Site of Former Glass Factory, Forms Bridge
Between Gowanus, Park Slope
By Linda Collins
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
PARK SLOPE — Under construction in Park Slope is a new residential building designed by internationally acclaimed architect Enrique Norten and his firm, TEN Arquitectos, it was announced Thursday.
It is one of five new commercial and residential buildings the firm has designed that demonstrate its position as “a leader in efficient and progressive urban architecture,” according to a company statement.
The four others are all in Manhattan: Clinton Park, 11th Avenue, between 53rd and 54th streets; One York, Sixth Avenue and Canal Street; Cassa Hotel, 70 W. 45th St.; and Habita Hotel, Chelsea.
“Even though the city’s frenzied pace of construction has slowed, TEN Arquitectos continues to make major contributions to the New York skyline,” Norten said in the statement. “This success demonstrates the importance of intensive site analysis, economy and sustainability in the context of development.”
Norten is best known locally for his design of the Visual and Performing Arts Library for BAM, but that project has been shelved.
This project, at 580 Carroll St., between Fourth and Fifth avenues, will be the first he has completed in Brooklyn.
The site of the former Garfield Glass Corp., which actually faced Garfield Place at the rear of the property, the development is set back from Carroll Street by a 3,000-square-foot shared garden.
As described by TEN Arquitectos: “Introducing an element of country living to its urban site, the project ensures a quiet, authentic neighborhood experience, from the wooden boardwalk leading to its main entrance to its brownstone and garden views.
“Its two main volumes [sections] consist of poured-in-place concrete structures oriented toward the garden and toward the center of Park Slope.”
The five-story 30,000-square-foot 17-unit condominium offers additional unique outdoor spaces that emphasize the apartments’ eating and cooking spaces and establishes a clean-lined framework.
The building takes a fresh approach to zoning. While other new developments in the area maximize the zoning envelope by building right to the street line, our project situates the building to allow for a 3,000 square foot shared garden overlooking Carroll Street. The main entrance to the building is along a wood boardwalk from Carroll, leading through the garden to the building.
The large garden area and wood boardwalk that takes you to the entrance was done in response to the developer’s request and was an attempt to bring “an element of country living to the urban context.”
TEN Arquitectos also describes the development as “a bridge between the more industrial Gowanus neighborhood to the east and the heart of Park Slope's Brownstone Brooklyn to the west.”
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© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2009
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Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net
