At Ellis Island, BBB has made a cultural and historical symbol of American immigration accessible to generations of visitors.
BBB completed the rehabilitation of the Jacob Riis Bathhouse, an Art Deco icon affectionately known as the People's Beach, and prepared its buildings and courtyards for enhanced public use.
BBB has transformed two 19th century mansions into a retail stage for one of Manhattan's famed luxury department stores, preserving and celebrating their original materials and details.
At the New York Botanical Garden, BBB has restored a crown jewel of conservatory architecture.
BBB's multi-phase restoration of the Marine Air Terminal preserves a historic Art Deco landmark at LaGuardia Airport.
The Torch Club serves New York University faculty, administrators and alumni in a revitalized, historic, cast iron loft building in the heart of the Washington Square campus.
BBB's capital needs survey and master plan captures current and future programmatic needs for the various constituent arts organizations at New York's renowned performing arts campus.
BBB's adaptive reuse of Building 1 at Newark Liberty International Airport includes the relocation and restoration of the historic Art Deco terminal and a modern addition.
BBB has transformed a high-end retail emporium into a contemplative environment for the Rubin Museum of Art, the largest facility devoted to Himalayan art in the Western World.
An article in the LA Times tells the stories of some of the two million immigrants who left Antwerp’s Red Star Terminal for the US from 1878 to 1934. Beyer Blinder Belle designed the recently-opened Red Star Line Museum, which restores, reuses - and provides a contemporary addition to - the Red Star’s humble historic buildings, transforming them into a contemporary museum while maintaining the character of the original structures.
The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of the City of New York was founded in 1785. For more than 200 years, the General Society has selected four New York architects to highlight iconic buildings and landmarks of social, historical and cultural significance at their Labor, Literature and Landmarks Lecture Series. The Lecture Series pays tribute to the art of craftsmanship by featuring master artisans who lecture about the intricacies of their specialized crafts. The lectures are held in the General Society’s Library, founded in 1820, the second oldest library in New York City and one of three remaining private membership circulating libraries.
The Greenwich Post Office building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been adaptively reused to house a Restoration Hardware flagship showroom referred to as “RH Greenwich, The Gallery at the Historic Post Office”. BBB served as a consultant for historic preservation. “The interior…has now been transformed to serve as an architectural canvas,” said Frank Prial Jr., Associate Partner at BBB.
A recent article in the New York Times takes a look at the conversion and combination of six, 5-story rowhouses and two townhouses into one building to create luxury living spaces.
BBB has an ongoing relationship with the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation. As an architect, preservationist, and former Director of Historic Preservation at BBB, the contributions of the late Dr. Fitch to the fields of architecture, planning, and preservation provide inspiration to the Foundation’s Fellows. Today BBB continues to support Dr. Fitch’s mission, led by BBB’s Managing Partner and Chairman of the Fitch Foundation, Fred Bland.
President Barack Obama paid a visit to St. Paul’s Union Depot, announcing $600 million in transportation funding via the Department of Transportation’s TIGER program (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery).
The 1055 Wisconsin Avenue project seamlessly blends new residential and retail components into the heart of Georgetown overlooking the historic C&O Canal. BBB team members visited the site to view progress of Georgetown’s latest condominium residences, located only steps from Washington Harbour, Waterfront Park, and the shops and bistros of M Street. Hany Hassan, FAIA, director of BBB’s DC office, reflects on the project after leading a tour of 1055 Wisconsin Avenue.
An article in the Harvard Gazette offers a sneak peak inside the newly designed swing space for Harvard’s House Renewal and an article in the Harvard Crimson interviewed student residents of Dunster House soon after they were introduced to their swing year housing. As part of the program, BBB designed spaces to create a home away from home for students during their swing year. The design includes interiors services including layouts, furniture, finishes, fixtures and fabrics, as well as artwork, graphics, and donor signage for new student bedrooms, classrooms, and common spaces including dining facilities, gyms, libraries, music rooms, and multi-function spaces.
Amidst much press and anticipation of the completion of the rehabilitation of the Watchcase Factory into housing, Beyer Blinder Belle's architectural historian Kate Lemos McHale reflects on the historic Village of Sag Harbor and her personal connections to the project.
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce presented its Adaptive Reuse Award for the Banknote Building, designed by BBB, at its Inaugural Building Awards ceremony held on October 29. BBB’s adaptive reuse of the landmark 1909 printing plant in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx creates a vibrant, mixed-use hub that supports the revitalization of the surrounding community and celebrates the area’s history.
“Architecture and interiors are integral, you can’t separate them. My mission is to take the spirit of the design concept all the way through, to the last detail, so that there is great consistency and integrity in the project.”
“Our most vibrant cities are complex and multi-faceted, equal parts preservation and new design. Thoughtfully combined, and well planned, these are the building blocks for reinvigorating urban communities.”
"As an urban designer-architect, I approach design through the lens of city-making. Buildings and landscapes evolve, layering history, culture, and vitality onto the common ground of everyday life. At this intersection are some of our greatest opportunities—and obligations—for connecting people with their communities, and for designing a sustainable and more equitable future."
"Respecting the past doesn't mean admiring it to the point of replication. My goal is to transform historic buildings for modern and relevant use while maintaining the essence of their original character."
"Architecture is at its best when the purposeful artistry of design is balanced with an equally persistent technical rigor."
"Planning, restoration and the design of new buildings in historic settings are the fundamental underpinnings of our firm. With every project, whatever its focus, I'm always thinking of all three."