LEVENBETTS and the development team comprised of Janus Partners, LLC, and Monadnock Construction, was selected by the New York City Economic Development Corporation to create a LEED Silver commercial facility on the site of the former Taystee Cake Bakery in Harlem. The 300,000 square foot building represents a new paradigm for a 21st Century commercial building in New York City.
The building site is situated amongst a grouping of 19th and early 20th Century factory buildings and it is ringed by various scales of housing with City College to the north and Columbia University’s new and old campuses to the west and south respectively.
The building is organized into four volumes - two thin white lobby and circulation towers and two wide black commercial blocks. The lobbies are placed at the east and west ends of the building creating access from both subway lines and major avenues. Along the western face of the building is an open public pass through from 125th street to 126th street. This pass through creates an interior street and open courtyard lobby facing a public garden.