The Williamsburgh Bank Building's main hall was one of the things open during Open House New York last weekend. Hours were long, there were no lines, and virtually no one was supervising visitors (I witnessed one Russian family sneak in a back elevator and head north to parts unknown), so anyone who paid a call was in for a treat.
The details of the Byzantine, basilica-like banking hall, there to be lingered over, were tantalizing. Everywhere you turned there was some stone carving, piece of ironwork or tilework that symbolized thrift, industry or other noble human endeavor. Who knows when the owners of "One Hanson Place" will next allow regular folk to gaze upon these wonders, so I took a few shots to share.
very nice - is this open to public ir just that one time? i am coming to visit bklyn so just curious
ReplyDeleteSorry, it was open only this one weekend. It may be open again next October as part of Open House New York.
ReplyDeleteit was even grander than i thought it would be. one of the highlights of OHNY.
ReplyDeletehopefully there is a future for this space unlike Bank of NY on 42nd St when it was taken over by Ciprianni. but a Borders book store could be far worse
ReplyDeleteI remember when this was the tallest building in Brooklyn, its clocktower thrusting upwards like a giant middle finger saying, "Welcome to Brookyn, f***ers!"
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the Apple Bank Building on 73rd and Amsterdam, but on a grander scale. Except of course, for the fact that the Apple Bank Building has kicked out all of it's office residents (some of the only office space on the Upper West Side) to accommodate it's new CONDO clientele-With prices starting at a reasonable four million dollars and going to eight million. Where ARE these people coming from? And who cares. They're pillaging my neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI saw this a few years back when it was still a bank - glad to see it's still intact.
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