99 Gold Street, Vinegar Hill
99 Gold Street is an adaptive reuse of a former warehouse in Vinegar Hill, which is the neighborhood adjacent to trendy D.U.M.B.O. (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). Both neighborhoods retain many elements that reflect the old-world style of the 1900s, when they were first built, but are unencumbered by modern structures or contextual adaptations.
The concrete-and-block structure, originally a souvenir factory, was converted into a residential community with 88 loft-style apartments, ranging from 600-square-foot studios to 2,000-square-foot penthouses. All of the apartments have high ceilings, balconies, and dramatic wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows.
The unique floor plan for the above-ground floors of the rectangular structure was achieved by reorienting the interior walls at a carefully calculated angle, so that each apartment features Manhattan and river views, with completely usable space within.
Overlaying a new grid pattern at an angle to the existing footprint yielded deep, yet light-filled apartments with the best possible views of the Manhattan skyline. Traditional manufacturing window openings were widened, and new, large, floor-to-ceiling, low-e sliding glass doors were installed. Each apartment has a triangular-shaped balcony, an extension of the new grid pattern, manifesting the “new” interior within the “old” building core. Consolidating the service cores and creating a design that ran counter to the existing grid maximized the building’s perimeter by leaving it open and free of obstacles.
The building’s cellar, often an afterthought used for storage and parking, has been converted into a full-sized basketball court.
From the East River, 99 Gold Street appears like a cruise ship floating on the water. A penthouse addition and recreational roof deck, along with extensive glazing and bright white exteriors, complete the building’s fresh, nautical theme.
As the first upscale project in the Vinegar Hill area of Brooklyn, 99 Gold has become a benchmark for future projects in the area, thanks to its refined design approach that enhances the original structure with modern accents. The original scale and concrete materials have been maintained in line with the area’s history, while distinct new balconies, glass walls, and entrance details have been added to improve the streetscape and give the immediate area an architectural “facelift.”
As 88 new families moved into this previously abandoned location at the center of Vinegar Hill, 99 Gold Street transformed the neighborhood overnight by linking the thriving DUMBO neighborhood to the west, the precious Vinegar Hill historic district to the east, and the large-scale NYCHA residential buildings to the south into a cohesive, active streetscape without derelict gaps.
