Sou Fujimoto Architects has collaborated with co-living developer The Collective to design a new co-living complex in the United States, the 10-storey tower will be the firm's first project in New York city. 

The new building is set to be built in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, which will be replaced with formerly built the Slave Theater - was a major hub of black culture and political activism between 1984 and 1994.

The building will contain 440 housing units and a collection of co-working, dining, and public plaza spaces to the area. Sou Fujimoto Architects will closely work with local firm Ismael Leyva Architects on this project. 

The building is built from a red brickwork in which the Japanese architects changed his style for the first time for this project. The intention of the architect is to complement the surrounding buildings and give a harmony on the public face.

Punctured with glazed openings partly, these glazed openings are intended to provide more natural light. Fujimoto called them as "theaters" that are designed to reveal glimpses of the communal spaces inside. The building will include a mix of unit types, including 2- and 3-bedroom suites and studio apartments.

1215 Fulton Street's amenities are scattered throughout the building, including public spaces for exhibitions, theater and performance, ground floor co-working, a restaurant, and a rooftop bar. 

Members will have access to even more amenities, including a gym and terrace for barbecues. meanwhile, an ongoing artist residency program will provide free housing and studio space for 6-10 participants each year.

Covering approximately 240,000 square feet (22,300 square meters) area in total, the building will be comprised of three buildings connected by an expansive ground-floor to make feel like an extension of the street.

"The project aims to create a new idea of how a community can come together in a building," as the architects explained in a design statement.

"Our core inspiration is the site itself," added the architects. "A social gathering point, a nexus of black culture, and a place of activism and education, The Slave Theater has an incredible legacy. Our project’s architectural design is based on these ideas, offering a space that will be as valuable to the surrounding neighborhood as it will be to The Collective’s community."

"We plan to explore multiple approaches to collaborate with local groups, imbuing our space with programming that is of value to our community, oriented around education, culture, technology, and the arts,” the company said in a press statement. 

"As part of our long-term plan, we aim to activate various theater and gathering spaces that will be operated in an alliance with local artists and organizations." 

More details on those programs will be announced later, they added, but for now they have confirmed an ongoing artist residency at 1215 Fulton Street, which will provide free housing and studio space for 6-10 participants a year.

The project is expected to open in 2022.

Project facts

Design architect: Sou Fujimoto Architects
Executive architect: Ismael Leyva Architects
Development partner: Tower Holdings Group

All images © The Collective and artefactorylab

> via Sou Fujimoto Architects