10 Jay Street

10 Jay Street, a landmarked building in DUMBO flanked by the Manhattan Bridge and flush with waterfront views, has been brought back to life through the creative vision of New York-based architecture firm ODA. Built in partnership with Triangle Assets, the 230,000 square foot property includes 10 stories of open floor plates, each with original detailing and characteristics that bring you back to the industrial age. A delicate balance of glass, steel, brick, and spandrels give the building a modern sensibility without compromising its industrial heritage, while the reflective facade engages people far and wide, making it a new landmark along the water’s edge.

Formerly, the Arbuckle Brothers sugar refinery, which dates back to 1898 and was originally designed by the George M. Newhall Engineering Co., the building was a massive structure that reached all the way to the water, where boats could dock for deliveries and services. In 1925 it was converted into a winery, and later that decade, the front structure was torn off, leaving three of the original facades and an interior party wall exposed to the East River shore. For 50 years it was left vacant and fell into disrepair until purchased by family owned Triangle Assets in 1991.
ODA dug into the site’s history, drawing a series of skins that evoke sugar crystals, broken geodes and crystalline surface that now serve to reflect the park, and the river sunsets that define its surroundings. The renovations restore the three east, north and south original facades to their historical masonry condition, plus the interior brick vault ceilings and columns. The proposed spaces offer open floors for dynamic office arrangements to enjoy wide open views of Manhattan and Williamsburg’s waterfront. Vaulted ceilings and exposed brick meet the full height glass curtain wall. In the lobby the Manhattan Bridge detail is a 12’ by 13’ drawing by artist Andrew Antonaccio made with moss. The elevator 17’ by 13’ wall is a stone interpretation of the waterfront facade.

As the conversation surrounding heritage and preservation grows, 10 Jay Street is a prime example of how cities around the world recover and readapt buildings. The design dared to challenge the way landmark buildings are seen and, in doing so, created unique threads to link old with new, the industrial age with the digital era, and create a product for the modern age.