The historic Tin Building in New York’s South Street Seaport has been transformed into a sprawling culinary marketplace by iconic chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten in partnership with the Howard Hughes Corporation. Tin Building by Jean-Georges comprises six full-service restaurants, six quick service counters, four bars, retail, private dining, and grocery markets. The two-floor, 53,000-square-foot mecca, designed by Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors and Cass Calder Smith, pays homage to the legacy of the Seaport neighborhood as well as Jean-Georges’ global influence.
“We were inspired by the powerful history of the Fulton Fish Market, in particular, its heyday during the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s, when it was used by everyone in the city and it was a crackling hub of work and trade,” says Roman and Williams cofounder Robin Standefer. “We created a fundamental architectural language of elements and materials that recur throughout the building’s main circulation areas.”
Dry goods shop Mercantile wears a subdued pistachio tone in contrast to the scarlet lacquer that wraps Mercantile East. Sweets fantasy destination Spoiled Parrot rounds out the onsite retail offerings with exuberant pink hues and a mirrored ceiling for added eccentricity.
House of the Red Pearl
Full-service restaurants include a clandestine-yet-glamorous Chinese concept, House of the Red Pearl; Art Nouveau-style French eatery T. Brasserie; seafood dining counter and restaurant Fulton Fish Co.; Italian option Frenchman’s Dough; the sustainable, plant-based Seeds & Weeds; and an intimate, 19-seat sushi and sake restaurant, Shikku.
Crêpes and Dosas, Taquito, T. Café, and Double Yolk round out the fast-casual options, while the Wine Bar, Beer Here!, and the Cocktail Bar are all standalone beverage spots. On the second floor, a private dining room, known as the Tasting Studio, is equipped to host up to 75 guests.
Each venue within the structure, which was meticulously restored by SHoP Architects, is distinguished by texture and color while also honoring motifs that subtly bond the individual spaces. Radius-corner archways clad in verdigris tiling serve as transition markers reminiscent of the interiors of a ship, while elements—like painted exposed pipes and ducts—complement polished concrete floors to create an elevated Machine Age aesthetic. Tamboured wood, gray veined marble, handmade maritime-hued tiles, and brass ribbons also punctuate the space.
Nearly 300 objets d’art are have been restored to honor the site. A sensitive lighting design further reinforces the historical character of the property, which is lined with black and white photography of Lower Manhattan over the last four decades. Following the reconstruction of the pier with new concrete and steel piles, the Tin Building now stands a foot above the FEMA 100-year floodplain to ensure coastal resiliency as well.
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