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The Brooklyn Tower’s Facade Is Finally Complete
The profile of Downtown Brooklyn is quickly changing—and Brooklyn Tower, a 93-story skyscraper by SHoP Architects, is leading the charge. The borough’s tallest building flaunts sleek blackened stainless panels cladding its entire 1,066-foot length from its podium, which emerges from the historic Dimes Savings Bank, and is punctuated by bronze and copper pilasters. SHoP principal Gregg Pasquarelli likens the tower to Brooklyn’s own Empire State Building: “We wanted to make sure that no matter what grid you were on, looking at it from wherever you were in Brooklyn, you felt like you were looking at the front,” he tellsDezeen. The bank’s Art Deco roots, meanwhile, inform much of the interiors, including the lobby by Krista Ninivaggi and a multitude of residences by Gachot Studios. —Ryan Waddoups
Amyris, the biotechnology and product manufacturing company, is closing down two of its beauty brands: Costa Brazil, a Brazilian skin, hair, and fragrance line founded by former Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa; and Onda Beauty, a clean beauty retailer co-founded by actress Naomi Watts. The closure will affect around 36 employees in shared service teams in New York. Amyris, which acquired both brands in recent years, is taking the step as part of its efforts to streamline its portfolio and achieve sustainable growth. This move comes after the company parted ways with its CEO and announced job cuts to save $250 million.
A man sustained a stabbing injury outside the British Museum in central London on Tuesday, according to the Metropolitan Police, who assured that it was an isolated incident and unrelated to terrorism. A male suspect has been apprehended. The victim, who was stabbed in the arm, was taken to the hospital. The museum was briefly evacuated and closed for approximately two hours but reopened with heightened security measures. Despite the incident, the museum saw a steady flow of visitors returning.
Phillips is launching Dropshop, a digital platform offering limited-edition releases of art and objects in partnership with artists, collaborators, and brands, on August 20. Dropshop will kick off with hyperrealist artist Cj Hendry. It marks the first platform within the auction sphere directly collaborating with working artists, disrupting traditional dynamics between primary and secondary markets. Phillips intends to partner with artists from conception to promotion, offering limited-run items through a “buy now” e-commerce model with exclusive offerings. The initiative aims to revolutionize the experience of real-time collecting, providing artists a direct space for engagement and participation in the secondary market success of their work.
The NFT market’s decline is causing tension between traders and creators as top exchanges Blur and OpenSea reduce artist royalty rates, aiming to eliminate costs associated with NFT trading. While this move aims to boost NFT buying and selling, it could negatively affect artists’ income and potentially impact the creation of new artworks. NFT trading volumes have already plummeted by 97 percent since Jan. 2022, and auction houses like Sotheby’s and Phillips have seen job cuts due to a softening art market.
Portuguese firm MASSLAB has won a competition by the Housing and Urban Rehabilitation Institute to design 100 affordable housing units in Lisbon. The proposal focuses on integrating new buildings with heritage values and the urban fabric near Estrela Basilica to create affordable homes, address the lack of communal spaces, and enhance urban life through public areas. The project includes a garden, paved square, and buildings that follow a modular design and prioritize sustainability, with a focus on passive strategies.
