July 10, 2014

Formafantasma’s Delicately Engraved Glass and Copper ‘Still’ Vases Purify Water Using Activated Charcoal

Italian designer duo Formafantasma created a charming collection of objects that purifies "the most humble and fundamental of all drinks". They called it "Still" and it consists of a series of carefully engraved crystal and copper vessels paired with activated charcoal designed to purify and improve the taste of tap water. Created for Viennese company J. & L. Lobmeyr, these unique handcrafted objects clean water in a simple yet very sophisticated way.
Learn more about it here
July 10, 2014

Classic $2.1M Park Slope Co-Op Is Right at Home in One of NYC’s Most Desirable Neighborhoods

Newer isn’t necessarily better. Over 100 years ago architect Henry Pohlman built the elegant “apartment house” at 261 Garfield Place where you will find this refined yet cozy co-op on the market for $2.1 million. And while we doubt Mr. Pohlman could ever have imagined even the entire building selling for that price, much less a single apartment, it is clear he took great pride in his work. Throughout the 3BR/2BA residence period details abound, with high ceilings, parquet flooring, ceiling medallions, and decorative moulding at every turn. And a wide gallery/hallway leads you from one end of the home to the other.
See more of this classic home in a classic neighborhood
July 10, 2014

Your Daily Link Fix: Dubai Recreates NYC in Mall of the World; Pier 2 Roller Rink Opens Tomorrow

Dubai Recreates NYC in Mall of the World: Dubai developers are creating a 48-million-square-foot, temp-controlled mall and it has a New York cultural district. ArchDaily takes us through the insane mini city. From Fashion and Finance to Dumplings: Bedford and Bowery spotlights two sisters who left lucrative careers to open a restaurant serving dumplings made […]

July 10, 2014

Funky Apartment in Flipper-Favorite 166 Perry Street Sells for $2.5 Million

166 Perry Street, the futuristic, Asymptote-designed condo with a vertical undulating façade, has become notorious for its failed flipping attempts. But the curse might be lifted at the eight-story West Village residence thanks to the recent $2.5 million sale of apartment 1B, a 2BR/2.5BA duplex that has been outfitted with modern touches and funky details. The 2,526-square-foot unit initially sold in 2010, a year after the building's completion, for $1.756 million. When the pad went on the market this time around in January 2013, it was listed for $3.995 million. Though today's owner had to lower the asking price, she still made a profit of nearly $1 million.
Check out the colorful digs here
July 10, 2014

Four NYC Architecture Works Honored in Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize

Last night in Santiago, Chile, 36 "Outstanding Projects" in international architecture and design were announced by the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP). The honorees were chosen by a panel of 70 ambassadors from a longer list of 226. The 36 inaugural finalists are considered the best works in the Americas from 2000-2013, and four of these projects are right here in New York City.
Find out what our hometown architecture winners are
July 10, 2014

Brooklyn Rents on the Rise With Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy Leading the Charge; Manhattan Rents Relatively Stable

This past week there has been a lot of talk about Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy finally having their "moment", and it looks like there are numbers in to back that up. MNS's June rental market report for Brooklyn and Manhattan reveal that both developers and renters are looking to move away from saturated areas like Williamsburg and DUMBO. By MNS's measure, average rents in Brooklyn increased from $2,556 to $2,741, or 6.2%, as compared with June of last year — very much driven by rent hikes in gentrifying areas. Manhattan rents on the other hand fell just slightly.
More on the Brooklyn and Manhattan rental markets here
July 10, 2014

Kimora Lee Simmons Buys a Phat Apartment at the Marquand

Well, it only makes sense for the creator of Baby Phat to live in a phat crib. Investment banker Tim Leissner, otherwise known as Mr. Kimora Lee Simmons, just dropped $19 million on an 8th floor apartment at The Marquand, according to the NY Post. The 5BR/5.5BA unit has its own private elevator landing and wood burning fireplaces, and while we’re not sure what other features the actual apartment boasts, other apartments in the building have bay windows, a chef’s kitchen, and a media niche with a concealed A/V closet.
Take a look inside the Baby Phat crib here
July 10, 2014

Extell’s Nordstrom Tower Will Be Just a Foot Shorter Than One World Trade at 1,775 Feet

The endless race to the top in the NYC skyscraper world continues with Extell's Nordstrom Tower, which will rise 1,479 feet, with a spire that reaches a height of 1,775 feet--just one foot shorter than One World Trade. Assuming it's financed, the sky-high tower at 225 West 57th Street will be the tallest residential building in the world, surpassing Mumbai's World One Tower by 29 feet, and will reclaim the "tallest roof" category for Manhattan from Chicago's Willis Tower, which has a roof height of 1,451 feet.
More on the newest soaring addition to the NYC skyline
July 9, 2014

Bizarre $1.8 Million Soho Loft Has Giant Wood Shed

Looking at so many beautiful homes can get to be exhausting (not really) so we decided to change things up and show you a new kind of luxury. We’re not quite sure what we want to call it yet, but we’re thinking something like woodsman chic or garage chic. Either way, we’re thinking if the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were real, they would gladly shell out the $1.8 million asking price for this unit at 49 Howard Street.
Oh there's more... here
July 9, 2014

Was Louis Kahn’s Four Freedoms Park inspired by the Masonic Pyramid on the $1 bill?

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedom's Park may have opened relatively recently in 2012, but architect Louis Kahn was brewing up the design for the memorial park nearly 40 years earlier. Kahn's death in 1974 (a somewhat tragic one which left him dead and alone in a Penn Station bathroom after a heart attack) was unfortunately accented by a dwindling reputation — Kahn's sordid multi-family affairs had come to light upon his passing and his fading architecture practice was loaded with debt. But beyond all the scandal, Kahn also left behind a number of sketchbooks packed with complete sets of unrealized projects. One of these projects was the Four Freedom's Park. While plenty of accolades have been given to successful realization of the project so far after Kahn's death, few have tracked where the architect may have pulled his inspiration for the design. That is until now. As a number of Kahn's sketches emerge for public viewing, some are asking: Was the the design of Louis Kahn's Four Freedom's Park inspired by the Eye of Providence found on the U.S. dollar bill?
What people are saying
July 9, 2014

Real Estate Wire: A Bushwick Factory to Get New Life as Condos; A Peek Inside Norman Foster’s 425 Park Ave. Design

Our wrap-up of today’s real estate news highlights: Williamsburg-based development firm ASH NYC is planning to turn a longtime Bushwick glass factory into 80 apartments with ground floor commercial space. [Wyckoff Heights] Freddie and Fannie are warding off any “vultures” eyeing Stuy Town. The two mortgage giants say that they won’t provide funds to buyers who […]

July 9, 2014

Steel City: Architecture in Formation Structurally Redresses a Chelsea Duplex Using Digital Fabrication

Words that come to mind when we think of steel are heavy, imposing, and grey. In this Chelsea duplex penthouse, however, the material is widely used, but the space feels light, airy, and crisp. The "structural redressing" of the 1,500-square-foot apartment was completed by Architecture in Formation with the goal of creating "a stunning, sexy, one-of-a-kind home; and consummately New York.” To design the space, the firm used off-site, state-of-the-art digital design and fabrication methods to create its three main components: the back-lit, CNC-cut Corian screen; an origami folded-plate steel and Corian staircase; and the bedroom mirror/TV/light-wall.
Get up close and personal with these three architectural marvels, as well as the rest of the stunning home
July 9, 2014

Could We Construct a Skyscraper Out of Legos? Smart Bricks Provides an Interesting Building Alternative

Kite Bricks' "Smart Bricks" (also known as S-Bricks) are Lego-shaped, high-strength concrete bricks that can be used to construct the floors, walls, and ceilings of buildings quickly, inexpensively, and energy efficiently. Just like the childhood toy, the patent-pending product is available in different forms that snap together with rows of knobs on the top that slide into indentations on the bottom of another brick. And like a modular home, they can be delivered in a package with traditional doors and windows.
Learn more about smart bricks here
July 9, 2014

Sprawling Outdoor Space Beautifully Complements This Wooster Street Penthouse’s Equally Roomy Interior

Let’s see…. charming cobblestone streets, Soho’s artistic vibe, Nolita’s incomparable bakeries and restaurants, or the nearly 2,400 square feet of outdoor space? Yep, it’s hard to pick what would be our favorite part of living at 7 Wooster Street — and we haven’t even made it inside this magnificent penthouse. Once the key-locked elevator opens into this full floor 4-bed, 3-bath, 2,600-square-foot trophy residence we have even more to add to our list of “favorites”.
See more of this spacious residence
July 9, 2014

Charming UWS French-Country Apartment Will Sell You with Its Urban Roof Deck

We'll admit it--even though New York City is our home, we sometimes long for the comforts of the suburbs. That's why we were so excited to find this floor-through apartment in a turn-of-the-century Upper West Side townhouse. Apartment 4 at 129 West 80th Street, which is listed at $1.695 million, is a 1BR/1.5BA co-op. Not only has it been renovated to exude a nostalgic, French country feel, but its spectacular roof deck gives you all the charms of backyard living without having to battle summer traffic to the Jersey Shore or Hamptons. And you can't get those skyline views in suburbia!
See what else this little slice of heaven has to offer
July 9, 2014

Parkview Developers Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass Sell Southmoor House Penthouse for $11.9 Million

It appears that Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass of Parkview Developers have sold one of their Southmoor House penthouses. The 17-floor building serves as more than just home to the Out Hotel developers. It’s also headquarters for their company. And like true developers, they own a big chunk of the building, making them one of the co-op’s biggest shareholders. While the newly troubled pair seems quite committed to their own symmetrical pad—turning down a $15.5 million cash offer a few years back without batting an eyelash—that doesn’t stop them from making serious bank on some other units. And you won't hear us complaining, because that means we get to check out this 3BR/3BA penthouse.
Take a look inside this premier pad here
Pitch a story icon Know of something cool happening in New York? Let us know:
July 9, 2014

Rubbermaid VP Snatches Up Patrick Naggar-Designed Chelsea Penthouse for $7 Million

We're guessing this penthouse loft at 138 West 17th Street is going to get very organized when new owner Mark Tarchetti, Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice President of Newell Rubbermaid Inc., moves in. He may not need to bring in too many plastic bins, though, as internationally acclaimed architect/designer Patrick Naggar executed a stunning combination of high function and low maintenance in this 3BR/3BA, 3,200-square-foot Chelsea apartment. Naggar incorporated exotic materials and top-notch artisanry to create a sleek, modern home that feels luxurious and comfortable. Natural light and 360-degree unobstructed views abound thanks to 20 huge windows and five skylights.
Think the penthouse was worth the $7 million price tag? Check out more details right this way
July 8, 2014

You Will Go ‘Gaga’ When You Learn Who Once Lived in the Building of This $4.5M Upper West Side Residence

The historic building standing at 135 West 70th Street was built in 1927 to serve as a singular meeting place for all the Knights of Pythias lodges of NYC. Designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb, best known for his ornate movie palaces, it’s no wonder that the Pythian is richly decorated in brightly colored and glazed terra cotta embellishments. Though converted to a condominium in 1983, architect David Gura was careful to retain most of the building's ornamental features. Taking great pains to ensure that elements removed from their original positions were salvaged for use elsewhere within the building, his renovation earned a residential design award from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
 See why this apartment has earned our applause
July 8, 2014

Bates Masi + Architects’ Potato Barn-Inspired Luxury Home Blends With the Landscape

NY-based Bates Masi + Architects designed a luxurious family home in East Hampton that pays homage to a local typology: the potato barn. Located in a 19th century waterfront community, the Piersons Way house consists of a series of gabled interconnected volumes clad in light Alaskan yellow shakes. This beautiful house rises among bamboo canes and tall silver grasses, protecting its own privacy while blending within the natural surroundings.
Tour the home here
July 8, 2014

Real Estate Wire: New Images of 432 Park Ave Under Construction; Battle of the Penthouses

To power up the vast $18 billion Related Companies project at Hudson Yards, the developers are looking to off-grid electrical systems. However, being green may also mean having to pay out more green. ConEd’s standby tariffs are canceling out any benefits for both big and small buildings alike. [Crain’s] The managers of the Empire State Building have asked a judge to dismiss a […]

July 8, 2014

Mesmerizing Abyss Table by Duffy London Replicates a Geological Cross Section of the Ocean

Christopher Duffy from Duffy London unveiled a dramatic coffee table that brings the ocean's depths into people's living spaces. Like all of Duffy's designs, the Abyss Table serves as a functional design as well as conversation piece that will never go unnoticed. Made from layers of certified FSC high-grade wood and glass, this stunning sculptural design replicates a geological cross section of the ocean.
Learn more about the design here
July 8, 2014

$35 Million Richard Meier Penthouse up for Resale for First Time Ever

The penthouse of Pritzker Prize-winning starchitect Richard Meier’s last residential masterpiece is on the market for the first time since it was built in 2005. You know what that means. It means we get to glimpse inside the stunning West Village pad so we can begin brainstorming fundraising ideas to get this hot $35 million trophy. As if it’s not impressive enough that this 165 Charles Street penthouse sits atop an iconic building that won the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects 2005 Housing Design Award, this condo was designed by the starchitect himself. Now, if that’s not something to brag about, we don’t know what is.
Take a look inside the masterfully designed penthouse here

Our Mission

More than just current events, here you'll learn about the places, people, and ideas that are shaping your city.