khris
Senior Member
Former sugar refinery master plan seeks approval from ULURP
Rafael Viñoly Architects’ design for The New Domino has entered the ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure) public review process. This is a major step forward for the project, which will create 660 units of affordable housing and four acres of public park space including a riverfront esplanade along the East River in Brooklyn.
Viñoly was commissioned in 2005 to design the master plan for the 260,000 sq m mixed-use complex on the site of the former Domino Sugar Refinery complex and processing facilities, an unused industrial site just north of the Williamsburg Bridge that separates Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighbourhood from the East River. The firm’s master plan design transforms the industrial complex into a modular, mixed-use and residential development that emphasizes open space and public access to the river, while simultaneously preserving the landmark Refinery complex and the famed 40-foot high Domino Sugar sign by incorporating them into the master plan design. Beyer Blinder Belle developed the architectural concepts for the Refinery complex.
Rafael Viñoly said: “The New Domino’s master plan seamlessly integrates the waterfront park into the urban public realm, welcoming residents and non-residents alike through direct pedestrian extensions of the Williamsburg street grid. Set back from the water’s edge, four residential complexes break the standard slab typology into elements of varying heights and slender proportions, creating unparalleled views of the City.â€
Under the master plan, the landmarked Refinery complex is preserved and adapted for new residential, commercial, and cultural uses. New apartment buildings, constructed in phases, flank the historic Refinery complex to provide the 2,200 proposed apartments, 30 percent of which are affordable housing units designated for lower-income families. The placement of these new residences on the site opens visual corridors and pedestrian access between the Brooklyn community and the waterfront.
A nearly one-acre open lawn, sited between the Refinery complex and the river, anchors a new public waterfront esplanade, connected at its north end to Grand Ferry Park and linking the development with the pre-existing public spaces in the community. For the first time in over 150 years, the site will provide Williamsburg residents with access to open riverfront space and wide views of Manhattan, the Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridges, and the New York Harbour beyond.
