NYC residential building’s ‘scalloped’ facade creates waves

by arslan_ahmed | March 27, 2023 1:06 pm

11 Hoyt, a residential tower in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City, designed by Studio Gang, features a “scalloped” facade made of precast concrete panels. The facade not only has ornamental significance, but it is also functional.

While on the surface, the purpose of the precast concrete formations on the 56-story tower’s facade appears to be aesthetic—at times, throughout the day, the shapes give the tower’s exterior a resemblance of waves on the sea—there is more to it. The formations also increase the floor area on the interior of the 2.33-m (8-ft) high windows, creating space for seating. The tower’s occupants can use the seats to lounge, while taking in views of the neighborhood and the waterfront, or to place plants, books, or ornaments.

The precast concrete panels were prefabricated and installed to identical the floor plate and column layouts on-site. Another feature of the tower is its podium, which has been converted from a parking garage into a landscaped area where residents can connect with each other among trees, gardens, and other amenities. The podium, acting as a “fifth facade” of the building, is cut off from the outside, yet it offers views of the city to insiders.

For its innovative design and use of concrete, the tower has been awarded multiple awards, including the Architecture Honor Award, American Institute of Architect (AIA) New York, 2023, and Building Award, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI), Best Multi-Family Building, 2022.

Other collaborators on the 71,535-m² (770,000-sf), vertically oriented residential project were Hill West, architect of record; McNamara Salvia, structural engineer; Michaelis Boyd Associates, interior designer; Hollander Design, landscape architect; Cosentini[1], MEP/FP and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) consultant; Gilsanz Murray Steficek, facade consultant; Van Deusen and Associates, vertical transportation consultant; Langan[2], geotechnical engineer; Philip Habib and Associates, civil engineer; and OneLux, lighting designer.

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/nyc-residential-buildings-scalloped-facade-creates-waves/

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