All renderings of 9 Dekalb Avenue via SHoP Architects
Until recently, the most New York’s architecture and real estate communities knew about the tower rising by Dime Savings Bank at 9 Dekalb Avenue is that it would take the title of Brooklyn’s tallest building from the nearby Brooklyn Point. However, new renderings have been unveiled to show how the landmarked bank will be incorporated into the soaring, 1,066-foot tower: The roof of the bank will become an outdoor lounge with gorgeous treetop and Brooklyn skyline views, and a pool will wrap around the ornate Gustavino dome for residents of the forthcoming 425 rentals and 150 condos to enjoy (h/t The New York Times).
The soaring tower is rising next to Junior’s following the 2016 sale of the bank and its air rights for $95 million, not to mention the transfer of an additional 385,000 square feet of development right. As part of this deal, developer JDS Development Group will restore Dime Savings Bank to its former glory. On the outside, this will involve repairing the broken capital and weathered friezes. The rich Beaux Arts interiors, which include seven types of marble and bronze gates, will also be restored as part of their transformation into a flagship store with a tenant to be determined.
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Bank base and new tower
The bank’s marble and pink granite façade will be fused to the glass and steel tower on the rise directly behind it. While the tower’s scale was unimaginable at the time Dime Savings Bank was built, elements of its rich architectural history have made it into the design by SHoP Architects. The hexagonal motif seen in the bank’s coffered ceilings and ornate tile is expressed in the new structure. Moreover, the elegant setbacks are reminiscent of the Art Deco designs on the rise when the bank was originally built.
The residential building at 9 Dekalb Avenue represents the latest chapter in Dime Savings Bank’s extensive, celebrated history. It was founded in 1859 as a post office on Montague Street, then moved to Dekalb Avenue in 1908. While many banks sat quiet during the Great Depression, Halsey, McCormark & Helmer spent this time revamping the bank into the exterior and interior landmark we see today. The rise of automated tellers and digital payments led to the closing of the building as a bank, but its time before the sale was spent in high demand as event space. Completion of its latest phase is estimated for 2022.
Skyline rendering
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