bridge Park awarded the development and re-design of the historic Empire Stores to Midtown Equities, a leading real estate investment and development firm led by Brooklyn native and Chairman Joe Cayre and his two sons Jack and Michael.

Midtown Equities selected STUDIO V Architecture, led by Jay Valgora, to create the architectural design for the adaptive re-use and addition to seven Civil War era buildings. Located immediately adjacent to the Brooklyn Bridge overlooking Brooklyn Bridge Park, these magnificent historic structures have remained empty for over a half-century. The Empire Stores are among the last remnants of the “walled city” of Brooklyn, whose warehouses historically separated the surrounding community from the original working waterfront.

The design includes a Brooklyn marketplace featuring local food and restaurants, a cultural museum dedicated to Brooklyn, offices for digital startups and creative firms, and a public rooftop park overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge Park and Manhattan skyline. “We are thrilled to be working with the Cayre family on this historic project. Along with the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire Stores are the most iconic structures on the Brooklyn waterfront,” stated Jay Valgora, the principal and founder of STUDIO V.

“Our design combines historic rehabilitation with contemporary forms and materials to create an innovative new architecture for the waterfront. While carefully restoring these magnificent masonry structures, the new glass courtyard and rooftop park will bring light and air into the buildings and reconnect the neighborhood to the waterfront and its beautiful new park. STUDIO V’s design features an angled glass courtyard and arcade that passes through the existing masonry structures. This public courtyard extends up through the buildings, wrapping around historic stone schist walls to culminate in a rooftop public park.

A delicate glass addition with gardens and terraces will rise over the historic buildings, with a green roof that is visible from the surrounding bridges. The Empire Stores are listed on the National Historic Register, and all facades, interiors, and architectural treatments will follow the strict standards for historic rehabilitation required by the National Park Service. The project has committed to achieving a rating of LEED Silver or higher for sustainable architecture. The transformation of the Empire Stores will be one of many New York City waterfront projects designed by STUDIO V.

In seven years, the Studio V has emerged as one of the foremost architectural and master planning firms engaged in waterfront design and resiliency, with projects across New York and cities around the world. In addition to their architectural projects, STUDIO V is working pro bono with the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance to help create design guidelines that illustrate best practices for waterfront design. “Working to improve, strengthen, and promote public access, resiliency and restoration to New York City’s waterfronts is essential to the future of New York,” says Roland Lewis, CEO and President of MWA.

“We are excited to have Jay and the STUDIO V team working with us in our efforts. In addition to innovative waterfront edge design, the Empire Stores transformation will give back to its DUMBO neighborhood economically and socially. “Coming from a family that was born and raised in Brooklyn, we look forward to creating a successful development that serves the community of DUMBO,” says Joe Cayre, Chairman of Midtown Equities. “We selected STUDIO V for their talent in creating innovative and sensitive architectural designs that will transform the Empire Stores into a destination, and a cultural resource for both the neighborhood and New York City.

MULTI-MODAL REVAMP OF THE STAMFORD TRAIN STATION BY STUDIO V

Stamford’s Transportation Center is located on the wrong side of the eight-lane Interstate 95 to take advantage of the density of the city’s downtown. A $500 million redevelopment plan aims to change that.

A competition-winning scheme, designed by New York–based STUDIO VArchitecture, would create a multi-modal neighborhood surrounding the center, which is the region’s second-busiest train station after Grand Central Terminal. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) selected developer Stamford Manhattan Development Ventures’ proposal for three new buildings that will act as a new front door for Stamford and a revamped streetscapes along Station Place, South State Street, and Manhattan Street to promote walkability and reconnect downtown with its waterfront. The plan calls for two towers. The largest sits adjacent to the train station and atop a parking garage.

It is programmed to include a hotel, residences, and retail space and is united by a dramatic curved glass wall that shrouds the building and shelters a rooftop terrace overlooking downtown. To the east, the second, smaller tower features a similar curvilinear facade and a full-height, vertically landscaped wall. It is programmed for office space, a conference center, and additional residences. “For decades, the Stamford Train Station and I-95 highway have served as a barrier instead of a connection between the Downtown and the South End,” said Jay Valgora, principal at STUDIO V Architecture, in a statement.

“Our design features human-scaled streetscapes, multi-level landscaped walkways, and active retail and restaurants inspired by the greatest urban precedent for mixed-use development: Rockefeller Center.” Overall, the redevelopment calls for 600,000 square feet of office space and 60,000 square feet of retail, 150 residences, and a 150-room hotel. The new buildings flank an upgraded station that will feature better pedestrian and cyclist access, including covered waiting areas for bikes. Landscape improvements call for a new connection to the Mill River Park and Greenway and planted bridges and rooftops.

via Archpaper