In this adaptive reuse construction for a new headquarters office and manufacturing facility for Gotham Drywall, the team maximized use of existing materials and let details of the raw foundation of the building’s structure to become architectural features, particularly where the old met new. 

Among the four adjacent, industrial buildings in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, there were several existing skylights and large sky monitors that the team at Gotham wanted to feel like large lanterns at night for the neighborhood. The lighting scheme was minimal in quantity of fixtures, fixture types used to support the work that the team does while making the buildings a positive presence for the community.

In the triple-height executive office there was only one light source– a suspended 16’ dia. ring.. The large centerpiece has direct and indirect lighting to not only bounce additional light back down to the ground, but also to light the ceiling, accentuating the intentionally voluminous space, and creating the largest neighborhood lantern for the community. 

The conference room only uses indirect light from the cove at night, also sustaining programmatic needs with one source of light. The optimal detail of a curved sloped ceiling allowed the drywall experts to display the finesse of their work in their own space.

Location: Brooklyn, NY
Lighting: Jenny Werbell Lighting Design
Architecture: Marvel Architects
Interior Design: Catherine Murphy Studio
Status: Completed 2022

Photography: Isaac Lane Koval