Tankhouse

9 Chapel is a 14-story freestanding tower that seeks to redefine dense vertical living by providing fundamental qualities typically reserved for low-rise buildings – outdoor space, access to light and air, and privacy – to high-rise construction.

Operating within a confined footprint at the corner of Jay and Chapel street in Downtown Brooklyn, the project quickly rises to take advantage of four uninterrupted exposures. This flexibility allows for 27 distinct homes, the vast majority of which have three or more orientations and multiple private exterior spaces. To the south, east, and west, the building subtly changes orientations to let in light and air and maximize specific view corridors. To the north, a shared outdoor walkway and provides all homes an exterior entrance and a semi-private "front porch."

Project Details

Location

9 Chapel Street, Brooklyn NY

Program

Residential

Size

55,000 SF

Status

Completed

Completion

2024

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photo: Valeria Flores

Without a highly developed context to fit into, 9 Chapel’s undulating metallic exterior skin intentionally stands out – a new landmark anchoring Downtown Brooklyn. When experienced from the inside, the perforated facade transforms terraces into partially enclosed outdoor rooms, creating both privacy and generous views. From the outside, 9 Chapel’s facade catches light throughout the day, changing color to reflect the hour and the season, creating a striking yet soft ethereal quality.

"Technically, it is a high-rise—it counts 27 homes across 14 floors. In practice, it feels like an anthology of houses, each of them with their own front porch, at least two terraces, and at least two exposures. For residents, the array of options translates into highly versatile living spaces that are always connected to the outdoors. Once out of the elevator, you’re not confronted with a long, dank hallway striated with doors on either side. You’re faced with open-air terraces that are shielded from the elements by a rippled, perforated aluminum façade."

- Fast Company

"From the street to your doorstep, one passes through a series of spaces that are in themselves an enjoyable experience designed to improve residents’ quality of life. They have access to natural light, amazing views, and cross ventilation—all things that are not commonly found in hallways and landings.”

- Sebastian Mendez, Tankhouse

"On this site, we didn't feel the need to subdue the outside to fit into its context. The drama of the building's exterior is apparent even from far away. The opportunity here was less about how we fit into an existing fabric, and more about how we define this little spot in the city."

- Sam Alison-Mayne, Tankhouse

"The effect is corrugated, a combination of stiffness and animation that gives the building an air of vivid antiquity... If 450 Warren makes nice with the neighbors and turns inward for innovation, 9 Chapel stands up and demands to be noticed, especially as a contrast to the big bland slabs all around."

- Justin Davidson, New York Magazine