Maiden Lane Greenroof

[asg]

Travels in Landscape Architecture
By Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA Associate, Greenroofs.com Publisher

September 2003 Sky Gardens

Chroma is a design studio headed by Alexis Briski and has recently completed a small intensive greenroof atop a commercial office building in NYC on Maiden Lane. Don Sussman of Town and Gardens was the contractor for the "green" portion of the roof; A + T Ironworks fabricated and installed the fence; and JB Construction completed the rest.

Surplus brick from the building's facade renovation was used to build new garden walls that match the existing parapet walls. The existing bituminous roof remained untouched; garden walls were built on the existing roof with additional layers of built bitumen placed as buffers. The new raised concrete floor tiles are punctuated with three rectangular grass fields, each with its own internal spray head watering and drainage system. The total depth of the garden beds is 24" with the bottom 6-8" used for drainage. Drain Away drainage mats were used and the growing medium is composed of peat moss, bark composite and perlite, totaling 15" on average.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/asg9000/125_Maiden_Lane_02.jpg
This design evolved from the owner's decision to develop a tenant amenity on the east roof of a 1950's office building. According to the designer Alexis Briski, "the view of the neighboring skyscrapers, the East River and sunshine were the inspiration for this design. I wanted to create a serene and pristine place that people could enjoy the view of the river, the sky and fresh air while conducting business or perhaps eating their lunch." White epoxy coated steel furniture from Landscape Forms and a white perimeter handrail complete the pristine setting while an occasional stray dandelion brings the spontaneity of nature to the otherwise ordered rooftop.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/asg9000/125_Maiden_Lane_01.jpg
Maiden Lane Greenroof by Chroma; Photos by Adam Friedberg

[Derek2k3]

I dream of the day when nearly every flat roof in the city has one of these.

[NewYorkYankee]

Is that Brooklyn in the back?

[Gulcrapek]

Yes.


...I didn't even notice that before you posted.

[NewYorkYankee]

Ive said it once, Ill say it again, the Brooklyn skyline is AMAZING!

[billyblancoNYC]

Ive said it once, Ill say it again, the Brooklyn skyline is AMAZING!

Just wait a few more years...Atlantic Yards plus Downtown rezone plus Williamsburg waterfront = good.

[AJphx]

The building that really needs a green roof is 300 Madison, the CIBC building. In the views of Midtown from Empire State, its huge flat roof is a real blot on the view. A green roof would give a unique and nice look.

[OKoranjes]

Once the new Javitz CC has their greenroof, I think that will be a HUGE catalyst for more... Let's hope!

[asg]

Solaire roof garden:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/asg9000/solaire_highrise_small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/asg9000/solaire_bamboo_small.jpg

[LeCom]

That Solaire roof is amazing. Would love to live in a place like that.

It would be a great idea to connect all those similar roofs in BPC north with bridges. Would make a great park-in-the-sky, even if accessible only to residents of those buildings.

[lizbeth li]

Travels in Landscape Architecture
By Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA Associate, Greenroofs.com Publisher

September 2003 Sky Gardens

Chroma is a design studio headed by Alexis Briski and has recently completed a small intensive greenroof atop a commercial office building in NYC on Maiden Lane. Don Sussman of Town and Gardens was the contractor for the "green" portion of the roof; A + T Ironworks fabricated and installed the fence; and JB Construction completed the rest.

Surplus brick from the building's facade renovation was used to build new garden walls that match the existing parapet walls. The existing bituminous roof remained untouched; garden walls were built on the existing roof with additional layers of built bitumen placed as buffers. The new raised concrete floor tiles are punctuated with three rectangular grass fields, each with its own internal spray head watering and drainage system. The total depth of the garden beds is 24" with the bottom 6-8" used for drainage. Drain Away drainage mats were used and the growing medium is composed of peat moss, bark composite and perlite, totaling 15" on average.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/asg9000/125_Maiden_Lane_02.jpg
This design evolved from the owner's decision to develop a tenant amenity on the east roof of a 1950's office building. According to the designer Alexis Briski, "the view of the neighboring skyscrapers, the East River and sunshine were the inspiration for this design. I wanted to create a serene and pristine place that people could enjoy the view of the river, the sky and fresh air while conducting business or perhaps eating their lunch." White epoxy coated steel furniture from Landscape Forms and a white perimeter handrail complete the pristine setting while an occasional stray dandelion brings the spontaneity of nature to the otherwise ordered rooftop.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/asg9000/125_Maiden_Lane_01.jpg
Maiden Lane Greenroof by Chroma; Photos by Adam Friedberg
The first photo has the Brooklyn Skyline as someone said. But what is the tallest building over on the right? My father used to work there and it's maybe some number Court Street, but does anyone know anything about it? It is a thin tower with an unusual roof, maybe built in the 20's?

[MidtownGuy]

A green roof should be majority green, shouldn't it? That is more like a patio with a few beds of grass. Very ugly, boring, sterile and little environmental effect from what I can see. They call that "intensive"?

On the other hand, the Solaire roof does look great. Now that is a green roof.

[Merry]

The first photo has the Brooklyn Skyline as someone said. But what is the tallest building over on the right? My father used to work there and it's maybe some number Court Street, but does anyone know anything about it? It is a thin tower with an unusual roof, maybe built in the 20's?

It wasn't the magnificent Art Deco Court Chambers Building (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=courtchambersbuilding-newyorkcity-ny-usa) at 66 Court Street, now converted to co-ops, was it?

[lizbeth li]

Your building looks different at the top but goggled it claims to be the tallest after the Williamsburg Bank, and the address is as you gave 66 Court. But the building I found goggling which I think is my father's old one is 16 Court, also claiming to be the tallest building after the bank. This one doesn't have a peaked roof, it is flat more like the Lincoln Building near Grand Central. I assume we are citing two different buildings -- both look great actually.

[macreator]

16 Court Street is indeed taller than the Court Chambers building. 16 Court Street is 390 feet tall with 35 floors versus the 343 feet height of the Court Chambers building with 30 floors.

[BrooklynRider]

In relation to one another, 66 Court is the stunning headturner to 16 Court's dirty face.

[lizbeth li]

But I did read that 16 Court got bought for 107 million and is supposedly getting transformed into first-class office space. My father's view of Manhattan, I remember, was spectacular. The view from the green space here is also fine, the Brooklyn view is nice -- except for the gray warehouse or boat docks under the B/Q's Expressway near the Brooklyn Bridge ... what are they? No boat seems to unload there ever.