leeser architecture 2016

LEESER ARCHITECTURE PLLC20 Jay Street, Suite M03, Brooklyn, New York 11201

718 643 6656 email: [email protected]

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 3

EM QUARTIER RETAIL + CULTURAL CENTER

BANGKOK 04VOS HOTEL

NEW YORK 14MACY’S TOWER NEW YORK 16

DUMBO HEIGHTS NEW YORK 22

60 WATER STREET NEW YORK 30

MERCEDES HOUSE LOBBY + FITNESS

NEW YORK 36PIER 1 HOTEL +

RESIDENCES NEW YORK 42

SILVERCUP WEST NEW YORK 48

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE NEW YORK 54

ROYAL TRI-CLIMATIC BIOSPHERE 68 ABU DHABIWORLD MAMMOTH + PERMAFROST MUSEUM 78 RUSSIAMOSCOW POLYTECHNIC MUSEUM & UNIVERSITY 82 RUSSIA3LD ART & TECHNOLOGY CENTER 86 NEW YORKHELIX HOTEL 92 ABU DHABIBRIC ARTS | MEDIA HOUSE / URBANGLASS 98 NEW YORKLONDON OLYMPIC PARK FLOATING LAKE 104 ENGLANDGENIUS/COWORK.RS 108 NEW YORK

PROJECTEXPERIENCE

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 54 EM QUARTIER

CLIENTThe Mall Group Co., Ltd.

ROLE

Leeser Architecture is the lead designer for this

extensive project coordinating with a large team

of international and local consultants, landscape

architects, lighting designers and several local

architects and engineers for each of the four

separate buildings. Leeser Architecture is

providing Concept Design, Schematic Design and

Design Development phase design services.

SIZE 2,700,000 ft2 / 250,838 m2

COST ~$800 million

PROGRAMRetail complex including three new buildings and

one building renovation. Connected by a plaza, all

buildings total in 2,500,000 sf of mixed use retail

space. Key features include a 30’ open air garden

on the fifth floor, six stories of dining terraces

sitting atop a helical floor slab, an eight theater

cinema complex including one imax theater as well

as a pedestrian street and five story waterfall, as

well as two stories of underground parking.

DESIGN COMMENTS Working with the developer responsible for

the largest shopping center in southeast Asia,

Leeser Architecture has designed architecture

that evokes the synthesis of beauty and

unpredictability found in both nature and

urbanism. The buildings alter the pure shape of

the traditional spiral, floor plates are shifted so

they do not align with the floors above. These

subtle imperfections provide outdoor terraces for

the visitors, blurring the boundary between inside

and out.

BANGKOK, THAILAND | 2015RETAIL / CULTURAL

EM QUARTIER RETAIL + CULTURAL CENTER

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 76 EM QUARTIER RETAIL + CULTURAL CENTER

Exterior views of Building A “the Helix”

featuring a 5th Floor open air garden

and sweeping views of Bangkok.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 98 EM QUARTIER RETAIL + CULTURAL CENTER

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 11LEESER ARCHITECTURE 1110 EM QUARTIER RETAIL + CULTURAL CENTER

(left top) Garden.5th Floor open air garden in Building A and

sweeping views of Bangkok from the garden.

(top) Retail shops and atriumand Dining Helix in Building A

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 1312 EM QUARTIER


BROOKLYN, NEW YORK | 2015HOSPITALITY

CLIENT Second Development Services (SDS)

ROLELeeser Architecture performed design services for

the building enclosure.

SIZE 110,000 ft2 / 10,219 m2

COST N/A

PROGRAMThe hotel will rise approximately 300 feet and will

include a rooftop bar and pool, a banquet hall,

a ballroom, a performance space on the basement

level, and a ground floor restaurant and mezzanine

that looks onto an outdoor arts plaza.

DESIGN COMMENTS The 200-room Vos Hotel is designed to

accommodate the growing number of visitors

flocking to Brooklyn’s emerging cultural district.

The 30-story building, made of white fritted glass

and metal, will feature dramatic asymmetrical

fractures in the façade that reinforce a notion of

Brooklyn as multi-faceted and modern.

The outdoor arts plaza will rotate local art

organizations exhibitions anchoring the hotel as

a central public space within the new cultural

district.

The tower is scheduled to open in 2017.

VOS HOTEL

14 VOS HOTEL

(top and bottom) Day view and facade details. The facade is designed as a landmark in both day and evening

conditions. During daytime conditions, the façade is filtered

by a silk screened fritted on the glass panels and scaled with

recessed cavities of black glass.

(opposite page) Night view.At nighttime this condition is reversed by integrated luminaries

in the recessed cavities that complement an otherwise glass

façade illuminated from the interior. The shape of the building

gradually responds to the given zoning envelope with stepped

terraces from the lower volume to the upper volume.


BROOKLYN, NEW YORK | 2015RETAIL / RESIDENTIAL

CLIENTRFR & Kushner Properties

ROLELeeser Architecture developed concept designs,

schematic designs.

SIZE 1,225,000 ft2 / 113,805.277 m2

COST N/A

PROGRAMLeeser Architecture developed concepts for three

residential towers on the existing Macy’s parcels in

Downtown Brooklyn.

The design features a 910 feet tall tower, and two

390 feet tall towers, incorporating residential, a

commercial base of retail, and public plaza. .

DESIGN COMMENTS LEESER Architecture was engaged to develop

a vision for the 1.2 million-square-foot addition

on the Macy’s Downtown Brooklyn Parcels. The

iconic 910 feet tall tower will house 230 condos

and 468 rental units. The tower is added on top

of an existing building, preserving the existing Art

Deco style facades. This design also allow retail

stores such as Macy’s remain open during the

construction.

A two-tower mix used complex is designed on the

opposite side of Macy’s, provides 200,000 square

feet retail spaces, a public plaza, 248 condos units

and 308 rental units.

MACY’S DOWNTOWN

16 MACY’S DOWNTOWN


(left) Night view from the east side. Street view of

Downtown Brooklyn with Manhattan skyline in the back..

(bottom) Southern facade.

(opposite page) Night view from the west side.

18 MACY’S DOWNTOWN

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 2120 MACY’S DOWNTOWN

(top) Program division and vertical circulation.

(right) Day view.Street view of Downtown Brooklyn.

(opposite page) Views from the southern side.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 2322 DUMBO HEIGHTS

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK | 2013RETAIL / RESIDENTIAL / HOSPITALITY

CLIENTRFR, Kushner Properties and LIVWRK

ROLELeeser Architecture developed extensive F.A.R.

studies, concept designs, schematic designs

SIZE 1,200,000 ft2 / 111,483 m2

COST N/A

PROGRAMThe project developed concepts for 5 prime

existing buildings in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

The design features a tower incorporating

residential penthouses, a commercial base of

retail, restaurants, bars and theatres, technology

hub and the original sky bridges being activated

through the introduction of an outdoor running

track, pool and fitness center.

A comprehensive F.A.R. study was also

undertaken for all properties on the site.

DESIGN COMMENTS & RELEVANCEThe consortium of RFR, Kushner Properties

and LIVWRK engaged LEESER Architecture to

develop a vision for the 1.2 million-square-foot

former Jehovah’s Witness publishing facilities.

The design utilized existing site features such as

the interconnecting sky bridges by converting

them to public amenities space including an open

air running track, gym and pool. Heavy walls

were removed to create public arcades doubling

sidewalks and allowing for restaurants, theaters

and a beer garden, all of which contribute to

creating a unique public destination and attractive

option for commercial and residential tenants.

Increased FAR from a proposed zoning change

would be distributed between commercial rooftop

penthouses and a residential tower atop one of

the existing buildings. Its form rotated to take

advantage of multiple river and city views.

The concept developed for Dumbo Heights lead to

the successful purchase of the development site

by the consortium.

DUMBO HEIGHTS


Buildings and patios of residential tower.


Amenity to floors.Watchtower site that utilized existing site features such as the interconnecting sky bridges,

converting them to public amenities space including an open air running track and the

removal of heavy street level walls to create public arcades that double existing sidewalks.


60 WATER STREETBROOKLYN, NEW YORK | 2015RETAIL / RESIDENTIAL / EDUCATIONAL

CLIENTTwo Trees Management Company

ROLELEESER Architecture performed full design

services including Programming, Concept

Design, Schematic Design, Design Development,

Bidding and Negotiating, Construction

Documentation and Construction Administration.

SIZE 350,000 ft2 / 32,516 m2

COST $150 million

PROGRAMThe program is comprised of a three-level

underground public parking garage; 10,000

square feet of ground floor retail space along

Water Street; a full-floor, 45,000-square-foot

public middle school to serve 300 students;

and 220,000 square feet of rental apartments,

20% of which will be designated for affordable

housing.

DESIGN COMMENTS LEESER’s design uses pattern at two scales to

enliven the surface of the residential tower project.

At the large scale, a branching two story line

cuts an iconic void pattern into the field of glass

fins that wrap the building. At the small scale, a

pattern of opposing triangles on each fin creates

the illusion that the façade is undulating. The

combination of the two gives a sense of depth and

movement to the simple taught glass form.

30 60 WATER STREET

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 33LEESER ARCHITECTURE 3332 60 WATER STREET

Façade.Softening the envelope and knowing that

the building is mostly seen at shallow angle,

fins blur the edges and make it appear cloudlike.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 35LEESER ARCHITECTURE 3534 60 WATER STREET

(top) Street view.(right top) Exterior.

(right) Interior.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 3736 MERCEDES HOUSE SOUTH LOBBY & FITNESS CENTER

MERCEDES HOUSE SOUTH LOBBY & FITNESS CENTER

NEW YORK, NEW YORK | 2012RESIDENTIAL

CLIENTTwo Trees Management Company

ROLELeeser Architecture performed full design

services including Programming, Concept Design,

Schematic Design, Design Development, Bidding

and Negotiating, Construction Documentation and

Construction Administration.

SIZE Interior 27,000 ft2 / 2,508 m2

Exterior 40,000 ft2 / 3,716 m2

COST N/A

PROGRAMLeeser Architecture’s design for the lobby includes

a reception area, mail room and an elevator lobby.

Leeser was also commissioned to design a 30,000

sq ft fitness center, lounge, spa, and roof deck.

DESIGN COMMENTS Located on the ground floor of a 29 story luxury

residential project on Manhattan’s west side, the

South Lobby of the Mercedes House uses vibrant

orange accents to emphasize the drama of the

sloped ceiling. A ribbon of diffuse, reflective

glass defines the ceiling’s edge with a dark gap,

articulating the separation between the vertical

surfaces and ceiling. Along the lobby’s edge, two

lines of glowing, color shifting LEDs highlight the

uniquely patterned terrazzo floor below.

For the fitness center, active interior spaces are

wrapped in planes of primary color glass and

zones of relaxation are enveloped in charcoal gray

wood.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 4342 PIER 1 HOTEL + RESIDENCES

PIER 1 HOTEL + RESIDENCESBROOKLYN, NEW YORK | 2011RETAIL / RESIDENTIAL / HOSPITALITY

CLIENTSecond Development Services (SDS)

ROLELeeser Architecture designed a Concept Design

submission in the invited competition.

SIZE 500,000 ft2 / 46,451 m2

COST $295 million

PROGRAMLeeser Architecture’s design for the Pier 1

development includes 183 residential apartments,

170 hotel rooms, 300 underground parking spaces.

The building amenities include a 60-wide atrium,

an olympic-length, glass bottomed swimming pool,

spa, restaurants, a full service conference center, a

rooftop garden with running track and pool.

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNProjected to be LEED Gold

DESIGN COMMENTS Leeser Architecture’s design synthesizes dynamic

architecture with the playful and sustainable

qualities of New York City Parks, as exemplified

in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The building functions as

an extension of Brooklyn Bridge Park, seamlessly

integrating the site to create a unified experience

of nature and built environment. A ribbon of park

space extends from the ground floor to an exterior

garden terrace at the third floor of the larger

building, continuing across the courtyard at the

second building to form roof terraces and gardens.

A sixty foot wide atrium space that extends up the

entire height and length of the building. Above,

the 170 hotel rooms and suites float in air, lightly

framing the view of the sky.


(top) Restaurant/Lounge. Dramatic lifts in the

facade open up interior public spaces to allow for

unobstructed views of the East River and Manhattan

from the interior of the building. Spaces are lit with

bright orange lights to contrast the large glass facade.

(left) Hotel/Interior Park Entrance. The building’s

exterior glazing subtly lifts to shape unique spaces

within, creating a dynamic facade and providing the

public spaces. This glazing system serves both to

maximize natural day lighting and to express the

stepping pattern of the residential units on the exterior.

Outdoor terraces, an amphitheater, and roof gardens

allow for hotel guests and residents to experience the

dramatic views.

44 PIER 1 HOTEL + RESIDENCES

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 4746 PIER 1 HOTEL + RESIDENCES

(top) Interior park. The ground floor of the

development has been designed as an interior

park for residents and hotel guests. Laying at

the bottom of a sixty foot wide and hundred

foot tall atrium extending the length of the

entire building, the interior park fills the void

the building with the lightness of the natural

environment. Puncturing through the atrium, a

seventy foot tall escalator brings hotel guests up

through the atrium to the hotel levels, located

on floors seven through ten.

(right) Section through atrium.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 4948 SILVERCUP

LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK | 2013RETAIL / RESIDENTIAL / HOSPITALITY

CLIENTKushner Properties

ROLELEESER Architecture is providing FAR Analysis,

Concept Design phase services.

SIZE 2,772,886 ft2 / 257,609 m2

COST N/A

PROGRAMThe project included multiple program distribution

studies for a 2 million square foot ULURP

approved building proposal. Design features

commercial, residential and community facilities

and a large central atrium with spiraling circulation

from base to rooftop garden amenities space.

DESIGN COMMENTSCommissioned by Kushner Properties to reimagine

a previous submission by Richard Rogers for the

Silvercup Studios site in Long Island City, LEESER

Architecture created a bold concept for the 600

foot towers - developing 4 alternative distributions

and massing studies while maintaining the total

FAR of the existing ULURP approved proposal.

The design included street level and waterfront

retail to stimulate activity paired with an atrium

featuring an upward spiraling circulation to draw

public to the rooftop garden amenities space.

The commercial and community program at the

base provided 24 hour excitement while residential

units above maximizes the views of the East River

and Manhattan.

SILVERCUP


(left) View from the river. (top) Urban context.

(below) Program distribution.


Atrium featuring an upward spiraling circulation

to draw public to the rooftop garden amenities space.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 5554 MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE LEESER ARCHITECTURE 55

NEW YORK, NEW YORK | 2011CULTURAL

MUSEUM OF THE

MOVING IMAGE

CLIENTMuseum of the Moving Image

NYC Economic Development Corporation

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

ROLE

Leeser Architecture performed full design





SIZE Addition: 40,000 ft2 / 3,716 m2

Renovation: 60,000 ft2 / 5,574 m2

COST $70 million

PROGRAMThe Museum houses a 267-seat film theater,

education center, a 68-seat screening room,

changing exhibition gallery, permanent exhibition

galleries, administrative offices, collection storage

facility and special events spaces.

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNUSGBC LEED Silver certified

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 5756 MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE

DESIGN COMMENTS & RELEVANCENamed the “finest recent American example of

radical design” by the WALL STREET JOURNAL,

Leeser Architecture’s Museum of the Moving

Image gives visitors an inspiring space to explore

and engage with the moving image. Throughout

the Museum, Amphitheaters and flexible spaces

allow student groups to visit and hold sessions.

Among them, Media Classrooms in the Education

Center are comprised of retractable acoustically

isolating curtains, providing flexibility to form

intimate classrooms or one large gathering space.

For direct interaction with the moving image,

Video Editing Booths and hands on, various

explorative stations are integrated throughout the

Museum’s galleries and education spaces.

(top) Exterior. Front facade and main entrance.

(left) Interior. Museum shop.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 59LEESER ARCHITECTURE 5958 MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE

(top) Lobby. The white walls of the entrance

provide a seamless backdrop for a 50 foot long

panoramic projection exhibit, The space of the

lobby is shaped by the underside of the main

theater, efficiently using the space while creating

a dynamic ceiling below.

(right) Lobby grand stair. Throughout the

Museum, color is used in stark contrast to

the white finishes to provide a heightened

experience of space. Each punch of color

is seen as a portal into a new programmatic

element such as a theater or exhibition space.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 61LEESER ARCHITECTURE 6160 MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE

Film theater. The main theater uses a similar system of open

joints to make surfaces appear as if they are

suspended in space. Here, the softness required

to accomplish acoustic dampening of sound is

expressed through the softness of the individual

woven felt, vacuum formed panels.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 63LEESER ARCHITECTURE 63

(right and bottom left) Video screening amphitheater. Upon reaching the first level, the

grand stair widens into a 1,700 square-foot video

screening amphitheater. The integration of ramp

and stair allows for the amphitheater to be an

interactive educational stage for visitors.

(bottom center) William Fox Amphitheater. Throughout the Museum, Leeser designed spaces

for student groups to visit and hold class sessions.

The amphitheater above gives students a space to

perform and display their own interpretation of the

moving image.

(bottom right) Ann and Andrew Tisch Education Center. The Education Center is a flexible

laboratory for community students to learn about

and interact with the Museum. The walls of the

classrooms are composed of retractable curtains,

providing the flexibility to form intimate classrooms

or one large gathering space.

62 MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE


TRI-CLIMATIC BIOSPHEREABU DHABI, UAE | 2015GREENHOUSE / EDUCATIONAL

CLIENTAl Nahyan Royal Family






SIZE 108,000 ft2 / 10,033 m2

COST $25 million

PROGRAMThree separate biomes (Mediterranean, Tropical,

and Vernalized) are housed under one undulating

roof. A continuous ramp circling each biome and

a central atrium leading to the roof terrace allows

for students and visitors to experience all climates

in a single path.

DESIGN COMMENTSThe Iconic Greenhouse project resulted from

Leeser’s winning proposal in an invited competition

for production based greenhouse in the Middle

East. The greenhouse is sited in the extreme

desert climate and challenges the difficult task of

housing three separate biomes under one roof.

The internal climates, drastically different than the

local conditions, are contained within an ETFE

membrane.

The use of the polymer Ethylene

tetraflouroethylene (ETFE) across the enclosure

and interior of the building has allowed us to

achieve maximum efficiency and minimum cost,

while gaining flexibility in form and transparency.

68 TRI-CLIMATIC BIOSPHERE LEESER ARCHITECTURE 69


(top) Creating three ecospheres with climates

dramatically different than the harsh environment of the

desert presents a unique opportunity for the residents of

Abu Dhabi. In addition to growing foreign plant species,

the building will serve as a laboratory and exhibition

center for students.

(below) Atrium. The atrium in the center of the building

is a gathering area that where educational and visitor

programs are held. From the atrium, visitors are visually

connected to all three biomes through the glass-like

ETFE. From the atrium, students are welcome to follow

the ramp up the building and through the biomes to

experience the different climates foreign to Abu Dhabi.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 7372 TRI-CLIMATIC BIOSPHERE

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 7978 WORLD MAMMOTH + PERMAFROST MUSEUM

WORLD MAMMOTH + PERMAFROST MUSEUMYAKUTSK, RUSSIA | 2007CULTURAL

COMPETITION

ROLELeeser Architecture was awarded first prize

for their Concept Design submission in the

international, invited competition. Leeser’s design

was also featured in the Russian Pavilion at the

Venice Biennial in 2008.

SIZE 70,000 ft2 / 6503 m2

COST $18 million

PROGRAMThe WMPM houses a museum exhibition

and laboratories for the viewing, study, and

preservation of a frozen Siberian mammoth found

on the site. The program includes climatically

controlled exhibition spaces for the mammoth and

greenhouse , laboratories, and support spaces.

DESIGN COMMENTS The extreme climatic conditions of Yakustk, Russia

and the unique programmatic combination of a

science laboratory and museum drove the design

of the project. The building is sited at the foot

of the Tchoutchour Mouran, a hill puncturing the

flat landscape of Yakutsk. The building’s volume

responds to the terrain in its shape as well as

in mimicking the natural pattern of the shifting

permafrost cycles. The museum is elevated

20 feet off the ground to prevent heat transfer

between the structure and ground, keeping the

building climate stable during the dramatic climatic

swings of Siberia. To keep a constant climate

on the interior, Leeser Architecture designed

an envelope is constructed of a super-insulated

double wall glazed facade with an Aerogel lattice

network situated between the glazing layers.

Exterior.Elevating “legs” lift the building 20 feet off the ground, reducing

the building’s footprint and its effect on the environment. The

gap between ground and building separates the building from the

thermally sensitive ground of the site, also reducing thermal loss

and gain from the changing climate.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 8180 WORLD MAMMOTH + PERMAFROST MUSEUM

(opposite page top) Exterior. The facade and structure of the

building is designed as a 3-D space frame in the pattern of a

voronoi, inspired by the rigid landscape patterns of the Siberian

terrain. To accommodate the dramatic temperature swings

between the harsh winters and hot summers, we designed as

facade system using AEROGEL as insulation. The translucent

AEROGEL provides a hyper insulated space allowing for the

interior temperature to remain comfortable despite the extreme

climate.

(opposite page bottom) Indoor gardens and mammoth exhibition space. The controlled climate on the interior of the building allows

for plant life unable to endure the harsh temperature changes of

Siberia to thrive, allowing for the museum to become a unique

education tool and house innovative laboratories. The controlled

climate also allows for the display and study of a Woolly Mammoth

which was previously preserved in a Siberian cave on the site.

(left) Model photo of the model exhibited at the Venice Biennale

in 2008.

(below) Laboratories. The building is designed so the worlds

of the museum and scientific research can coexist without

contamination. The nature of the Woolly Mammoth exhibition

requires the research spaces of the museum to be kept at cold

temperatures. Visitors are afforded views of the laboratories at

restricted levels by escalators that take them through a climate

controlled tube.


POLYTECHNIC MUSEUM + UNIVERSITYMOSCOW, RUSSIA | 2013CULTURAL / EDUCATIONAL

COMPETITION

ROLELEESER Architecture is providing Concept Design,

Schematic Design and Design Development phase

design services.

SIZE 3,767,000 ft2 / 349,965 m2

COST $180 million

PROGRAMThe Moscow Polytechnic Museum and Education

Center includes two auditoriums, a full lecture

theater, two lecture halls, research centers, labs, a

new library, permanent and temporary exhibition

spaces, offices, and a public terrace for additional

event space.

DESIGN COMMENTSLEESER Architecture’s design links the architecture of

constructivism with the premise of new technologies of

today and the future development of the Polytechnic

Museum and the Moscow Lomonosov University.

The sharp triangulated geometry creates powerful

architectural language and highlight the two institutions’

top place in science research field.

The design inspired by a separate circulation path

organized like a double helix to ensure two primary

groups-the Users and Visitors communicate and

interplay with each other to fosters an intense proximity

in certain areas while also having their own function

areas. The buildings interior orientation is achieved

through augmented reality technology pointing the way

to the Visitors or Users desired destination. People can

also connect the building’s network and database via

their own personal electronic devices to get the needed

information.

The design focus on sustainability through the use of

sun exposure, winds, as well as high efficient artificial

lighting. Further, the “spiked” south façade allows for

a multiple levels to absorb sunlight and heat from the

winter’s low hanging sun, providing maximum comfort in

cold seasons.

82 POLYTECHNIC MUSEUM + UNIVERSITY

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 8584 POLYTECHNIC MUSEUM + UNIVERSITY

(top) Lobby and auditorium.(left) Street view in winter.

(right) Street entrance.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 8786 3LD ART + TECHNOLOGY CENTER

NEW YORK, NEW YORK | 2006CULTURAL

CLIENT3-Legged Dog Media + Theater Group






SIZE 12,000 ft2 / 1,114 m2

COST $4.1 million

PROGRAMThe facility includes a 200-seat main stage

theater, a 2200 square foot gallery space, three

stages/performance spaces and a video and audio

editing suite.

DESIGN COMMENTS In 2006, Leeser Architecture completed the 3

Legged Dog Art and Technology Center, located in

New York, NY. Due to the events of September 11,

2001, the 3 Legged Dog performance group was in

need of a new home base to replace their former

Lower Manhattan location. It was the first cultural

institution to rebuild at Ground Zero. Leeser

Architecture was commissioned to design a 12,000

square foot facility to house the production and

viewing of cutting edge, large scale, multimedia

performance and art. The space functions as

a laboratory for the exploration of multimedia

performances and art. The design focuses on

opening the conventionally hidden activities of

theater production to the public, be it the casual

passer-by or the theater visitor.

3LD ART + TECHNOLOGY CENTER


(left) Facade. The diaphanous glass façade stretching 90-

feet along the length of Greenwich Street is pulled gradually

inside the building from the existing structure’s front edge

and then back again.

(bottom left) Lobby. The smooth, white lobby connects the

intentionally raw spaces of the original parking structure,

which contain the major program elements.

(bottom right) Entrance. The clean lines of the lobby

are accented with a smooth band of reflective glass. The

reflection the city movement provides a stark contrast to

the simplicity and transparency of the facade and interior

spaces.

88 3LD ART + TECHNOLOGY CENTER

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 9190 3LD ART + TECHNOLOGY CENTER

(right) Main theater. The experimental art forms of the 3LD

Art + Technology Center take on variety of different forms.

The theater is designed to accommodate all performance types,

whether it be analog, digital, large, or small.

(bottom left) Main theater. Adjustable screens provide greater

flexibility. Through lowering or raising the screens, the size of

the performance space can be adjusted and a gallery can be

created. The theater’s adjacency to the street allows for the

gallery space to visible to those walking by.

(bottom right) Main theater. All of the screens in the space are

designed to accept digital projections, encouraging art forms of

the future.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 9392 HELIX HOTEL

ABU DHABI, UAE | 2008HOSPITALITY

CLIENTAl Qudra Real Estate & QP Internationall

ROLELeeser Architecture was awarded first prize

for their Concept Design submission in the

international, invited competition.

SIZE 250,000 ft2 / 23,225 m2

COST N/A

PROGRAMThe five star hotel includes 208 guest rooms;

lounges, restaurants, conference rooms, and a

cafes dispersed throughout the building, a indoor-

outdoor health spa, and a roof deck pool.

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNWorking with Atelier Ten, Leeser Architecture

designed the building to maximize the building’s

heat and energy conservation.

DESIGN COMMENTS The central focus of the luxury hotel is a helical

floor surface that surrounds an undulating void,

with public functions of the hotel occurring at

each level. The hotel challenges the idea that

visitors must engage in the stale paradigms of

rigid hallways and atria that characterize a typical

hotel stay. Guest rooms are folded into the hotel

amenities along the helical path through the

building, creating an urban world of unregulated

paths within the hotel. Though the void seems

to offer unmitigated visibility, there are enclaves

for private meetings and guest privacy. Designed

to be both an icon and platform for world class

service, the hotel will serve as an anchor facility in

the Zayed Bay District and greater Abu Dhabi.

HELIX HOTEL


(right) Interior void from above. The 208 guest rooms

and suites of the Helix Hotel are arranged around a

helical floor of, dispensing hotel visitors into public space.

As the helix winds upward, programmatic elements

change from lounges and restaurants on the bay, to

meeting rooms and conference facilities, to the luxury

indoor-outdoor health spa on the fifth floor, ending with

the upper pool deck on the roof.

(below) Lobby. Helical floor peels up from the ground

floor of the hotel. From the lobby visitors are able to

experience the expansive atrium above.


(top) Exterior running track. The running track on the fifth floor is

the only moment when the ramping ceases and a flat surface prevails.

(bottom left and right) Interior. Guest rooms and lobby.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 9998 BRIC ARTS | MEDIA HOUSE / URBANGLASS

BRIC ARTS | MEDIA HOUSE / URBANGLASSBROOKLYN, NEW YORK | 2013CULTURAL

CLIENTNYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC)

ROLE

Leeser Architecture is performing full design





SIZE 60,000 ft2 / 5,574 m2

COST $40 million

PROGRAMLeeser Architecture’s renovation and expansion

of this existing, under-utilized building involves

two user groups, BRIC Arts | Media | Brooklyn and

UrbanGlass. The project includes a full renovation

of the interior space to create new theaters,

television broadcasting studios, art galleries, glass

workshops, media labs, classrooms, administrative

and operation offices, and support spaces.

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNUSGBC LEED Silver certified

DESIGN COMMENTS & RELEVANCEThe project is a community arts center for two

arts organizations. While pursuing wildly different

types of work, the mission of each organization

is centered around community outreach and

participation. The primary project objective is the

expansion of BRIC and UrbanGlass to the vacant

ground floor and to visually open the building to

the street. Leeser Architecture juggled complex

programmatic demands and highly specific uses to

create an open and accessible arts facility that can

connect the community as well as invite them

inside to engage with the myriad of activities

occurring within.


(right) Galleries from sidewalk. The facade of the

ground floor is designed to increase the visibility

and accessibility of the cultural organizations

housed within the building. The distinctive

V-shaped columns at the entrance facade opening

were designed for structural efficiency. The building

interior wall is of load-bearing masonry, and in order

to create the large scale facade opening, steel

beams and columns were necessary to carry the

weight of the wall above.

(below) BRIC Arts | Media House double height gallery. The clean lines and simple configurations of

the gallery spaces provide a platform for all types of

media to be displayed. Throughout the gallery there

are interactive installations for students and visitors

to engage with the artwork.


(top) Signage. The BRIC Arts | Media House signage is fabricated in

raised metal lettering applied to the white painted surface. The word

BRIC is mapped onto the building by the technique of projection. The

outline edge of each letter follows every contour of the facade. The

techniques and optics of projection are integral to the production

of art within - be it Performing, Media or Visual Arts. The result is a

spatially rich graphic that composes its message as one moves around

the building.

(bottom) Entrace view. In using two V-columns, the design achieves

the same structural efficiency as using four vertical steel columns.

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 105104 LONDON OLYMPIC PARK FLOATING LAKE

LONDON, ENGLAND | 2009CULTURAL

COMPETITION

ROLELeeser Architecture was invited by the Mayor of

London to design a Concept Design submission for

the 2012 London Olympic Park.

SIZE 2,700 ft2 / 251 m2

COST N/A

PROGRAMLeeser Architecture designed an iconic structure

to act as the central pavilion for the 2012 Olympics

in London. The program includes amphitheaters,

public gathering spaces, as well as a digitally

controlled waterfall.

DESIGN COMMENTS This structure will provide a place for families

to visit, both tourists and locals, providing

breathtaking views over the Olympic Park as

well as over London in the distance. There are

no visible borders or edges which gives visitors

the sensation of being elevated upon a cloud,

one feels suspended above the vast expanses of

the Olympic Park. Utilizing the large amounts of

rain London receives each year, the edge of the

Floating Lake contains computer controlled water

nozzles that allow for a continuous patterned

waterfall spanning the complete perimeter, giving

the appearance of the lake overflowing its edge.

The space below is well suited for casual concerts,

performances or street theater.

LONDON OLYMPIC PARK FLOATING LAKE


(top) Aerial. The pavilion designed for the London 2012

Olympics as a permanent structure to remain after the

Olympics pass through

(left) Park and performance space. The space below

the pavilion is designed to accommodate performances,

lectures, and other cultural events. When events are not

being held that the space, it is used as public park.

(right) Water feature. The entire top surface of the pavilion

is a water feature. During the Olympic games the water

from the pavilion is to be used as a cooling tower for

surrounding buildings, increasing the energy efficiency of

the entire Olympic Park.

106 LONDON OLYMPIC PARK FLOATING LAKE

LEESER ARCHITECTURE 109108 GENIUS / COWORK.RS

GENIUS / COWORK.RSBROOKLYN, NEW YORK | 2015COMMERCIAL / OFFICE

CLIENTSGENIUS MEDIA

COWORK.RS

ROLE

Leeser Architecture performed full design





SIZE 80,000 ft2 / 7,432 m2

COST $TBD

PROGRAMLeeser Architecture’s renovation of this existing,

under-utilized building involves two tenants,

Genius Media and COWORK.RS. The project

includes a full renovation of the interior space

to create new office, collaborative work space,

meeting rooms, and event space.

DESIGN COMMENTSLeeser Architecture used a dichroic film at the

glass walls and polished metal laminate millwork to

energize the former industrial space for this hip,

young startup. Designed with an understanding

of how today’s office environments function,

the space is simple and and organized yet highly

dynamic.


iconic, influential design

Every building has its very own story to tell, a

unique experience that we discover and create

in close collaboration with our clients. We are

driven by a passion and commitment toward

architecture as a vehicle for educational,

social, cultural and technological engagement.

We challenge the conventional notions

of architecture with the use of new

technologies and radical design. Integrated

with the contemporary cultural, social, and

technological context this approach creates:

Based in Brooklyn, we are a mid-sized firm

comprised of architects and designers with

a broad range of knowledge and experience

as well as passion for innovation. Our highly

collaborative approach resonates throughout

our network of consultants and in our client

relationships.

We approach each client + project individually,

capitalizing on the unique opportunities of each

to create iconic architecture that is relevant to

its users + the surrounding community.

Additionally, we hold our client relationships

in the highest regard, + find that the most

successful projects result from strong

collaboration between client, design team

+ consultant team.

r i c h l y va r i e d s p at i a l ex p e r i e n c e s , n ew p ro g ra m m at i c

re l a t i o n s h i p s + b e a u t i f u l l y s i m p l e o rg a n i z a t i o n s .

ABOUT US


SIMON ARNOLD, RAPROJECT DIRECTOR / PROJECT ARCHITECT

Mr. Arnold was born and educated in England. He worked at Fox Linton Associates in London

before moving to the United States, where he has worked at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and

Diller+Scofidio and Renfro. During his three years at SOM, Mr. Arnold worked on 7 World Trade

Center, NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Solow 9 West 57th Street, and Davis and Partners

Residential at 60 East 55th Street. Mr. Arnold is currently project manager for the Staten Island

Zoo Aquarium, a 110,000 sf Brooklyn Hotel Development, and a 280,000 sf Brooklyn Residential

Development. Mr. Arnold specializes in residential, hotel and cultural facilities.

SOFIA CASTRICONEPROJECT MANAGER

Ms. Castricone joined Leeser Architecture from Keenen/Riley Architecture in New York, where

she was involved with retail, residential, and museum projects. With Leeser Architecture, Ms.

Castricone has focused most of her time on cultural projects, notably the Museum of the Moving

Image and BRIC Arts | Media House. She is currently playing a key role in the Construction

Administration phase of the BRIC Arts | Media House and UrbanGlass construction and

renovation. Ms. Castricone specializes in cultural and educational facilities.

CHRISTIAN LEHMKUHL, LEED APARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

Mr. Lehmkuhl was born and raised in Germany but received his architectural training at renown

institutions on four different continents. He holds a professional degree in Architectural Design

from the Technical University Berlin, where he concentrated on Digital Media and Mass

Customization as well as a Master of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Before joining Leeser Architecture, Mr. Lehmkuhl has concentrated on temporary structures

and the integration of digital media in architecture. He is currently involved in a broad variety of

projects at Leeser, where he specializes in the intersection between technology and design.

ANJA MISIC PAVLINARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

Mrs. Misic Pavlin graduated in Architectural Design from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia with

Cum Laude Distinction, where she dedicated her time in exploring the intersection of virtual and

material elements of space. During her studies in Slovenia she also received National Student Plecnik

Award 2011 and The International Trimo Research Award 2012. She also holds a Master of Science

degree from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY where she was awarded The Pratt Institute Circle Award

2013 for outstanding Academic Achievement. Before joining Leeser architecture she worked for

Slovenian company that focuses on hotel, cultural and residential facilities. With Leeser architecture,

Mrs. Misic Pavlin has been involved in numerous projects, in particular Museum and educational

center in Moscow and Facade and lobby design for 17-story mixed use tower in Brooklyn.

KEY STAFF

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Thomas Leeser is internationally known for his iconic architectural designs at all scales. As principal

of his own firm for the past twenty five years, his passion for the fusion of emerging technologies

and architecture has driven many of the firm’s award winning designs. Thomas’s commitment to

architecture extends beyond practicing in the field. He has been an architecture professor at nine

different universities. He is currently teaching at Columbia University, Cornell University, Harvard

University, and Pratt Institute. In his teaching and professional work, Thomas explores his commitment

to innovation and the advancement of the field of architecture. Thomas specializes in museums,

theaters, broadcast and educational facilities.

Registered Architect State of New York, License #022510

EDUCATION

1989 -

1980-89

1985

1980-81

1979

1974-75

2010 - Present

2011 - 2012

2012

2005 - 2009

2004 - 2012

1998 - 2000

1998 - 2002

1996

1989-1996

Principal Architect, Leeser Architecture, New York, New York

Partner-in-Charge of Design, Eisenman ArchitectsKey Projects include

The Wexner Center for Visual Arts, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

The Progressive Corporation Headquarters, (with Frank Gehry and Claes Oldenburg, Carl André,

Richard Serra), Cleveland, Ohio

The University Art Museum, Long Beach, California

The Biocenter of the J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Choral Works/Parc de la VillePtte, (with Jaques Derrida), Paris, France

The Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio

The Tokyo Opera House Competition, Tokyo, Japan

Master of ArchitectureTechnische Hochschule Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany

Thesis Year Foreign Exchange ProgramThe Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at the Cooper Union, New York, New York

Bachelor of Architecture Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany

Undergraduate Program in Industrial Design and Visual Communication Hochschule für Industriedesign und visuelle Kommunikation, Germany

Pratt Institute, School of Architecture, Professor, Brooklyn, NY

Cornell University, School of Architecture, Adjunct Assistant Professor, New York City Campus

Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Adjunct Assistant Professor

The Cooper Union, Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, Adjunct Assistant Professor

Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation , Adjunct Assistant Professor

Parsons School of Design, Department of Architecture, The New School, Adjunct Assistant Professor

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, School of Architecture, Adjunct Assistant Professor

Illinois Institute of Technology, College of Architecture, Visiting Associate Professor

Princeton University, School of Architecture, Assistant Professor

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

THOMAS LEESER, RAPRINCIPAL IN CHARGE

120 STAFF

PRINCIPAL


AWARDS

2015 Building Brooklyn Award : Community Development : BRIC Arts | Media

House / UrbanGlass, Brooklyn, New York // Asia Property Awards 2014 :

Best Commercial Architectural Design : EM Quartier Bangkok, Thailand //

Municipal Arts Society of New York MASterworks Award 2014 : Neighborhood

Catalyst : BRIC Arts | Media House, UrbanGlass, Brooklyn, New York

// Red Dot Design Award 2013 : Architecture and Urban Design

Category : Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, New York //

International Competition 2012 : Shortlisted : Moscow Polytechnic Museum and

Education Center, Moscow, Russia // Public Design Commission of the City of New York

2011 : Award for Excellence in Design : Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, New York //

Invited International Competition 2011 : Second Prize : Polytechnic Museum, Moscow, Russia

// Starnet Design Grand Prize Award 2011 : Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, New York

// Invited International Competition 2010 : First Prize : Iconic Greenhouse, Abu Dhabi, UAE // Public

Design Commission of the City of New York 2010 : Award for Excellence in Design : Strand Theatre

Renovation, Brooklyn, New York // International Competition 2010 : Shortlisted : Frankfurt Jewish

Memorial, Frankfurt, Germany // Invited International Competition 2009 : First Prize : The Helix Hotel, Abu

Dhabi, UAE // AIA Design Award 2008 : World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum, Yakustk, Russia 2007 //

Invited Competition 2007 : First Prize : World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum, Yakustk, Russia // AIA Small

Projects Award 2005 : Vaccaro Loft, SoHo, New York // Invited Competition 2004 : First Prize and Commission

: Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, NY // Invited Competition 2004 : Selected Project with MVRDV and StoSS :

NYC 2012 Olympic Village, New York, New York // Three Architectural Record Interiors Awards 2003 : Excellence in Design

: “Glass,” “Bot” and “Pod” // New York Foundation for the Arts Architecture and Design Discretionary Grant 2003 : Three

Legged Dog Performing Arts Group New Media Arts Center design // Invited International Competition 2003 : First Prize :

Design School Zollverein, Essen, Germany // International Competition 2003 : Finalist Award : Pontecagnano Faiano European

Center for Creativity, Salerno, Italy // Invited International Competition 2002 : Finalist Award : Eyebeam Atelier Museum

for Art and Technology, Chelsea, New York // James Beard Foundation “Best Design Award” 2002 : nomination : Glass //

Invited Limited Competition 2001 : Finalist : EMPAC-Electronic Media and Performing Arts Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic

Institute, Troy, New York // Two Stage International Competition 2000 : Award wining design : ETH World (virtual university)

AWARDS


CLIENT REFERENCES +TESTIMONIALS

REFERENCES

CARL GOODMAN Executive Director

Museum of the Moving ImageProject: Museum of the Moving Image

36-01 35th Avenue Astoria, NY 11101

718.777.6800

GREG CLANCYSVP Capital Program Development NYCEDC

[former]VP Project Development RXR Realty

[current]Project: BRIC Arts | Media House

1330 Avenue of the Americas #500New York, NY 10019

[email protected]

ASHER ABEHSERAPrincipal, LIVWRK Holdings

55 Prospect StreetDumbo, NY 11201

[email protected]

TESTIMONIALS

DAVID WALENTASFounding PartnerTwo Trees Management Co LLC

KEVIN CUNNINGHAMExecutive Artistic Director3 Legged Dog Art + Technology Center

CARL GOODMAN Executive DirectorMuseum of the Moving Image

CHRISTIANE PAULAdjunct Curator of New Media ArtsWhitney Museum of American Art

124


Left: 60 Water Street FacadeRight: Mercedes House South Lobby

126 CLIENT TESTIMONIALS


To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to highly recommend the work of Leeser Architecture to you. Thomas Leeser and his team designed and oversaw the building of our 21st Century multi-purpose arts facility, 3LD Art & Technology Center (construction complete 2005) and the facility quickly became a major international center for multi-media and interdisciplinary art of all kinds.

Leeser Architecture’s unique understanding of the 21st Century, exhibition, display, media, interactive and telecommunications technology is unmatched among architects working today. Leeser’s foresight and intimate understanding of our mixed needs which must accommodate traditional exhibition, event space, full scale theatrical, large scale immersive multi-media and interactive installations has been a godsend as we built the facility programs.

opportunity in the design, value engineering and build phases of project. They were very hands on throughout the process of a project that proved to be an unusual logistical and bureaucratic challenge.

I cannot encourage you strongly enough to work with this extremely creative,

Sincerely,

Kevin CunninghamCEO, Artistic Director

3LD Art + Technology CenterLeft: Exterior Facade, Right: Lobby



Museum of the Moving Image.Left: Exterior Facade, Right: Lobby



Feedback Exhibition



SELECTED WORKS

134


Staten Island Zoo AquariumStaten Island, NY2011

Augmented SiberiaGhent, NY2011

50 W23rd StreetNew York, NY 2010

Danet ResidencesAbu Dhabi , UAE2010

Taipei Pop Music Center Taipei, Taiwan2011

Shamaris Apart-mentNew York, NY 2009

Highlands HouseHighlands, NY2008

136 SELECTED PROJECTS

Hungarian House of MusicLiget, Budapest2014

Hong Kong Art PavilionHong Kong, China2014

455 JeffersonBrooklyn, NY2015

Paley Center for MediaNew York , NY2011

Moscow Polytechnic MuseumMoscow, Russia2011

BienenkorbhausFrankfurt, Germany2013

Olympic VillageQueens, NY2011


Vaccaro LoftNew York, NY 2004

Glass BarNew York, NY 2002

Nam June PaikSeoul, Korea 2003

Design School ZollVereinEssen, Germany 2003

Bottino Restaurant Chelsea, NY 1998

Eyebeam AtelierNew York, NY2001

138 SELECTED PROJECTS

Hong Kong Design InstituteHong Kong, China2006

Laboral Art Center GameworldGijon, Spain2007

Laboral Art Center FeedbackGijon, Spain2007

Estonian National MuseumTartu, Estonia2005

Theatre HeidelbergHeidelberg, Germany2008

Oasis Residences Dubai, UAE2008

Zürcher StudioNew York, NY2008

Moscow Economic SchoolMoscow, Russia2008

leeser architecture 2016

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