The new lobbies at Harborside 2 and 3 in Jersey City feature panorama photography displays of the Pulaski Skyway — Photo by Ben Gancsos Photography/Courtesy: Mack-Cali Realty Corp.
By Joshua Burd
Mack-Cali Realty Corp. has completed a series of lobby renovations at its Harborside complex in Jersey City, a key step in its $75 million overhaul of the flagship property.
The new-look spaces at the waterfront office and retail complex are highlighted by new pedestrian routes and built-in lounge areas that have been refinished with a raw industrial aesthetic, paying homage to Harborside’s industrial past, Mack-Cali said Thursday. Features include dark metal finishes that directly reference the railroads and detailed wood planks that reference the city’s former shipping piers.
Elsewhere, the real estate investment trust has installed glass walls at the elevator banks to provide more natural light and views of the Hudson River and New York City.
Gensler served as the architect for the project.
Work at the complex has been ongoing since last year, as Mack-Cali looks to modernize the 4.3 million-square-foot complex. Its plans also include office renovations, amenity upgrades and public infrastructure improvements, along with a new waterfront restaurant and retail plaza.
SLIDESHOW: Harborside's new lobbies
Photos by Ben Gancsos Photography/Courtesy: Mack-Cali Realty Corp.
As part of its lobby renovation, the REIT also highlighted its partnership with Art House Productions, the longest running professional theater and arts space in Jersey City. The organization has created two different panorama photography displays of the Pulaski Skyway, which hang eight feet tall and 80 feet wide in the lobbies of Harborside 2 and Harborside 3.
Both were taken by Jersey City-based photographer Joe Velez, who was commissioned by Art House Productions.
“We were thrilled when Mack-Cali expressed interest in hiring a local Jersey City-based photographer for this project,” said Meredith Burns, executive director of Art House Productions. “We immediately thought of Joe Velez, a multidisciplinary artist — born and raised in Jersey City — who we knew would see the beauty in this structure and could capture the Pulaski from different locations that a non-local may not be privy to.”
Mack-Cali’s plans for Harborside also include a proposed 1.2 million-square-foot tower across the street. What’s more, the neighborhood is home to Jersey City Urby, the landmark 69-story apartment tower built in partnership with Ironstate Development.
