Originally known as MetroTech Center, Brooklyn Commons is a 16-acre, 12-building property built in the 1980s as a self-contained office park for data processing centers and back offices for financial institutions. Site owner Brookfield Properties recently undertook a $50 million renovation of the superblock, revitalizing it as a thriving urban hub.
In addition to upgrading three of Metrotech’s twelve buildings, a central 3.6-acre green space, now known as Brooklyn Commons Park, has been reinvigorated with a design by Field Operations. The project features improved lighting, new wayfinding elements and signage, reimagined planting, and a Streetlife furnishing concept designed to encourage both practical and spontaneous social interactions while navigating the unique challenges of an existing urban environment.
Existing Site Conditions and Challenges:
The refurbished landscape at Brooklyn Commons centers around Myrtle Promenade. This publicly accessible pedestrian corridor connects Jay Street to Flatbush Avenue and runs tangentially to a green space called ‘The Commons.’
Numerous electrical and civil services lines and a subway line run beneath the site. These conditions dictated that any landscape additions or interventions be movable or designed to accommodate access for maintenance of underground services. Further, five existing concrete curbed planters on Myrtle Promenade were to be retained and integrated into a site solution that could refresh the appearance of the aging landscape features while adding seating and more diverse ways to occupy space.
Field Operations consequently looked to Streetlife for modern and robust furnishings that could accommodate this and be customizable to the challenging specifics of the existing site.
Streetlife Solution:
The five existing granite planter curbs along the Promenade, which range between 4″ (10 cm) and 12″ (30 cm) in height, are now cleverly disguised within a custom Streetlife bench solution that sits cantilevered above the granite curbs and embraces the existing planting. The custom benches, completed in Accoya, can be removed as required and include a variety of backrests, armrests, and seating depths. At the east and west ends of the Promenade, large platform-style benches engage the urban realm beyond and provide unexpected uses for performance, unorthodox seating, and gathering spaces. Field Operations notes that these benches have a feeling of permanence but can be removed as required for operations flexibility.
Existing trees and lawn areas were retained and upgraded within ‘The Commons’ area, and to add much-desired breakout and recreation space, Streetlife Solid Series picnic sets in Accoya were added. These picnic sets were adapted to achieve ADA compliance and customized to achieve lengths up to 40’ (12 meters). Alongside this, double-sided Solid Series Accoya benches up to 49’ (15 m) in length add an impressive abundance of additional seating options for respite or relaxation.
Engaging with the City:
The refurbishment of Brooklyn Commons revitalizes exterior areas for existing and future tenants of the surrounding office blocks and enhances creative space for the broader Brooklyn neighborhood. Since the completion of the project, Brookfield Properties has a robust slate of community-focused arts and cultural programming for the new campus through its Arts Brookfield program, including theatre performances, outdoor movie nights, exercise classes, a children’s book fair, an ice skating rink, holiday celebrations, food festivals, and live music.
Images Credit: Streetlife
Streetlife is a proud sponsor of World Landscape Architecture
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