Atlantic Yards Designer Revises Look For Miss Brooklyn

May 5, 2008 11:35 a.m. EST

Brooklyn, NY (AHN) - Aside from at least two new lawsuits, New York's Atlantic Yards project is again the talk of the town as the designer of the tower revised his masterpiece by lopping off 100 feet.

Miss Brooklyn, renamed as Building One, would be down to 511 feet from the original design by Frenk Gehry of 620 feet. The residential component has been removed also, leaving the development as a commercial office space venture.

Gehry explained the innovations he has introduced. "My enthusiasm for Atlantic Yards has grown and grown until arriving at our current design, which works better with the surrounding area that it ever had before," Gehry told the New York Daily News.

He added, "I've tried to give it some energy and excitement as it meshes with the arena design."

Instead of a sleek look, Building One would feature an asymmetrical design in a spiral set-up similar to a Lego structure. It will offer 650,000 square feet to office space. But it would be only 34 floors, lower than the Williamsburgh Savings Bank building.

The condos will be moved to a different building as rental units, said MaryAnne Gilmartin, executive vice president of Forest City Rather. The $4.2 billion project, aside from 16 residential and commercial towers will build an 18,000-seater basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets.