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Green megastructures: Williamsburg hotel

Williamsburg Hotel

1. The mega structure

A 440 feet tall high rise hotel built at the Williamsburg Bridge in North Brooklyn has bagged the prestigious Oppenheim A+D award. This 40 story tower hotel is designed by FX Fowle is situated near the historic Williamsburg Savings Bank and the Williamsburg Bridge. Dubbed as the Williamsburg hotel it is located right opposite the Williamsburg Savings Bank on Broadway in between Bedford and Driggs. The edifice is a set of three towers clustered together rising high and reaching for the horizon. The towers rise well above the rest of the neighborhood and will remind you of New York’s skyline.

The very design of the Hotel pays homage to its neighborhood. Of the three towers, the height of the shortest averages with the rooftops of other structures in Williamsburg. The second tallest tower is in the middle and is adjacent to the iconic Williamsburg Savings Bank. It height is on scale with the dome of the bank. While the third and tallest tower rise right into the sky and seems to stretch towards the Williamsburg Bridge.

Structural diagonal steel gives the hotel its glistening crystalline façade that reflects and glimmers off light. The exteriors are done up in glass and steel and have diamond like patterns entrenched along the length of the entire building. Moreover, it can also bear the weight of lateral loading. The building is graceful, grand and commands attention. The tower and basilica structure denote Renaissance; a phenomenon Chad Oppenheim believes its transforming the Williamsburg neighborhood. The whole neighborhood is developing fast into a swish locality with élan and style. The Hotel aims to capture the edgy and revolutionary vibe of its neighborhood.

The structure can rightly be called an engineering marvel and an architectural wonder. From the rooms, you can gaze at the breathtaking view of Manhattan. The Miami based Oppenheim Architecture and Design award has honored the Williamsburg Hotel in the international design competition it held. Currently, even the bank opposite the hotel is under construction and it is also being developed as a hotel. But the exteriors and monument of the bank will be the same, only the interiors will done up again. The bank is a circa 1870s-era structure and is quite a landmark in the area. So the exteriors of the structure are being preserved.

2. What makes it mega?

The tallest tower of the hotel is a staggering 440 feet tall and the monument accommodates 40 stories. This mega structure is built out of three 166 foot deep vertical slabs. Not only is the construction tall it is also deep, it goes as deep as 16 feet. Each tower appears super slim and like wafer thin slab, giving the whole structure a tasteful and extremely modern appeal. The hotel will become the tallest building in the Williamsburg neighborhood. It is at least 20 stories higher than other buildings in and around the area.

Chad Oppenheim while expressing his views on the hotel said that he did not want the hotel to constantly compete with a building as historic and significant as the bank. So he came up with the three tiered tower structure that is dramatic, graceful and keeps in mind aspects like scale, proportion, and materiality. He also added that he was thrilled about doing his first project in New York and even more excited about the fact that the construction site was in Brooklyn. He said that when his great grandparents arrived from Europe they chose to settle down in Brooklyn. Even he was born in Brooklyn and the place makes him nostalgic.

3. Asset: Factbox

a) Architect: Oppenheim Architecture + Design

b) Place: North Brooklyn

c) Purpose: Commercial

d) Surface Area: 86,000 square foot

4. Eco Credentials

The project uses renewable energy sources like geothermal, wind, and solar for its power resources. Solar panels have already been slotted on the roof. The hotel also has wind turbines and a geothermal pump. The interiors of this massive construction are heated up using clean and green energy.

The green roofs installed are a marvelous idea and there is one on top of each tower. The roof boasts of luscious plantation and provides insulation to the edifice. The tower utilizes every resource to the fullest to progress into an eco friendly structure. A rainwater collection project is implemented on the roof. The hotel is hoping for the LEED’s Platinum certification.

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