35 Worth Street, Tribeca, NYC
a renewed facade for renewed Headquarters
35 Worth Street, Tribeca, New York, NY
Size: 16,000 SF
Client: Sergeants Benevolent Association SBA
Gut Renovation: comprehensive renovation of the entire building, including structural work, interior and exterior finishes, and modern systems. Not-for-profit Corporate Headquarters Interiors
Architectural Design + Documentation, Interior Design, FFE, Lighting, Architectural Graphics, Development Services, Owner’s Representation, Project Management
A RENEWED IMAGE FOR RENEWED HEADQUARTERS
35 Worth Street Building, Tribeca, New York City
A RENEWED IMAGE FOR RENEWED HEADQUARTERS
We were tasked to renovate and reinvent the heavily altered loft building, increasing its presence on the street and designing sustainable, comfortable interiors infused with optimism while fully exploiting the beauty of the original vaulted structure. We loved to find magic, the potential in what appeared to be a humble structure, a seemingly conservative union and a limited budget. The aesthetic experience is familiar and unfamiliar at the same time; the duality finds the tension without breaking the substance
The façade, which in its ultimate state, was just reduced to bare bricks scarred by past structural modifications. The new design not only completely transforms the “no-style” façade, the top floor portico hides the bulkheads while augmenting the scale of the building. The new facade becomes the most recognizable representation of the Institution, it also contributes to rebalancing the scale of the street, which is dominated by a large recent institution.
Although the exterior materials are simple, the scale is enhanced the rhythm of the progressively diminishing cornices and conversely progressively increasing window heights. The design connects symbolically to the history of the area, the deep aluminum pilasters create unexpected shadows that echo the cast-iron column of the landmarked buildings, the subtle articulation of the cornices, creates a sense of movement that recalls the marble slabs of several Tribeca buildings.
The crisp metal panels, which TRA has used extensively for other projects, intentionally differ from ornate historic detailing, to highlight the contemporary, but contextual, aesthetic.
The three Corporate HQ floors, are anchored by the ornamental stair, a space that connects and were informal interaction takes place and, on both the main and the corporate floors, by what we call “The Street”.
“The Street” is also a subtle reminder of the presence of the Force on the New York City’s streets and the subway, a continuity which is also referenced in the tactile textures of the cobblestone-like pavers and the restored iconic steel columns and concrete vaults. The reference to the public way is further reinforced by the “billboards”, four large digital displays, that, on the first floor, describe the mission of the union and, on the executive floor, dispatch critical information to the members. The familiar materials provide a sense of safety, assurance and permanence.
The Street is the interface between the civic presence, which is inherent to the SBA’s mission and the more private, corporate world, sort of an urban living room, it is a platform for social interaction which will evolve in unpredictable ways.
The design of the interior public spaces reflects the company’s ethos, mission, corporate culture and commitment to sustainability.
As it often happened before, one successful project generated more work along the street, TRA studio was been hired on 35 Worth Street, following the successful gut-renovation of the adjacent 173 West Broadway, 6 Cortland Alley and the New York Academy of Arts on Franklin Street. The accretive value of the interventions in Tribeca, contributed to the recent transformation of the commercial lower Broadway corridor.
THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS: OUR AMPLIFIED CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
We always collaborate with our clients, making all significant programming, budgeting and design recommendations, this project was one were we were involved from feasibility through construction, down to lighting, the furniture and finishes selection and graphic design program. The repeated success of our projects greatly assist us in demonstrating, how our “ Amplified Construction Administration” process adds value in all phases of design and construction.
TRA oversaw architectural design, project management, and construction supervision, under a single framework to ensure efficient coordination among disciplines and minimized administrative complexity for the client. TRA was asked to act as both the owner’s representative and construction manager. TRA selected the general contractor and worked closely with the General Contractor, assisting with the project administration, including procurement, obtaining bids, evaluating change orders, tracking, scheduling, all working within the set budget. TRA followed the construction project daily through site meetings, zoom meetings and a constant stream of images uploaded on a shared drive.
In order to ensure that project was going to be built on time and on budget, the team adopted model-based delivery practices throughout the construction phases. The Revit model has been shared with the subs and continuously updated in a collaborative process. TRA also investigated and implemented the latest techniques to improve scheduling and workflow, such as layout printing on site, and facilitated offsite construction techniques when possible.
Siteline360 recently was provided the opportunity to deploy the new HP SitePrint Robot on a design-build project with TRA Studios in Manhattan.
From the very beginning of the project coordination and communications was top-notch and we are extremely proud to have been part of the team working on this project.Siteline360
THE TEAM:
Architect: TRA studio
Project management: TRA studio
Interiors and lighting: TRA studio
Structural and SOE Engineer: Wexler Associates
MEP Engineer: Jack Green and Associates’
Zoning Consultant: Jam Consultants
Elevator Consultant: Hubert H. Hayes