Gansevoort Row harmonizes the past and present with brick
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While the idea of a block-long brick façade may seem dull to some, the creative use of brick at Gansevoort Row emphatically dispels that notion. The design team at BKSK Architects, made full use of brick’s unmatched design flexibility as it set out to revive the exterior appearance of a commercial block in Manhattan’s Gansevoort Market Historic District.
With proximity to the High Line and a rich history worth celebrating and preserving, Gansevoort Row deserved a redevelopment that would impress shoppers and historians alike. Carefully selecting and arranging a mix of stately brick units was the ideal way to achieve that goal.
Despite needing to bring continuity to multiple large, contiguous structures, the façade BKSK created is far from monotonous. Instead, it balances tasteful modern accents with a distinct sense of timelessness, using only three types of brick.
At 60-68 Gansevoort, three new stories were added above a surviving two-story, 19th Century tenement. Brick for the upper floors was chosen to be intentionally distinct from the historic structure, and artfully arranged contemporary brick screens highlight elements from the past, including a former chimney flue and tenement-style windows. One of the new buildings on the block, 70-74 Gansevoort, mimics the shape of the district’s historic warehouses. Its façade showcases a series of large arched bays composed of more modern brick that is striking yet subdued and complements the centuries-old masonry nearby.
This harmonious balance between modern aesthetics and a revival of the past was not possible without the best possible materials for the job. Old Glory and Antique Brown modular brick units from McAvoy brick were the perfect masonry units to bring Gansevoort Row’s past back to life. Meanwhile, Glacier Gray brick from Sioux City Brick allowed parts of the block to adopt a sleeker, more contemporary look without appearing out of context. Materials were sourced through distributor Consolidated Brick.
Through careful arrangement by BKSK and expert installation by Milestone Masonry Corp, it is safe to say that Gansevoort Row looks more historically significant and inviting to modern city residents than it has in decades. As BSKS partner David Kubik aptly states, the project is “a template for other historic districts across the country about how you can intervene in something that’s historic, still honor it, and propose some bold contemporary architecture that can stand alongside of it.” Anyone who visits the newly redeveloped Gansevoort Row is sure to agree.
