On a very special behind-the-scenes tour on March 9th, our Untapped New York Insiders will get to discover Panorama, the iconic former Jehovah’s Witnesses’ headquarters in Brooklyn Heights. In the years since the closing of Watchtower, the global architecture, design, and planning firm Gensler has been transforming the complex into a dynamic new mixed-use campus. Situated at the heart of the Brooklyn waterfront, Panorama also has a brand new sign: a large 15-foot “WELCOME” sign replaced the famous Watchtower sign that once loomed over the East River.
Photo by CIM/LIVWRK
The Insiders tour will be led by Gensler Senior Associate and Technical Director Philip Miller and will highlight the site’s interconnected office and warehouse buildings and explore its industrial architectural details including skybridges, setback terraces, and a “jewel box” rooftop pavilion with views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan. We will also see the new landscaping work by Terrain. Panorama was developed by Columbia Heights Associates, a joint venture of CIM Group and Brooklyn-based LIVWRK. Nearby, the supportive housing provider Breaking Ground is also redeveloping 90 Sands, the former Watchtower dormitory.
Photo by CIM/LIVWRK
Philip Miller is a registered and LEED-accredited architect who brings a diverse background specializing in all technical aspects of design to his work on commercial office building, mixed use, and planning projects. As a technical director, he is responsible for coordinating projects from start to finish and ensuring that the original design concept is translated and realized throughout project construction and close-out. His commanding experience in producing contract documents, partnered with his ability to maintain a strong design concept through each project, has allowed him to execute several prominent projects for developers in New York including 5 Penn Plaza, 21 Penn Plaza, and Panorama in Brooklyn. Philip holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Architecture from the University of Milwaukee.
Registration for this tour opens at noon today for Untapped New York Insiders. If you aren’t a member yet, join today:
See our full list of Untapped New York Insiders member events and our upcoming public tours. Photos of Welcome sign by Will Femia. Header photo and all other photos by CIM/LIVWRK.
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of The Art Spy (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, Secret New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. michelleyoungwriter.com
