September 17, 2014

Get Your Tickets for the Architecture & Design Film Festival

For the sixth year, the Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF) will take over the screens at Tribeca Cinemas, offering guests access to a special lineup of over 25 curated films from around the world. Running from October 15-19, this year's festival features an impressive panel of distinguished speakers, Q&A's, and special parties. It also will host the U.S. premier of Cathedrals of Culture, a 3D film project by German filmmaker Wim Wenders. Tickets go on sale today.
More details on this year's festival
September 17, 2014

Gamer Zach Gage Nabs Penthouse with Futuristic Rooftop Watchtower for $3.9M

Forbes' 30 under 30 in video games, Zach Gage, is cashing in on his success. The gamer and conceptual artist just picked up this sweet Chinatown penthouse at 18 Orchard Street for $3.9 million, according to city records filed today. The 28-year old, who has developed games such as SpellTower, Ridiculous Fishing, and Lose/Lose, and been exhibited at venues like the Venice Biennale, the MoMA, and in Apple stores worldwide, seems to not have strayed far from his edgy sensibilities. His new three-bedroom duplex features a rooftop catwalk, some killer lights, and a futuristic watchtower with "a transcendent view of the sunset and cityscape".
Tour the home here
September 17, 2014

World’s First OLED Panel Will Bring Buildings 40,000+ Hours of Energy-Efficient Lighting

New York buildings racking up big energy bills may soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks to new OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology, lighting will be getting greener, healthier and much more energy efficient. This November, LG Chem, Korea's largest chemical company, will bring their new OLED panels into production. The new panels will boast 100 lumens per watt, a life of 40,000+ hours (a world's best, outperforming Osram, Philips, and Panasonic; and almost on par with conventional LEDs), and be flexible enough to be used in everything from automotive to architecture. Currently plans are to focus distribution on markets in North America and Europe, and so far LG Chem has secured contracts with more than 50 lighting companies, including Atlanta-based Acuity Lighting.
More on the technology here
September 17, 2014

POLL: Is the East River Skyway the future of NYC transportation?

Yesterday, Dan Levy, the president and CEO of CityRealty, presented his proposal for the ‘East River Skyway,’ an aerial gondola system that would run along the Brooklyn waterfront and into Manhattan, bringing commuters over the river in just 3.5 minutes. Now, we want to know what you think about the idea. Images: East River Skyway, courtesy of CityRealty […]

September 17, 2014

Robert De Niro Moves into $125K-Per-Month Rental at 15 Central Park West

Robert De Niro's new home may not be in his beloved Tribeca, but the full-floor pad at 15 Central Park West is one of the city's most expensive rentals. Unit 35AB is two separate condos combined into one on the 35th floor. The 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom apartment is owned by steel magnate Leroy Schecter, who purchased the property in 2008 for $18.9 million. He originally put the condo on the market in 2012 for $95 million, then reduced it to $85 million in April 2013, and once again to $70 million in November. De Niro and his wife Grace Hightower were displaced in 2012 when a fire ripped through their triplex at the Brentmore, 88 Central Park West. The couple has been renting in the West Village, but it looks like they wanted to return to the Upper West Side while renovations are completed on their permanent home. And they're in good company; Alex Rodriguez and investor Henry Silverman have rented the same unit in the past.
Take a look inside the new De Niro digs
September 17, 2014

ANNOUNCED: Hudson Companies Will Buy Brooklyn Heights Library for $52M, Add Luxury Rental Complex

Just yesterday, the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library announced that they will sell their building to the Hudson Companies for $52 million, along with the promise of 114 affordable housing units to be built at a different location in the neighborhood. The developer, who won the bid over 14 others, will convert the city-owned building at 280 Cadman Plaza West into a 20-story luxury rental complex with a new 21,000-square-foot library on the ground floor.
More details here
September 17, 2014

Highlights: What Real Estate Big Wigs Have to Say About Brooklyn and Its Future

Brooklyn real estate is hot, very hot, and there’s no cooling off in sight, according to most speakers at yesterday's sold-out Brooklyn Real Estate Summit, sponsored by Massey Knakal and held at the Brooklyn Museum. From Billy Macklowe to David Shorenstein and Jonathan Rose, get the run-down of what the industry's leading pundits have to say about BK real estate.
What they're saying about Brooklyn here
September 16, 2014

REVEALED: East River Skyway Will Bring Brooklyn Commuters to Manhattan in Under Four Minutes

There's no stopping the Brooklyn development boom, but getting to and from the borough from Manhattan will increasingly become a nightmare with thousands of new residential units hitting the market in the coming years. If you've commuted from Brooklyn to Manhattan (and vice versa) you know that the subway system is already taxed. But as more and more homes are added throughout the borough, it's surprising that no plans have been made to alleviate the transportation stress that will soon come with it. Until now. Today, Dan Levy, the president and CEO of CityRealty*, will present his proposal for the 'East River Skyway', an aerial gondola system that would run along the Brooklyn waterfront and into Manhattan, bringing commuters over the river in just 3.5 minutes.
Find out more about the proposed project
September 16, 2014

A Brooklyn Heights Loft in an Old YMCA Building Makes Room for Books, Art and Entertaining

The owners of this Brooklyn Heights loft on the top two floors of a converted YMCA building wanted to remodel their space to accommodate both of their individual, extensive book and art collections; they also needed a home that would be great for dinner parties and entertaining. Rather than settling on boring built-ins, they turned to Ensemble Architecture to create a solution that would put their most treasured items on show.
Tour the renovated space here
September 16, 2014

$1.5M Brooklyn Heights Triplex in Landmarked Eagle Warehouse Gets a Modern Update

Carriage houses, stables, factories…in a city short on space you have to get creative when looking for residential development opportunities. And this former warehouse at 28 Old Fulton Street in Brooklyn Heights is a perfect example of how a little vision can go a long way. When Brooklyn architect Frank Freeman completed the Eagle Warehouse and Storage Company building in 1894 it served as a place to store furniture and silverware. However, at the time, even warehouses were designed with a simplicity steeped in grace and beauty, often lacking in their modern-day counterparts. One look at the main entrance’s bold Roman arch adorned with the company name in large bronze lettering and there is no mistaking the care Mr. Freeman took with his “warehouse project”.
Read on to see what the future held for this warehouse
September 16, 2014

Event: Join Top NYC Architects and Artists at the 14+ Foundation Benefit to Build Schools in Zambia

The second Annual 14+ Foundation Benefit on October 2nd will support the building of schools in Zambia with the help of top New York architects and artists. Julian Schnabel, Rashid Johnson, and the Bruce High Quality Foundation have donated works for a live art auction, and Solange Knowles is set to perform. The event will take place at the Diamond Horseshoe from 6:00pm to 2:00am. It follows the organization's work on the Chipakata Children's Academy in Lusaka, Zambia, a new school, orphanage, and community facility that will provide arts-based learning programs, as well as daily meals.
More details on the benefit and 14+ Foundation's work
September 16, 2014

Pee-Eww! Artist Kate McLean is Creating a ‘Smellmap’ of NYC

New York City stinks, yes, but this city of ours is rich in smells like no other. To document the odors that linger, excite and nauseate inhabitants, British multi-sensory artist Kate McLean and her army of sniffers are running around town with their noses to the wind—and deep in trashcans. McLean has so far mapped a block of Greenwich Village and her latest jaunt took her and her team out to Bedford Avenue, where she found the most offensive odor to be "the aroma of a marijuana joint". Not convinced?
Her findings here
September 16, 2014

Line In-Between Is a New Album That Plays the Noises of New York City

We've heard about people who move out of the city in search of a more quiet lifestyle, but then can't think or sleep due to the silence. Well, there's a new album that might be just what the doctor ordered for these sleep-deprived NYC expats. Line In-Between is an album recorded entirely from the noises of New York City, highlighting that sounds and music are interconnected. And what makes us love this project even more is that while the urban tunes roll, striking images of the city's architecture play along.
More details on the album here
September 16, 2014

$3.9M Flatiron Loft Offers Two-Level Terrace with Empire State Building Views

Who wouldn’t want to step out onto their magnificent terrace in Flatiron and gaze at the Met Life and Empire State Building? We’re guessing the owners of this fabulous pad are going to have a hard time parting with it… or maybe they just don’t have an appreciation for convenient locations with amazing views. Either way, this newly renovated loft at 40 East 19th Street is available for $3.85 million. Take a look at what’s inside and outside, ahead.
See the rest, here
September 15, 2014

INTERVIEW: Karim Rashid on His Move into Architecture and Designing Colorful NYC Condos

You may not recognize Karim Rashid immediately, but odds are you have at least one of his designs in your home. A staunch believer that everyone deserves access to great design no matter what their budget (it's what he calls "designocrasy"), Karim has become one of the world's most celebrated designers having brought thousands of new ideas and innovations to the widest-possible audience. As such, Karim has won hundreds of international awards, including the prestigious Red Dot, and his work can be found in more than 20 permanent collections including those of the MoMA, Centre Pompidou, and SFMOMA. Karim also calls everyone from Umbra to Giorgio Armani, Kenzo, Alessi, Artemide and Veuve Clicquot as his clients, and Time magazine once described him as the "most famous industrial designer in all the Americas". Clearly having conquered the industrial design realm, Karim recently turned his creative eye to architecture. We recently caught up with the designer cum architect to talk about the evolution of his career and the three eye-popping HAP condos he's now got under construction for New York City. Hear what he has to say about his grand new endeavors—color, controversy and all.
Read our interview with Karim Rashid here
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September 15, 2014

Lovitt Loft: Space for Living, Art and Commerce in a Former Tribeca Garage

Many of us entertain fantasies about loft living in a former garage or an old warehouse, but few of us would dare take on the task of turning one into a comfortable space. That's why when the owner of this Tribeca automotive garage wanted to create a live-work-gallery space, he turned to architect Elizabeth Roberts to take on the task. Roberts, known for her stylish townhouse interiors, managed to not only carve out several beautiful spaces for living, but functional and flexible areas for display and commerce for the owner who wanted to rent out the majority of the ground floor space as a photo studio.
Take a tour inside here
September 15, 2014

Historic Jones Alley Loft Offers All the Quirky Charms of Noho

The Noho Historic District is one of the most charming in Manhattan, with quaint cobblestone streets and an eclectic mix of historic lofts that once housed the city's dry goods centers and early-19th-century houses. And one of these quirky buildings is 3 Great Jones Street. The Greek Revival townhouse was erected in 1845, replacing a former stable building. It saw façade alterations in the 1920s, but the entryway to unit R1 still retains all of its old-time appeal, as it's situated on the side of the building on Jones Alley (formerly known as Shinbone Alley), a private, gated mews. A 14-foot, historic wooden door surrounded by welcoming plants leads to the duplex loft, on the market for $3.7 million.
You don't want to miss this home
September 15, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Rent Vouchers Instead of ‘Poor Doors’; Inside the $1.4B MTA Fulton Center

A peek inside the new $1.4B MTA Fulton Center under construction. [NYDN] The ‘poor door‘ fix: Leonard Grunstein pens an op-ed saying that rather than requiring developers to produce more affordable units, they should give rent vouchers for low-income tenants for use at other apartments in the city. [Crain’s] Blame Anna Wintour. A slew of new luxury […]

September 15, 2014

Sawyer Berson’s Residence in Southampton is Composed of Calming Glass and Stone Pavillions

You might not think of a starkly modern home as calming or tranquil, but then you've probably never seen the Residence in Southampton by Sawyer|Berson architects. Built for designer Kelly Behun and her family, the home is characterized by its dramatic overhangs, large expanses of glass, and flowing, open floor plan. Part of a series of pavilions, the main house, pool, pool house, and guest wing are all oriented south to take advantage of the stunning beach views. The seven-bedroom home boasts a screening room, gym, and an an impressive collection of art. Perhaps the most interesting element of the residence is the infinity pool, which is visible from the gym and yard.
See what else this luxurious Southampton estate has in store
September 15, 2014

Stop Procrastinating with Help from the Rewrite Desk

Rewrite, by Copenhagen-based designers GamFratesi, is an isolating bubble that offers a space for work and concentration. No matter how many distractions your home might have, this cocoon-like desk will help you focus and hopefully overcome procrastination. Featuring organic modern lines and a cozy appearance, its upholstered shield protects against any environmental noise that might take you away from the job.
Learn more about the Rewrite desk here
September 15, 2014

Ben Shahn Murals and a Market? YoungWoo & Associates Tries Again at the Bronx General Post Office

The firm that once hoped to bring a Bronx market to the Kingsbridge Armory site may get their chance with another historic building in the borough. Last week it was announced that developer YoungWoo & Associates purchased the landmarked Bronx General Post Office building on the Grand Concourse and East 149th Street for an undisclosed sum.
What's in store for the building and its treasures?
September 15, 2014

Daily Link Fix: Where The Best Food Trucks Are; IKEA Defies Gravity with a Climbable Apartment

NY Daily News announces the launch of the 7th annual Governors Island Art Fair where “100 artists fill 100 rooms in the island’s former military barracks with their paintings, video installations, sculptures and photography.” I Quant NYC maps out where you can find the 25 winning street vendors of the 10th annual Vendy Awards. Time to grub […]

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