The Grand Mulberry

Located at the intersection of Grand and Mulberry Streets in the heart of Little Italy, The Grand Mulberry is a new mixed-use building designed by Morris Adjmi Architects (MA) that draws inspiration from the rich heritage of historic Italianate tenements found throughout the neighborhood. Further, the project site was formerly occupied by an Italian American Museum—a humble but beloved local institution. As such, MA’s challenge was two-fold: designing a luxury multifamily building that balances contextual and contemporary values, while creating a new, dignified home for the museum. Representing the community’s history and culture was imperative to the project’s success.

To help achieve a balance between historic and contemporary values, The Grand Mulberry’s unique façade features two overlapping fenestration patterns—a spectral reference to a hypothetical tenement building with traditional window details rendered in custom-profiled, hand-molded brick, overlaid with a rigorous grid of minimalist punched windows organized to maximize light and air within the building’s residential units. While MA frequently takes inspiration from nearby buildings, the firm’s designs rarely replicate specific structures. The Grand Mulberry is somewhat of an exception—the facade is an abstraction of a literal copy. Each hand-molded brick was carefully positioned within the double-stacked running bond coursing to present the illusion of an Italianate facade. This classically inspired, irregular grouping of “ghost windows” creates tension with the regular cadence of the building’s real windows as a way to meld past and present, nodding to tradition while also reflecting a modern way of living today. The custom color of The Grand Mulberry’s bricks pays further homage to the red brick buildings found throughout Little Italy. The Grand Mulberry’s exterior is an example of how modern concepts can be applied to traditional methods and materials to develop unique facade designs. The custom-profiled brick and intricate masonry pattern—chosen for its ability to provide relief and add depth to the building’s facade—could have presented a challenge during construction. However, the level of detail MA put into the development of the brick design and facade drawings and the quality of work provided by the brick manufacturer and bricklayer allowed for a smooth construction process. Context also informed The Grand Mulberry’s interior design concept. Inspiration comes from the materials, forms, and patterns found within Little Italy's historic residential buildings, such as black and white mosaic floors and brass detailing. Italian cream lacquered cabinetry, gray marble counters, and terrazzo flooring imbue the 20 residences with modern elegance.