277 Mott Street

277 Mott Street is a ground-up project in the center of Lower Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood, situated within the Special Little Italy district. The building contains an all-retail program and occupies roughly 7,000 square feet, across 8 floors including the basement. The building’s front facade reaches 65’ high with a total building height of 75’. Working within a specific 18-inch depth zoning constraint, the twisting front facade is composed of glass and CNC milled stone, created in close consultation with talented custom fabricators in Italy. In New York, on a narrow street such as Mott, the facade's presence is more dominant when walking up and down in an oblique view, rather than a frontal one. As weather and light conditions change, different facade colorations are produced: the stone may appear silver, grey or matte black, shifting in appearance and twisting as one approaches or moves away from the building. The rear elevation features a finer, twisted metal facade that acts as a shading device against western light, while creating visual interest from the rear view and a curious silhouette of light from the street, enticing visitors into and through the space. This facade highlights a monumental stair which serves as a primary means of vertical circulation and overlooks a backyard garden and skylight into the basement level. Translucent glass blocks on the perimeter wall provide a glowing illumination of the courtyard at night, while appearing opaque white during the day.