July 11, 2022
Three BKSK projects featured in Architectural Terra Cotta Book
Three BKSK projects are featured in the recently published book, Architectural Terra Cotta: Design Concepts, Techniques and Applications by Donald B. Corner and John Rowell. 1 Great Jones Alley, Gatehouse to One Madison, and 529 Broadway are highlighted, each for their innovative and creative terra cotta façades. The book looks at the evolution of architectural terra cotta, describing key attributes that make its use appealing, and explaining its continuing popularity as an architectural material.
1 Great Jones Alley’s primary façade on lower Broadway features an innovative terra cotta screen that honors the rich masonry and cast-iron traditions of its context, yet is unabashedly modern. The custom glaze and asymmetrical form of the terra cotta are an expression of modern craft reinventing this historic material.
Gatehouse to One Madison’s façade takes its cues from the historically rich fabric of the block. Staggered vertical fins made of custom glazed terra cotta screen the spaces within, while also giving depth to the façade. The variegated hues of creamy glazing imbue warmth and distinction among its limestone-faced neighbors, moving and reflecting light in unique patterns throughout the day.
529 Broadway’s terra cotta rain screen and glass curtain wall façade system transforms a seemingly punched opening masonry building into a glass curtain wall building reflecting the openness ratio of later cast iron buildings in the district. The terra cotta elements on the Spring Street elevation twist and dematerialize so that the façade culminates in a modern glass curtain wall with terra cotta accents and district-appropriate loft dimensions fronting on Broadway.
