Exceptions to Williamsburg's New Wave of Schlock Architecture

A New York Times story pointed out one of the ironies of the building boom going on in Williamsburg: The “Williamsburg aesthetic,” exemplified by the Wythe Hotel’s remake of a vintage industrial building, is a worldwide design trend, but most of the new construction going up in Williamsburg is lowest-common-denominator eight-unit infill or tall glassy boxes designed to maximize profit, not win design awards.

The story details some of the neighborhood’s more interesting new projects, like its two shipping container homes and an interior cedar geodesic dome Kinfolk Studios is building at 94 Wythe Avenue. Architect Heather Roslund, who used to head Community Board One’s land use committee, praised the design of the new glass-fronted Emergency Medical Services depot at 288 Metropolitan Avenue, above.

What’s your take on the new look of Williamsburg?

Standing out Amid Monotony in Residential Design [NY Times]
Photo by New York City Department of Design and Construction