The 16-story, 675,000-square-foot Dock 72, the S9 Architecture-designed addition to the Brooklyn Navy Yard has officially opened after construction began back in 2016 and the zig-zagging complex topped out in 2017.
WeWork, the once fast-growing co-working company that reportedly may run out of cash as soon as next month, will anchor the building by taking over 220,000 square feet of office space. The coworking company will employ its signature open-plan office designs and, and tapped the local Fogarty Finger Architecture and Interiors to design the building’s slew of community amenities—such as a health center, basketball court, juice bar, and a roof deck. In addition, the firm commissioned four artists to create murals throughout.
With a stacked massing that references boat hulls, Dock 72 is part of the largest edition to the Navy Yard since World War 2 and the first ground-up office development in Brooklyn in 30 years. The Class-A office project is also expected to help the Navy Yard add 10,000 additional jobs by 2021, according to the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, Boston Properties, Rudin Development, and WeWork. The focus of the Navy Yard development has been on tech, and the partners in the building are hoping to invite a variety of startups, software developers, and hardware manufacturers to the Navy Yard.
The building features 14-foot windows with a stepped, staircase-reminiscent pattern across the facade meant to express the internal circulation to onlookers outside. It was also designed above the predicted 100-year floodplain—especially important given Dock 72’s waterside location—and has various energy-saving features, such as efficient insulation and HVAC systems, which the owners and developers claim will reduce its energy costs by as much as 14% compared to LEED baseline.
In addition, Dock 72 features its own app which will allow tenants to order food, reserve their spot for amenities, and enter the building.
Dock 72 is part of a $1 billion expansion to the Navy Yard which includes various design and manufacturing businesses, film and TV studios, grocery shops, and a new ferry stop. The Navy Yard also announced a $2.5 billion expansion master plan to spruce up transit access and street-level functionality for pedestrians and cyclists.
