The 251 1st Street residential tower in Brooklyn, New York, designed by ODA New York and developed by Adam America Real Estate.
Miguel de Guzman The 251 1st Street residential tower in Brooklyn, New York, designed by ODA New York and developed by Adam America Real Estate.

The new multifamily tower at the corner of 1st Street and 4th Avenue, developed by Adam America Real Estate and designed by ODA New York, sits at a literal crossroads between old and new Brooklyn life. On 4th Avenue, the tower’s businesslike exterior melds stylistically with the surrounding commercial and cultural artery. At this angle, the uneven top levels only hint at the cascade of setbacks and terraces along the 1st Street side, which lead into a more traditional neighborhood of residential brownstones.

Heroes Visuals

Each of the 11 penthouse units at 251 1st Street has access to two to four of the exposure points along the top level, depending on the unit’s configuration, along with sweeping views of Manhattan. The terraces’ close proximity to one another is designed to evoke a “vertical village” atmosphere, which reflects the residential history of the neighboring brownstones. The tower’s architectural diversity also allows for interior variety, with 29 floor plans available for potential residents.

“[The project] allowed us to give a new dimension to the idea of humanizing the façade and, in the process, pose a simple question: what exactly is a building façade?” says Eran Chen, founder and executive director of ODA New York. “Is it simply an aesthetic mask, or is it an integral part of the life and experience of the building? How distinct should the differences be between inside and out, private and communal, between the building and the street life below?”