COOKFOX

October 3, 2023

Work begins on 188-unit, mixed-income Chelsea building designed by COOKFOX

Work has begun on a 188-unit residential project in Chelsea. MAG Partners and affordable housing cooperative Penn South on Tuesday broke ground on a seven-story residential building at 335 Eighth Avenue. Developed under the Affordable NY Program, the building will set aside 30 percent of units for low- and middle-income New Yorkers. The development, situated on the corner of West 26th Street and 8th Avenue, will contain ground-floor commercial space, including a 23,000-square-foot Lidl grocery store.
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May 31, 2023

$1B office complex revamp of Chelsea’s historic Terminal Warehouse tops out

Terminal Warehouse, the newest reimagined workplace destination in the West Chelsea historic district, is nearing completion; a six-story addition atop the 130-year-old landmarked building recently topped out, as the New York Post first reported. The historic building, once home to the iconic 1980s and '90s nightclub Tunnel, is slated to become 1.3 million square feet of wellness-focused office and retail space, with an investment of over $1 billion. The project's developers, L&L Holding Company and Columbia Property Trust, along with architectural firm COOKFOX and New Line Structures, have made every effort to maintain the building's character as New York City's first major industrial facility with direct access to the Hudson River, streets, and rail lines.
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February 2, 2023

Lottery opens for 144 mixed-income units at new Chelsea rental with lots of green space, from $1,329/month

 NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development Applications are now being accepted for 144 mixed-income apartments at the currently-under-construction development known as Ruby at 241 West 28th Street in Chelsea. Upon completion later this year, the 25-story mixed-use building will have 480 rental apartments, 8,500 square feet of ground-floor retail, landscaped gardens, and an impressive menu of amenities including rooftop pools, terraces, and lounges. The affordable units are available to New Yorkers earning between 70 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $48,138 for a single person and $130,046 for a five-person household. Apartments range from $1,329/month for studios to $3,793 for two bedrooms.
Find out if you're eligible
July 26, 2021

Conversion of Chelsea’s historic Terminal Warehouse into offices moves ahead with new looks

With construction financing secured and new renderings released, the conversion of the historic Terminal Warehouse in Chelsea into a holistic office complex is moving forward. L&L Holding Company and Columbia Property Trust announced last week they closed on a $1.25 billion construction loan for the project, which involves restoring and adapting the former freight distribution hub into modern office space that incorporates original design elements. New renderings show off the project's planned cascading terraces and interior courtyard, rooftop amenity, and ground-floor cafe.
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June 11, 2021

78 affordable senior units available at supportive Passive House residence in the South Bronx

A housing lottery launched this week for 78 units designated for seniors at a new South Bronx rental. Developed by affordable housing operator Breaking Ground and designed by COOKFOX Architects, the building at 445 East 142nd Street, dubbed the Betances Residence, is located within the Mott Haven neighborhood. Eligible applicants must qualify for Section 8 benefits, with rents for the studio and one-bedroom apartments set at 30 percent of household income.
Find out if you qualify
June 4, 2021

Penn South co-op reveals plan to replace Chelsea McDonald’s with 200-unit mixed-income building

A run-down commercial building in Chelsea will be replaced with a 200-unit mixed-income apartment tower. Affordable housing cooperative Penn South announced this week it tapped MAG Partners to redevelop 335 Eighth Avenue as a seven-story residential building with ground-floor commercial space, including a grocery store. The site, located on the corner of West 26th Street and 8th Avenue, is currently home to Gristedes, McDonald's, and a tennis center.
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January 22, 2020

LPC approves COOKFOX’s plans to convert Chelsea’s historic Terminal Warehouse into an office complex

The entire city block bound by 11th and 12th Avenues and 27th to 28th Streets in West Chelsea is occupied by the Terminal Warehouse complex, a former freight distribution hub built in 1891. After losing its place in the shipping industry in the 1930s, it then became infamous in the 1980s and '90s as the home of The Tunnel nightclub. Now, after years as a mini-storage facility and commercial offices, the structure will once again see new life, this time as a wholistic, modern office complex. L&L Holding and Normandy Real Estate Partners have partnered with COOKFOX architects to adaptively reuse the building, preserving and restoring its historic elements, as well as to add shops and restaurants on street level, a central courtyard, and a contemporary glass addition. Yesterday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved the plans.
More looks and details
November 8, 2019

See inside Domino Sugar Factory site’s first commercial building

The first commercial building at the Domino Sugar Factory site in Williamsburg officially launched leasing this week. Ten Grand Street sits within the 45-story mixed-use tower One South First, which opened in September with 330 rental units. Designed by COOKFOX Architects and developed by Two Trees Management, the towers interlock, a sustainable component that allows extra heat from the office building to be preserved and reused at the residential property. Offering tenants between 5,000 and 6,000-square-foot floor plates and floor-to-ceiling windows, Ten Grand boasts sweeping views of Manhattan, faces the six-acre Domino Park, and will be home to several Brooklyn-based retailers, including Roberta's and Other Half Brewing.
Take the tour
October 9, 2019

Construction kicks off at Google’s new Hudson Square campus

Construction has officially kicked off at Google's massive new campus in Hudson Square. The tech company plans to open office space across three properties 315 Hudson Street, 345 Hudson Street, and 550 Washington Street, which formerly served as a freight terminal. The project involves a gut renovation of the terminal building and an addition of eight new floors. As CityRealty reported Tuesday, the northern sections of the St. John's Terminal building are now demolished.
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September 13, 2019

Williamsburg’s tallest building opens in Domino complex with an outdoor pool and rooftop cabanas

Two Trees Management announced yesterday the opening of the second building to rise at Williamsburg's Domino Sugar Factory site at the corner of Grand Street and Kent Avenue. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, One South First is a mixed-use 45-story building within the newly-created six-acre Domino Park that includes 330 rental apartments, office space, and retail. Unique features include a distinct facade inspired by the structure of sugar crystals in honor of the site's history as a sugar manufacturing plant. The building is now the neighborhood's tallest tower at 435 feet, and it makes use of every inch of that height with dazzling amenities that include an outdoor granite pool overlooking the East River and City skyline.
New views, this way
May 21, 2019

Williamsburg’s tallest tower tops out at Domino Sugar Factory development

Williamsburg officially has a new tallest tower. One South First, formerly 260 Kent Avenue, topped out this week at the Domino Sugar Factory redevelopment along the waterfront. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the 435-foot-tall tower features two interlocking buildings with white precast concrete facades inspired by the molecular pattern and forms of sugar crystals, a reference to the former factory site.
Domino details here
April 25, 2019

Soho loft with a 40-foot rooftop lap pool can be yours for $75,000 a month

You wouldn't need to worry about where to get away this summer if you lived in this ultra-luxurious Soho penthouse, which comes with a stunning 40-foot lap pool and two landscaped roof terraces. Part of an overall building renovation by COOKFOX, this glamorous six-bedroom, 6,900-square-foot unit at 62 Wooster Street comes with all the best modern amenities—and a price tag to match! The residence is currently available to rent for $75,000 a month.
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February 4, 2019

Amazing photos show COOKFOX’s Domino Sugar tower getting its crystalline facade

The installation of 1 South First's (formerly known as 260 Kent Avenue) innovative exterior is officially underway, its molecular pattern now visible. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the tower, part of the Domino Sugar project in Williamsburg, will feature concrete window panels made using 3D-printed molds. New photos from the Gate Precast Company reveal the start of the crystalline-inspired facade as the building's construction is more than halfway complete (h/t CityRealty).
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November 28, 2018

Enter to win a pair of tickets to 6sqft & Untapped Cities’ tour of COOKFOX’s architecture studio

6sqft and our friends at Untapped Cities recently announced a new joint event series where we'll offer behind-the-scenes tours of some of the city’s top architectural and design firms’ studios. First up is COOKFOX, who will open up their Midtown office space this coming Monday evening. Guests will be treated to a tour of the space's biophilic tools, wellness technology, and functional outdoor spaces, as well as a discussion with the firm about some of their most notable projects past and present. Interested in attended? Enter our raffle for a chance to win a pair of tickets!
Enter here
November 26, 2018

Join 6sqft and Untapped Cities for a new tour series of NYC architecture studios

It's pretty simple to get a look at renderings and photos of NYC's latest architecture projects, and oftentimes just as easy to get inside the buildings. But what about the firms behind the buildings? To offer a fresh take on the architectural landscape of New York, 6sqft has teamed up with Untapped Cities to offer a brand new behind-the-scenes tour series of some of the city's top architectural and design firms' studios. Our first event will take place next Monday, December 3rd, at the Midtown offices of COOKFOX. Not only will you have the chance to explore the space, which has been outfitted with biophilic tools, wellness technology, and functional outdoor spaces, but you'll hear from Jared Gilbert, COOKFOX's Director of Communications, about designing the studio and how some of the firm's biggest projects (the proposed St. John’s Terminal addition where Google is rumored to be headed, a mixed-use tower at the Domino Sugar site that will be Williamsburg’s tallest, and the Bank of America Tower, NYC's first LEED Platinum skyscraper) have come to fruition.
Sign up for a spot on the tour!
November 16, 2018

Google officially files permits for expansion plans at Hudson Square’s St. John’s Terminal

First reported by CityRealty, Oxford Properties Group filed a building permit application yesterday to construct a 588,000-square-foot commercial addition to the St. John’s Terminal building in Hudson Square, a property they acquired in January. As 6sqft previously reported, architecture firm COOKFOX will helm the conversion and it is expected that Google will buy or lease the building, which is projected to be finished in 2022. If Google sticks to this plan -- in addition to their forthcoming expansions at Pier 57 and Chelsea Market -- the tech giant would double their employee force in the area to roughly 20,000. (This announcement follows that of Amazon’s impending expansion at a similar scale in Long Island City.)
More details
November 8, 2018

Google expanding to St. John’s Terminal in Hudson Square

Google is expanding its New York City footprint once again. The tech giant is close to inking a deal to buy or lease a planned 1.3 million-square-foot office building at St. John's Terminal, formerly a freight terminal in Hudson Square, that is undergoing a major revamp by COOKFOX Architects. According to the Wall Street Journal, the building, located at 550 Washington Street, could house more than 8,500 Google employees when the project wraps up in 2022. News of this impending deal comes just days after it was reported that Amazon will move its second headquarters, along with 25,000 workers, to Long Island City, although no plan has formally been announced.
More details here
October 19, 2018

Updated looks for COOKFOX’s Domino Sugar building, Williamsburg’s will-be tallest

Fully above ground, the second tower to rise at the massive Domino Sugar site has a pair of new renderings. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, 1 South First (previously 260 Kent Avenue) is a 42-story mixed-use tower on the Williamsburg waterfront development, which was formerly home to the sugar manufacturing facility. When 1 South First opens next fall, it will join already opened 325 Kent Avenue and Domino Park, all developed by Two Trees Management.
See them here
October 2, 2018

Renderings revealed for $2B revamp of St. John’s Terminal in Hudson Square

Oxford Properties Group this week unveiled the first renderings of its project to transform an old freight terminal in Hudson Square into a 12-story office building. The Canadian developer bought a section of the St. John's Terminal site, located at 550 Washington Street, in January for $700 million from Atlas Capital and Westbrook Partners. Oxford Properties then tapped COOKFOX Architects to design a 1.3 million square foot 12-story office complex. New renderings reveal a modern structure with floor-to-ceiling windows, planted roofs and terraces, 100,000 square-foot floor plates, and waterfront access.
See the design
June 26, 2018

See aerial renderings of COOKFOX’s massive St. John’s Terminal redevelopment

This past December, COOKFOX Architects released up-close renderings of their nearly two-million-square-foot St. John’s Terminal redevelopment in Hudson Square. COOKFOX, known for their commitment to contextual and sustainable development, created a five-building plan that, according to the firm, takes inspiration from the early Hudson Square factories and printing press buildings "with massing assembled around finely sculpted towers, detailed with geometrically rigorous setbacks and planted terraces." Now, CityRealty has uncovered two aerial views of the residential, retail, and commercial project that show just how massive this development will be.
More details ahead
March 2, 2018

How COOKFOX Architects outfitted their Midtown office with wellness technology and outdoor space

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the Midtown offices of architecture firm COOKFOX. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! When COOKFOX Architects started looking for a new office space three years ago, it was a no-brainer that they'd incorporate their signature biophilic tools, but their one non-negotiable requirement was outdoor space to connect employees directly with nature. And though the firm has come to be associated with so many contemporary projects, they found their ideal space on the 17th floor of the 1921, Carèrre and Hastings-designed Fisk Tire Building on 57th Street. Not only did it offer three terraces (that the team has since landscaped with everything from beehives to kale), but the large, open floorplan allowed the firm to create their dream wellness office. 6sqft recently took a tour of the space to see how employees utilize the space day-to-day and learn more about how COOKFOX achieved LEED Platinum and WELL Gold status by incorporating natural materials for finishings and furniture, temperature control systems, lighting that supports healthy circadian rhythms, and, of course, plenty of connections to nature despite being in the middle of Midtown Manhattan.
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February 12, 2018

How NYC companies use workplace design and perks to affect emotional health and productivity

Modern companies understand that in order to attract and retain the best talent, they have to compete on more than salaries, vacation, and healthcare. Companies like Google, WeWork, Pixar, and Facebook are well known for providing workspaces that inspire creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Clive Wilkinson, the architect of Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters, is quoted as saying, “75 to 80 percent of America is cubicle land. Cubicles are the worst - like chicken farming. They are humiliating, disenfranchising and isolating. So many American corporations still have them." Modern office designs are the opposite of closed off, fluorescent-lit cubicles- they are open with natural light and little, if any, suggestion of hierarchies. In addition to designing workspaces that inspire creativity, these modern companies also providing perks like free food, drink, and recreation to entice employees. So what are some of the best practices in designing offices for people’s emotional health and productivity? And what other perks do companies have to offer to attract the top talent?
Here's what companies are offering up
January 18, 2018

Lottery launches for 80 $675/month studios at COOKFOX’s huge Bronx development

It's been almost a year since the first lottery launched at Webster Avenue, COOKFOX's two-building affordable and supportive housing complex in the Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx. Four months after the lottery went live for the 227 units at Park House, nonprofit developer Breaking Ground reported that they'd received a staggering 55,163 applications. Now, they'll need to get ready for another influx; as of today, the lottery is live for the second building, Webster Residence. Here, single New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income, or between $25,000 and $40,000 annually, can apply for 80 $675/month energy efficient studios.
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December 12, 2017

COOKFOX unveils design for five eco-conscious high-rises in Hudson Square

COOKFOX Architects released new renderings this week of its five proposed high-rise buildings in Hudson Square, part of the redevelopment of St. John's Terminal into a nearly two-million-square-foot complex of housing, retail and office space. As CityRealty learned, the design calls for an industrial-meets-earthy design with deftly sculpted towers detailed with geometric setbacks and planted terraces. Located near Pier 40, the proposed buildings will hold a total of 1,586 apartments, with 30 percent of them below market rate, office spaces, a hotel and about 400,000 square feet of retail.
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November 6, 2017

Nearly 100 middle-income units sit vacant at Brooklyn’s Pacific Park development

In July 2016, the lottery opened for 298 mixed-income rentals at 535 Carlton Avenue, part of the sprawling Pacific Park complex, in Brooklyn. But now, more than a year later, about 95 units remain vacant at the Prospect Heights site, as City Limits reported. Despite over 93,000 New Yorkers applying for the nearly 300 units within just eight weeks, the applicants were rejected because they did not make enough money to qualify for those specific units. The 95 vacancies, the most expensive apartments at Pacific Park, are reserved for households that earn between 135 and 165 percent of the area median income, which translates to $74,606 and $173,415 annually. Unable to secure tenants for this income bracket, developer Greenland Forest City Partners (GFCP) placed advertisements for the units on market-rate real estate websites.
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