Adaptive Reuse Renovation of an Existing Building at New York City College of Technology

New York City College of Technology, commonly known as City Tech, is located in the Brooklyn Tech Triangle in Brooklyn, United States. Shakespeare Gordon Studio (SGS) completed a full renovation of the Pearl Building on the City Tech campus. The project is an adaptive reuse initiative aimed at reorganizing and upgrading an aging academic facility. Situated within what is described as the largest innovation cluster outside of Manhattan, the redevelopment of campus facilities forms part of the broader evolution of the surrounding urban environment.

Color-matched acoustic panels soften and screen the Pearl Building’s lofty concrete ceilings and contribute to the distinct design identity of each office suite.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

The 350,000-square-foot New Academic Complex was completed in 2019 and serves as the academic centerpiece of the campus. Across Jay Street, older facilities that had experienced years of overcrowding became partially vacant and required renovation. SGS focused on reimagining the historic Pearl Building as a contemporary and functional academic environment.

Playful lighting design and vibrant yellow walls and ceilings enliven this interior corridor.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

Constructed in 1922 as a munitions factory, the six-story building was repurposed for academic use in the 1940s. Its expansive floor plates, high ceilings, robust concrete frame, large windows, and substantial structural columns reflect its industrial origins. More than a century old, the building required comprehensive infrastructure upgrades to support advanced scientific and technological education while preserving its architectural character. SGS developed a master plan that included layout studies, test fits, cost estimates, and a detailed assessment of existing conditions. This process led to the renovation of the 17,000-square-foot third floor. Previously occupied by a mix of laboratories, offices, and ancillary spaces, the floor now accommodates four administrative office units, a shared conference suite, and support spaces. A central corridor connects each unit and establishes a clear circulation spine.

The design includes a material and color palette that is customized for each administrative entity’s suite, providing a sense of identity and wayfinding for all users.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

The 3rd floor’s central spine connects offices across the Pearl Building’s large floor plate.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

Colors established within suites extend outward into the hallway, inviting users into the space and assisting with wayfinding across the large floorplate.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

The experience of the third floor begins at the elevator lobby, where a vibrant yellow finish extends across walls, ceilings, and exposed structural columns. The structural system, a remnant of the building’s industrial past, is expressed as a defining architectural element. Integrated lighting and bold color application introduce brightness into what was previously a dark corner of the building. Green, blue, orange, and purple distinguish the individual administrative suites along the central corridor. Each suite’s interior color palette extends into the corridor flooring, introducing visual depth and directional clarity within the rectilinear layout. The color strategy supports wayfinding throughout the floor.

Within each suite, a grid of familiar columns punctuates the open space, serving as a distinctive aesthetic feature that defines the identity of the third floor.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

Within the office suites, a mix of workspaces creates a flexible environment that accommodates a range of uses.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

Existing structural columns are integrated seamlessly into the design of each suite.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

The expansive floor plates allow workspaces to remain closely connected to natural light and views of the city. Concrete curtain walls along the perimeter provide large windows that distribute daylight throughout the suites. A combination of private offices and open-plan areas supports flexibility for future programmatic changes. The regular grid of structural columns establishes a consistent spatial rhythm across the floor. Color-coded acoustic ceiling panels reinforce each suite’s identity while improving acoustic performance. A shared conference room is located at the end of the corridor, alongside expanded ADA-accessible restrooms. The renovation included hazardous material abatement related to former laboratory use, installation of new building systems, and updated AV and IT infrastructure. In addition to architectural services, SGS provided furniture, lighting, and graphic design.

At the end of the central spine, a large conference suite with expansive windows and vibrant yellow detailing serves as a shared space for occupants on the 3rd floor.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

Inside the suites, the plan makes the best use of the building’s expansive floor plate while ensuring that occupants are never far from views, natural light, and a relationship to the city beyond.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

A mix of shared, semi-private, and private workspaces accommodate a variety of uses.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

The project demonstrates the potential inherent in historic structures. A previously fragmented and overcrowded floor has been transformed into a bright and contemporary academic environment. The former factory’s open floor plates and exposed structure have been reinterpreted as defining architectural assets rather than constraints. As the Brooklyn Tech Triangle continues to expand, the adaptive reuse of existing building stock remains a significant strategy in shaping the built environment. This project illustrates the continued relevance of historic structures within a growing innovation district.

The renovation opened up the floor plan, allowing light from the building’s expansive windows to penetrate deep into the floor plate.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

The renovation enhanced the 3rd floor bathrooms to meet ADA accessibility requirements, while introducing color and natural light.
Photo credit: Alexander Severin

About Shakespeare Gordon Studio

Shakespeare Gordon Studio is a New York City–based architectural firm and a certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Founded by Amy Shakespeare in 2003, the firm welcomed Mark Gordon as Principal in 2016. Formerly known as SGVA, the practice has completed a wide range of projects including affordable housing, offices, clinics, university facilities, research laboratories, and residential developments. The studio’s work spans feasibility studies, partial and full building renovations, and new ground-up construction.