Brooklyn, New York
2009 – 2011

For over a century, the Brooklyn Navy Yard produced vessels, from schooners to battleships. Rusted hulks from manufacturing operations continue to evoke the monumental structure of steel-clad ships. A historically significant ancillary structure, the US Marine Corps Commandant’s 1857 Residence (Building 92), has been restored and conjoined with a contemporary structure to house the Brooklyn Navy Yard Visitors Center.

The hull of a ship inspired the entry courtyard that now serves as a public venue opening into the gated Navy Yard. A shady grove and airy court welcomes creative tenants, local residents and city-wide visitors to gather for century old stories to be told. Sustainable systems guided all design decisions for stormwater management including green roofs, and dictated material choices like recycled steel and a rich array of native plants. Behind the Center, the Bone Yard garden extends into the Navy Yard’s complex of artists’ studios, fabrication shops and film production facilities alongside active dry docks.

Clients + Collaborators

Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, developer; Beyer Blinder Belle, architects + planners; Workshop/apd, architects; Langan, civil + geotechnical engineers; Brooklyn Historical Society