Pals and I shuffled over to 130 William to check out the new cafe and flower shop there, but more than that: the architecture. This is the new supertall from the noted architect Sir David Adjaye, and while I don’t applaud buildings of that height, as usual, his use of materials is so striking. He built out the walls of the courtyard in the front of the tower in the same materials, making it feel like a secret grotto. You’re in a canyon, but somehow the light is filtering and reflecting throughout.

The Ghanaian-British architect is maybe best known here for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in DC; his first project in the US was the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, completed in 2007.

In 2017, Adjaye was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people of the year by TIME Magazine. He is also a recipient of the 2021 RIBA Royal Gold Medal, considered one of the highest honors in British architecture for significant contributions to the field internationally, and the recipient of the World Economic Forum’s 27th Annual Crystal Award, which recognizes his “leadership in serving communities, cities and the environment.”

130 William is 66 stories, nearly 800 feet tall, with a facade of hand-cast concrete made in panels in Canada. (The doorman of the apartment building was perhaps the loveliest guy ever — he let us come in and gawk for a bit, and chat about Adjaye.) It’s super satisfying to watch the video of the concrete pouring here.

The cafe — Remi Flower & Coffee — offers pastries, coffees, speciaty drinks and flower arrangements. I believe they are an offshoot of Remi Coffee in Midtown East. The pastries were fine; there’s an original list of what they call cold “refreshers,” including a lime mint ade (loved) and an iced tumeric ginger tea. There’s also ice cream.

Worth the visit for the courtyard alone, with the cafe as a bonus.

Remi Flower & Coffee
130 William | Fulton & John
M-F 7am-6pm
Sat-Sun 7am-6pm