OMA, led by the firm partner Jason Long, is planning to construct two distinctive looking residential towers at Greenpoint Landing in Brooklyn, New York. These two towers—a ziggurat and its inverse- are created to provide a new look to the Greenpoint and maximize views of the Manhattan skyline.
As it is New York’s first ground-up structure in Brooklyn, the OMA’s project will serve as a catalyst in the transformation of the underutilized stretch of waterfront into an accessible, flourishing, sustainable and dynamic addition to Greenpoint.
OMA has collaborated with Marmol Radziner (Interior Design/Building Landscape), Beyer Blinder Belle (Executive Architect) and James Corner Field Operations (Waterfront Landscape) for the project design.
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Form Rotation
Looking like two dancers, these buildings are carefully calibrated to one another. The North Tower reaches 300 ft and a South Tower rises to 400 ft. The taller one widens as it rises whereas the smaller one narrows. The reason behind this is that the bizarre shape of these towers serves to maximize both daylight and views. The facades of these towers feature precast concrete panels with adjacent large windows. Angled planes have been used to carve the precast panels.
Massing Diagram
According to OMA, “Like two dancers, the towers simultaneously lean into and away from one another. A ziggurat and its inverse, the pair are intimately linked by the void between them. "
The project extends Eagle Street and Dupont Street, as well as 2.5 acres of public open space along the shoreline, and 8,600 square feet of retail space and parking. The Greenpoint landing towers are attached by a sky bridge that incorporates a fitness centre and a swimming pool. Also, the interiors of the two towers will be mostly handed over to residential space, around 745 units out of which 30% will be deemed “reasonable,” as per OMA.
Concept Model
The taller tower has a stepped underside so that it widens towards the top, while its shorter partner staggers inwards. Rising side by side, the structures look as if they could have been one volume that was broken in two.
Images Courtesy: OMA