Architecture studio Snøhetta has moved its New York City headquarters to Dumbo, Brooklyn, converting an old cardboard production facility floor into an open-plan office.
Designed in-house, the new office is located along Dumbo's popular Washington Street stretch, which is known for its slim vista of the Manhattan Bridge.
The office is located on the top floor of 55 Washington Street, a former cardboard manufacturing warehouse that now houses a variety of offices and businesses.
The move was initiated by Snøhetta's lease ending at their Financial District office, as well as Manhattan's rising costs, the studio told Dezeen. After searching around Brooklyn, the studio knew the Dumbo space was the "place to be" immediately upon touring it.
"The building we were in was sold, so we were going to move," Snøhetta New York partner Elaine Molinar told Dezeen. "We also wanted a change of neighbourhood, a new environment, and we also wanted a space that felt less like an office building and felt more conducive to informal collaboration and creative activity."
"The minute we walked in, we knew it was the place to be, we knew it was home for us, and it was completely gutted and raw and unfinished, but you could still see that it had good bones."
The office is primarily organised as an open-plan row of desks that leads into an elevated area underneath a large skylight. The area contains tables and chairs for gathering and eating, and is accessed by wooden stadium stairs.
Along the sides of the central spaces, smaller rooms hold utility rooms such as a material library, and a room for laser printing, 3D printing, and spray painting.
Another group meeting and pin-up area is located adjacent to the dining area, behind a half-wall that is lined with presentation screens.
The office's entrance area leads to an L-shaped terrace overlooking the Manhattan Bridge, where employees can gather to eat lunch. The studio's Counterbalance installation, a star-shaped wooden see-saw first displayed in Venice, Italy, is on display in a corner of the outdoor space.
The entrance area also includes a lounge area that was outfitted with wooden seating and a drafting desk.
"This is one of the first parts of the studio that you see after you come in and you walk along the shelves where all the models are," said Molinar. "You can walk straight outside onto the terrace, or you can come into this spot and sit in the rocking chairs and have a beautiful view out."
Details include the studio's entrance door, which is made of pockmarked, reclaimed wood from a Queens building and certain walls painted with bright, bold colours.
Molinar told Dezeen the studio is "thrilled" to be located in Dumbo, which was officially designated a New York City Design District last year. The neighbourhood is home to more than 150 architecture and design firms, according to reports, including BIG's New York offices.
"There are a lot of other design firms, so we're thrilled to be here," said Molinar. "It's a great environment."
The studio also designed an official Design District logo for the neighbourhood, which was debuted during this year's NYC design week.
Snøhetta New York is currently nearing the completion of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota, a large model of which is on display in a corner of the office.
The New York studio also faced controversy earlier this year after being accused of unlawfully dismissing eight employees following their attempt to unionise, following a years-long back and forth within the company when employees first announced plans to organise in 2023.
The photography is by Nicholas Venezia