Building of the Day: 20-30 Gates Avenue
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy. Address: 20-30 Gates Avenue, at Clinton Ave. Name: The Royal Castle Apartments Neighborhood: Clinton Hill (Clinton Hill Historic District,…
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.
Address: 20-30 Gates Avenue, at Clinton Ave.
Name: The Royal Castle Apartments
Neighborhood: Clinton Hill (Clinton Hill Historic District, individual landmark 1981)
Year Built: 1911-1912
Architectural Style: Beaux Arts
Architects: Wortmann and Braun
Built when the Hill was synonymous with fine living, this over the top, ornate building is a rare example of both Beaux Arts style and Austrian Sezessionist-style ornament.
The stylized figures of stone masons holding up the ledges, the grotesques adorning the top floors, and the shape of the roofline would be at home in Vienna, and in many ways are real-life inspirations for moody set designs like those in movies Batman and The Dark Knight.
A wonderful, unique, and eclectic Brooklyn building. GMAP
[Photos by Suzanne Spellen]
“I much prefer angels or cupids or dragons or mermaids or sorcerers”
I fear that’s going to leave you disappointed – I can think of exactly zero examples of each, though I’d be interested to hear of them. Perhaps in Disney?
Pretty sure it is rentals.
That building is a rental property.
I love this building. Do you know if it’s coops or rentals? I keep meaning to ask someone.
The stylized figures of stone masons holding up the ledges… I’m always disappointed by them. I much prefer angels or cupids or dragons or mermaids or sorcerers. Masons seem too earthly. I guess I’m more of a dreamer.
Beautiful building, though!
Really interesting writeup, Montrose, linking this to Batman etc.
And finally a date for those “portraits” in stone. Do you think every building with portraits sort of like these could be teens? Or do you know of some earlier? (There are some in Crown Heights, but I don’t have a date on the building.)
There are a few over in Bushwick and I would love to know what decade those buildings went up (80s, 90s, or teens). I would have thought most likely 90s based on what little I know about the development history of the area.
Oh, hey, I noticed this place two weekends ago when we visited Eddie looking for pocket doors. I would never have guessed 1912. I thought it was older. Good to know. Thanks!
Great building I love the medieval workmen and the mustachioed guys. They look like Montrose Morris portraits 🙂