The Mercer, with its layered expression of brick, stone and glass, creates a vertical image that captures the unique character of Mercer Street. Referencing the past but rooted in the present, The Mercer is what one of Brisbin’s partners, Greg Alexander calls simply an exercise in the “Romantic Modern.” And that almost instantly strikes one as the perfect moniker. The Mercer possesses in its DNA the chic aura of a mid-century Manhattan in a totally contemporary way.

The Mercer is totally “of today,” but imbued with the storied elegance of another era.

So how does The Mercer attain this architectural alchemy: making a totally chic, sleek, contemporary glass point tower resonate with historical flair and panache? Well, for architect Brisbin and his team the answer lies in a series of design “expressions” that separate their building from the increasingly

anonymous looking glass towers that often look eerily similar. “Quite simply, this building tells a story, the story of Mercer Street” notes Brisbin, “it’s a contemporary design but it describes the character and life of this unique street, both in its use of materials, like stone and brick, and in a series of design moves both at grade and on the skyline.”