Project Info
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Client: Gotham Organization Inc.
Architect: Jeffery Beers International
Size: 1.486 sq m
Duration: Three years
Words by Emily Martin
New York-based architecture and design practice Jeffery Beers International has completed the interior design for Gotham Market at The Ashland, a venue that offers a variety of restaurants and bars under one roof, and open from early until late. In the bustling Fort Greene neighbourhood in Brooklyn, Gotham Market offers eight distinct dining and drinking venues at the base of the area’s new luxury residential tower, The Ashland.
The complex’s design scheme pays tribute through its industrial-styled space and materials to the rich architectural history of Brooklyn. ‘As Gotham Market at The Ashland is the second culinary market from Gotham Organization Inc, the real-estate firm behind Gotham West Market in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, we were asked to respect the original concept and DNA of the brand,’ says architect Jeffrey Beers, founder and CEO of Jeffrey Beers International.
Custom hand-blown glass globes sitting on black stainless-steel frames sit in the high-ceiling void
‘At the same time, the look and feel of the market had to match that of Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighbourhood and the surrounding BAM [Brooklyn Academy of Music] cultural district.’ The design scheme also needed to consider the eight different dining and drinking venues, which includes a pop-up venue with a continuous rotation of local chefs and restaurateurs.
For its response Jeffrey Beers International has delivered a design scheme inspired by longevity; it sourced materials and fittings locally to create a space that feels like it has always been there and cementing it visually and contextually.
A selection of food outlets share the airy space
‘We used a core group of materials to unite the market such as exposed concrete, brick, white Subway tiles, reclaimed wood and blackened steel,’ says Beers. Another unifying feature to the space are black steel-pipe chandeliers, with 180 hand-blown coloured glass globes, hanging in the building’s 8m-high atrium entrance. Created by KEEP at the neighbouring Urban Glass studios, the light concept uses a design language to help unite the space.
‘We designed the chandelier and commissioned local artist Adam Holtzinger of KEEP to hand-blow the globes. He worked right across the street from Gotham Market at Urban Glass,’ explains Beers who first came across glass blowing while he was a student. ‘Each globe is uniquely different by default.
Exposed brick adds to the aesthetic that reflects the area’s past
There are certain qualities that Adam, a master glass blower, can bring into different pieces: some are more intense than others; decorative aspects are drawn out in others. It’s in a purposeful, passionate, and motivated way.’
In keeping with the local, industrial feel to the space, Jeffery Beers International intended to line the interior walls with authentic Subway tiles. But owing to the impressive ceiling heights the practice soon had concerns about the acoustics. So instead, it sourced a Subway-style, custom-printed acoustical wall covering, which satisfied the design aesthetic and required sound levels.
Exposed brick adds to the aesthetic that reflects the area’s past
The huge double-height interior space provides a dramatic backdrop for the venue’s street-facing, floor-to-ceiling windows. They frame the illuminated food counters and bars that run along the back wall, providing a tempting view for all those walking by.
Illuminated food counters are visible from the street outside
‘The design of Gotham Market flows from one end to the other so that a guest always feels they are part of the space,’ says Beers.
‘The individual food stalls have a change in material, furniture and decorative lighting to give those areas a sense of place.’
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