211 Schermerhorn Street
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Architect: Morris Adjmi Archiects
Finished: 2021
Photos: Dean Kaufman
Petersen Magazine: Petersen 48
Products: K92
Categories: Housing projects
Despite reaching a height of 42.7 metres, this new residential building is not particularly high by Brooklyn standards. The downtown buildings to the north are generally much taller. With its projecting cornice and arched windows on the ground and upper floors, 211 Schermerhorn Street is clearly inspired by the residential architecture of the 1920s and 1930s. Large windows with metal transoms provide ample daylight in the apartments and pay homage to the neighbourhood’s industrial heritage.
The sandstone-clad brick façade on the ground floor is also very much in keeping with classic New York architecture. Several bricks were considered before the architects chose the handmade grey-white Kolumba.
According to Morris Adjm Architects, the Kolumba brick evokes the historic masonry buildings found throughout Chelsea and Ladies’ Mile, as well as the nearby Flatiron District.