Project: The Dime – A Contemporary Mixed-Use Tower
Architecture: Fogarty Finger
Location: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Area: 345000 ft2
Year: 2020
Photo Credits: Alexander Severin
At the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge new meets old at The Dime. The contemporary mixed-use tower, exemplifies the ideal of live/work/play, is adjoined to the landmarked neo–classical Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburg, which has held pride of place on Havemeyer Street since 1908. The history of the bank building and its neighborhood influenced themes used throughout interiors. Colors derived from nostalgic postcards and quips from old bank brochures are seen and felt throughout. Paper currency is subtlety replicated in a guilloche used as a unifying element on wallpaper and carpeting.
The 23-story glass, fluted terracotta building, noted for its rounded corners, is layered with ground floor retail, followed by five floors of commercial office space, and 17 floors of luxury residential rental units with separate entrances for office and residential occupants.
As seen through ground floor windows, the residential lobby provides a vignette of calm with custom-made seating and an eye-catching collage of found objects by Caledonia Curry (aka Swoon), known for her public installations.
The commercial lobby is all business, minimal and sleek, and on display is a laser-cut metal montage by Brooklyn-based sculptor Tom Fruin. The exterior façade is replicated inside with a subdued black fluted terracotta wall opposite the elevator banks.
The fifth floor is divided into office space and residential amenities with fitness, basketball court, co-working and dining areas. It opens onto an expansive shaded landscaped terrace that exceeds the space of most public parks.
The Havemeyer, a private indoor and outdoor lounge space recalls a Prohibition-era speakeasy. The interior, inspired by “A Splendid Legacy,” references the art collection gifted by the Havemeyer Family to the Metropolitan Museum of Art at that time. Tones derived from American masterworks are used along with a combination of vintage and custom furniture made by local artisans.
