205 Water

Strolling down the historic cobblestone streets of DUMBO, 205 Water Street is easy to miss. Blending in with the industrial-chic neighborhood in which it resides, the LEED Gold-certified building may seem austere, but its interiors certainly are not. Designed by S9 Architecture, the exposed, polished concrete facade features vertical window slats on the lower floors, before progressing to oversized, glass block windowpanes, keeping in continuity with the 19th-century warehouse style of the area’s past. Just beyond the entrance, the lobby is a mix of the same aesthetic — with a touch of Brutalism and angular wall cuts — mirroring the exterior’s cool concrete, but with pops of burnished gold and wooden accents. In fact, the accent wall just behind the 24-hour concierge desk is clad in reclaimed wood from the Coney Island Boardwalk. On the same floor, towards the interior courtyard, a concrete walkthrough lined with colorful string sculptures adds a sense of playful modernity to the intentionally stark area, while ferns planted right into the flooring signal the exit to the small, outdoor space. It’s hard to imagine this building anywhere else but Brooklyn’s DUMBO, as if the stark palette is almost self-aware in its hipsterism. The residential interiors, however, veer on the classic side, with large, airy open layout concepts, leaving room for creative personalization.