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The Downtown Brooklyn skyline has been redefined by the cluster of high-rises that has sprouted in recent years. And while 11 Hoyt, a new condominium being built on the site of a Macy’s parking garage, will certainly be tall at 57 stories, its development team hopes its design will help it stand out from the crowd.
The building, on the corner of Hoyt and Livingston Streets, will have 481 residences, priced between $600,000 for studios to about $3.4 million for four-bedroom units. Already several stories high, it is expected to be finished in 2020. Sales, conducted by Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group, began this month.
Designed by Jeanne Gang, the founding principal of Chicago-based Studio Gang Architects, 11 Hoyt has a scalloped exterior made of cast concrete that, from a distance, resembles small waves lapping in the sky. But the waved exterior isn’t just decorative, Ms. Gang said. The undulating facade also pulls the interior borders outward, providing a little extra space for residents in many units.
Ms. Gang, an architect and a MacArthur Fellow, said she got the idea for the interior nooks after noticing all the protruding bay windows in brownstone Brooklyn. The extra space can be used to house plants, books, ornaments, or be turned into window seats. The complex geometry of these contemporary oriel windows and the resulting lack of right angles create about 190 different floor plans in the building.
“You might not see it at first, but once the building is done, you’ll get the sense of order the facade has,” she said, adding that the scalloped exterior has an organized, algorithmic pattern.
Her inspiration for the patterns came from natural settings, like the growth lines on a shell, or the seed spirals of a sunflower. Depending on the time of day, Ms. Gang said, the exterior waves will create moving shadows on the exterior, adding a design element to the facade.
The building marks a first for many on the development team. It is the first condominium built in the city by Tishman Speyer, one of New York’s largest and oldest commercial landlords. The firm is also converting and expanding the Macy’s department store across the street into an office building called the Wheeler. (The department store will continue to occupy the lower floors.)
It is also the first residential building that Ms. Gang and Michaelis Boyd Associates, the firm in charge of interior designs, have designed in New York City.
“With the incredible transportation options here, as well as all the new retail and other rental buildings that have now appeared, we believe this area is turning into a 24-hour city,” said Erik Rose, a Tishman managing director. There are 11 subway lines within a five-minute walk from the building.
A 27,000-square-foot landscaped private park will be built atop a two-story base that is designed to house about 40,000 square feet of retail space, half of which will be below ground. Possible tenants include health and wellness, food and beverage, and children-related businesses, Mr. Rose said.
The outdoor space includes lawn areas for both quiet and loud activities (read: space for children to run around), a sun deck with a hot tub, a forested walking path, a communal garden, barbecue pods and spaces to eat and drink.
Edmund Hollander, founding principal of Hollander Design, the firm responsible for designing the park, said they may grow milkweed and other plants that are attractive to monarch butterflies, because the building sits in the insect’s migratory path.
“This space is not just an amenity deck,” he said. “It’s an experiential park.”
The park will be adjacent to the building’s indoor club area, which will include a fitness center, a 75-foot saltwater pool, a squash court, a children’s playroom and a maker’s studio. The indoor club space will work together with the outdoor park, said Mr. Hollander, who worked with Alex Michaelis, the London-based architect and interior designer.
“We’ve designed it so you can throw open the yoga room doors on a sunny day and look onto all the greenery,” Mr. Hollander said.
Known for his bold, contrasting style, Mr. Michaelis said he saw a shift in the public’s appetite for “braver” home designs, noting that residents will be able to choose between light or dark interior finishes. The “Classic” will feature light wood and color palettes, while the “Heritage” will combine darker wood with metalwork, brass and bronze accents.
The building will also have a motor court and a porte-cochere entryway, as well as a coffee lounge and an outdoor dog run. The 32nd floor will house another common area, with a catering kitchen, library, cinema, gaming room, card room, study area and music studio.
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