Mexico City-based architect Frida Escobedo, Bergen's author and the recipient of the 2024 Charlotte Perriand Award, is known for her bold concepts, which include a latticed structure for the 2018 Serpentine Pavilion in London and a treehouse-like hotel in Quintana Roo. Recently she has been working on new projects in New York, including the expansion of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and this residential scheme - her first condo development in the city, which is part of a wider site masterplan by DXA Studio.
Inside Bergen, Frida Escobedo's debut New York condo
Set on a tree-lined street in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, the project by developers Avdoo & Partners comprises 105 residences in a seven-story new build with a rhythmic façade in shades inspired by the area’s quintessential brownstones. At its heart is a distinctive glass-walled entrance and light-filled cylindrical staircase, leading to shared amenities such as an art studio, wellness suite and music room, as well as green spaces including a park and two rooftop gardens designed by DXA Studio and Patrick Cullina.
The residences range from studios to five-bedroom properties across 53 unique unit types, including penthouses with private rooftop plunge pools and town-house style units with private gardens. They were all designed by Workstead, a local practice founded in 2009 by Stefanie Brechbuehler and Robert Highsmith, to complement Escobedo’s custom masonry façade. Elegantly bringing the exterior design elements indoors, the interiors feature a warm colour palette and simple geometric forms.
‘New York City feels endlessly fast-paced, and we wanted Bergen to offer an immediate sense of relief and calm,’ says Ryan Mahoney, principal at Workstead. ‘Inspired by the masonry and geometry of Frida Escobedo’s architecture, we placed an emphasis on natural light, natural materials and soft textures, designing homes that are made to withstand the test of time.’
To the building’s white oak flooring, high ceilings and double-glazed windows, Workstead’s team has added earthy tones, bespoke elements and custom-designed lighting, selecting natural materials that will age beautifully. Kitchens boast Taj Mahal quartzite countertops, while primary bathrooms are clad in a Crema Vanilla marble and include brushed nickel hardware and custom white oak vanities
The colour palette grows richer as you ascend through the building, gradually moving on from the bright and light tones of the entrance lobby to deeper, jewel tones in the higher floors. Workstead has also collaborated with craftspeople and local makers to create custom elements especially for the development, such as solid white oak handles for the kitchens, and white oak-framed mirrors in the powder rooms.
Also behind projects such as The Dewberry in Charleston and Olympia in New York’s Dumbo, Workstead, which is based both in Brooklyn and Salisbury, Connecticut, has just published its second monograph, Interiors of Belonging, with Rizzoli. The book highlights how the practice’s approach is informed by genuine collaboration and aims to create welcoming yet unanticipated spaces.
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