Before it was Dumbo, it was Fortress Brooklyn-- a continuous wall of industrial warehouses and infrastructure that stretched nearly four miles along the Brooklyn waterfront. An urban barrier which once separated the dangerous working waterfront from the upland community, it became the wall which, in the 21st Century, separated Brooklyn from its most valuable growing piece of public space and parkland. In the center of this wall was Empire Stores, the pivotal development which has today reconnected the community to its waterfront and become the centerpiece for the flourishing Brooklyn Bridge park.

Echoing the ‘anarchitectural’ spirit of Gordon Matta-Clark, our vision for Empire Stores slices holes through the historical warehouses of Empire Stores to open new entryways, openair plazas, and pathways for light. By cutting open seven individual, isolated buildings, we’ve transformed the barrier of Fortress Brooklyn into a series of gateways that welcome and lead the community to the waterfront. Overlapping bridges and terraces, inspired by the drawings of Giovanni Piranesi, offer panoramic vistas of the river that engage with the greenery and amenities of the park. Today, Empire Stores stands not only as a testament to Brooklyn's evolution but also as a symbol of its vibrant future, where industry, history, and public space converge to redefine the borough's identity along its resurgent waterfront.