Constructed from 1929 to 1931 as the headquarters for the New York Telephone Company, it is located at the northeast corner of Willoughby and Bridge Streets.

Its design is influenced by German Expressionism, with Art Deco detailing, and derives much of its decoration from the arrangement of the bricks.

At ground level, the main entrance is recessed at the center of the western facade on Bridge Street, while most of the remaining ground-story openings are metal-and-glass storefronts.

The building was sold in February 2005 to David Bistricer for $68 million, and his company Clipper Equities converted the structure to a residential condominium complex.

[10][11] Though setbacks in New York City skyscrapers were mandated by the 1916 Zoning Resolution in order to allow light and air to reach the streets below, they later became a defining feature of the Art Deco style.

[12] Some sections of the building are set back at a higher story than others, which gives the massing an irregular appearance, even though Walker had placed the setbacks symmetrically along the exterior.

[16] A brick facade was used for the BellTel Lofts and for Walker's other communications buildings, since he preferred the material for its texture and its flexibility in color combinations.

The main elevations of the facade, on Willoughby and Bridge Streets, both contain a central section where the bricks are laid at slightly different depths, giving a curtain-like appearance.

Additionally, the parapets atop some of the setbacks have interlocked, three-dimensional vertical and horizontal motifs and are topped by cast-stone copings.

[18] Unlike in his earlier Barclay–Vesey Building where Walker used organic decorations, the BellTel Lofts' design incorporates geometric shapes such as lozenges, starbursts, and chevrons.

A sign with the words "Bell Telephone" is placed above the center two doors, and a glass-and-metal transom window stretches across the entire doorway.

The northernmost openings contains a service entrance with metal doors, framed by brickwork in a woven pattern.

The two center openings contain tripartite display and transom windows with metal frames, similar to those on Bridge Street.

The vestibule in the easternmost opening is illuminated by a bronze chandelier and contains a set of metal-and-glass doors and transom windows.

[20] The northern and southern sections on Bridge Street both contain flat facades, which derive their ornamentation by the orientation of the brick.

Much of the brickwork on both sections is composed of stretcher bricks (which are laid flat with their long narrow sides exposed).

[3] When the building was constructed, the ground story was intended as a business center for Downtown Brooklyn office workers.

According to contemporary sources, was "arranged to provide a convenient and comfortable place for patrons to conduct their telephone business transactions".

[31] In September 1929, the New York Telephone Company announced that it had acquired twelve houses at the northeast corner of Willoughby and Bridge Streets, occupying a lot measuring 100 by 225 ft (30 by 69 m).

[36] The architects submitted an alteration plan to the Brooklyn Bureau of Buildings in August 1930, which called for three elevators to be installed at a cost of $472,000.

[48][49] At the time of 101 Willoughby Street's dedication, it was known as the Long Island headquarters of the New York Telephone Company,[6] with 2,200 employees working there.

[52] 101 Willoughby Street was originally fueled by oil, but, during World War II, the building switched to coal to reduce energy costs.

[59] When NYNEX was formed as a result of the breakup of the original AT&T in 1984, it occupied the New York Telephone Company's Long Island headquarters.

[61][62] The refurbished space, covering 260,000 sq ft (24,000 m2), would be known as the New York Telephone Learning Center at MetroTech, which would train about 35,000 workers annually.

[74][75] Bistricer's company Clipper Equity converted the New York Telephone Building into a residential condominium development, the BellTel Lofts,[23][76] which had an address of 365 Bridge Street.

[26] Clipper Equity received permission from a state court to modify an injunction that had been placed against the company, allowing it to sell condos there.

[83] The surrounding streets were closed to most traffic because of the presence of the MetroTech complex, so the developers advertised the building by emphasizing the "tranquility" of the area.

[86] The developers also had trouble leasing out 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) of storefronts,[87] and they sought a small tenant for the retail space.

[90] The General Services Administration ultimately leased the ground-floor storefronts for 10 years in 2010, using the space as a child care center for 76 children.

[96] Christopher Gray of The New York Times referred to the building in 2008 as "a mesmerizing tower with faceted planes of orange brick, mottled in color so it reads like an undulating tapestry".