Architecture And Design

Art from the Whitney Museum on view in NYC subway stations this summer

Image courtesy of Trent Reeves / MTA on Flickr

June 3, 2024

Art from the Whitney Museum on view in NYC subway stations this summer

The Whitney Museum of American Art is bringing its landmark Biennial exhibition into the New York City subway system. The museum and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday revealed "Making It Here: New York and the Whitney Biennial," a showcase of work by artists who have been, or are currently featured, in the Whitney Biennial, which has been hosted regularly since 1932. The art, displayed on vacant newsstands and former retail spaces, can be found at three subway stations: West 4th Street in Manhattan, Jay Street-MetroTech in Brooklyn, and Fordham Road in the Bronx.
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COOKFOX-designed 188-unit tower tops out at Chelsea’s Penn South co-op

Rendering courtesy of COOKFOX

June 3, 2024

COOKFOX-designed 188-unit tower tops out at Chelsea’s Penn South co-op

By Aaron Ginsburg

The seven-story apartment building that replaced an aging commercial building at Chelsea's sprawling Penn South co-op topped out last week. Designed by COOKFOX, 335 Eighth Avenue is an 188-unit mixed-use development with a 23,000-square-foot Lidl grocery store on the ground floor. Penn South, a limited equity co-op made up of 10 buildings between West 23rd and West 29th Streets, tapped MAG Partners in 2021 to raze and redevelop the run-down corner building. Developed under the state's Affordable NY Program, the project will set aside 30 percent of units for low- and middle-income New Yorkers.
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First look inside Thomas Juul-Hansen’s 850-foot-tall condo Sutton Tower

Exterior photos courtesy of Astra Studios. Interior Photos courtesy of Kate Glicksberg.

May 30, 2024

First look inside Thomas Juul-Hansen’s 850-foot-tall condo Sutton Tower

By Aaron Ginsburg

Skyline altering condo Sutton Tower is now complete. New images released this week provide a look inside the Thomas Juul-Hansen-designed 850-foot-tall tower, the tallest in the east-side enclave of Sutton Place. The first skyscraper designed by the Danish designer, Sutton Tower features striking Art Deco-inspired architecture and a facade of Bavarian limestone. For the first time, we're seeing inside the residences, with model units curated by three design teams, Vesta, Urban Casa, and Eichholtz, each to reflect the diversity of lifestyles possible at the building.
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Whitney Museum’s new project pairs art from 1932 with present-day scenes of NYC

George C. Ault, “Hudson Street” (northwest view of Hudson and Gansevoort Streets). Image courtesy of the Whitney Museum of American Art

May 22, 2024

Whitney Museum’s new project pairs art from 1932 with present-day scenes of NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Whitney Museum on Wednesday launched "Putting Artists On The Map," a new project celebrating the museum's landmark Biennial exhibition that has been held regularly since 1932. The interactive digital map pairs paintings depicting New York City from the very first Biennial with photos of the same scenes in the present day. The map also provides a snapshot of Whitney Biennial moments across the city, including the locations where artists from past exhibitions had studios and the subway stations where works by Biennial artists were installed.
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Fantastical flowers and peculiar plants: New York Botanical Garden opens ‘Wonderland’ exhibit

A 12-foot-tall White Rabbit at the Leon Levy Visitor Center, Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal, Steel frame, geraniums, sedum

May 20, 2024

Fantastical flowers and peculiar plants: New York Botanical Garden opens ‘Wonderland’ exhibit

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York Botanical Garden has fallen down the rabbit hole. The enchanting exhibition "Wonderland: Curious Nature" debuted on Saturday, transforming the garden's 250 acres into a whimsical paradise inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic children's tale "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and its sequel stories. On view through October 27, the exhibition includes a 12-foot White Rabbit made of plants, larger-than-life mushrooms, gardens of the Victorian era, a large-scale chess set designed by Yoko Ono, and more.
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NYC’s gilded Crown Building is landmarked

Photo credit: Landmarks Preservation Commission

May 16, 2024

NYC’s gilded Crown Building is landmarked

By Devin Gannon

One of Midtown Manhattan's crown jewels is finally a city landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission this week designated the Heckscher Building at 730 Fifth Avenue as an individual landmark, officially recognizing the tower's ornate French Renaissance style, influence on Midtown's iconic commercial corridor, and overall impact on the New York City skyline. The tower, built 100 years ago and renamed the Crown Building in the 1980s for its gilded appearance, is now home to Aman New York, a luxe hotel-condo with 83 hotel rooms and 22 residences.
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See inside Boerum Hill’s Bergen project, Frida Escobedo’s first condo

Renderings courtesy of DARCSTUDIO

May 16, 2024

See inside Boerum Hill’s Bergen project, Frida Escobedo’s first condo

By Aaron Ginsburg

Interior images have been revealed for a new block-long condo development in Boerum Hill. Located between 3rd and 4th Avenues in the Brooklyn neighborhood, residential project Bergen is the first condo building designed by Mexico-based architecture studio Taller Frida Escobedo. Residence interiors, conceived by design studio Workstead, complement the tower's rustic exterior, with a palette of warm earth tones and soft textures throughout.
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50 West 66th Street is officially the Upper West Side’s tallest tower

All renderings courtesy of Recent Spaces

May 15, 2024

50 West 66th Street is officially the Upper West Side’s tallest tower

By Devin Gannon

The Upper West Side has a new tallest tower. This week the residential skyscraper 50 West 66th Street reached its pinnacle height of 775 feet, officially taking the title from its 52-story tower neighbor 200 Amsterdam. Developed by Extell Development Company, the building includes 127 condominium units and 50,000 square feet of amenities.
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NYCxDESIGN 2024: What to see and do at New York City’s annual deep dive into design

Photo © 6sqft

May 9, 2024

NYCxDESIGN 2024: What to see and do at New York City’s annual deep dive into design

By Michelle Cohen

The design universe lands in New York City every spring for the NYCxDESIGN Festival. This major international design event, now in its 12th year, will be in full swing from May 16 to May 22. Expect an influx of visitors seeking the latest creative offerings, fresh ideas, and inspiration from the world of design. Anchored by the major industry fair ICFF and its satellites like WantedDesign, the city-wide festival is awash in new talent showcases, exciting retail launches, open studios, and exhibitions. The week-long-plus event is a great opportunity to source the best new visions and trends in furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories before they appear in your favorite magazines, blogs, and stores. Read on for a short list of highlights.
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Artist Felipe Pantone’s biggest mural yet dazzles the Jersey City skyline

Photos courtesy of FPStudio

May 9, 2024

Artist Felipe Pantone’s biggest mural yet dazzles the Jersey City skyline

By Aaron Ginsburg

Renowned Argentinian artist Felipe Pantone's largest installation yet brings a burst of vibrancy to Jersey City. "OPTICHROMIE for Jersey City" covers 25 floors of a residential building in Journal Square with a dazzling digitized-style gradient mural of geometric patterns. The towering artwork contrasts the darker tones seen in the background of the Manhattan skyline and the mural's bold colors.
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Architecture And Design

Downtown Brooklyn’s Abolitionist Place park is now open

All photos courtesy of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership

May 8, 2024

Downtown Brooklyn’s Abolitionist Place park is now open

By Aaron Ginsburg

First promised 20 years ago, a Downtown Brooklyn park commemorating the borough's abolitionist history is finally open. City officials on Wednesday cut the ribbon on the 1.15-acre Abolitionist Place, located at 225 Duffield Street. Designed by landscape architecture firm Hargreaves Jones, the park offers a playground, a water play feature, a central lawn, a paved area with boulders, seating, and a dog run. The green space was part of the 2004 upzoning of Downtown Brooklyn and planning officially began in 2010. Financial issues and design changes delayed the project several times.
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Architecture And Design

The historic Bronx Post Office is for sale again

All photos courtesy of Avison Young

May 7, 2024

The historic Bronx Post Office is for sale again

By Devin Gannon

One of the most iconic buildings in the Bronx is for sale again. The Bronx General Post Office at 558 Grand Concourse is looking for a buyer five years after a deal to buy the landmark fell through. Developer Young Woo & Associates purchased the property from the United States Postal Service in 2014 with plans to revitalize the 90-year-old building and transform it into a mixed-use development with a food market. After a sale failed in 2019, the property has returned to the market, advertised as having the potential to become residential or a hotel with retail space.
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NYC breaks ground on $200M project to rebuild and elevate The Battery

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 7, 2024

NYC breaks ground on $200M project to rebuild and elevate The Battery

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City officials this week broke ground on an ambitious project to defend Lower Manhattan from climate change. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced the start of work on the city-funded Battery Coastal Resilience Project, a $200 million plan to rebuild and raise the wharf promenade in The Battery, part of a larger effort to protect Lower Manhattan from sea level rise and storm surge. Slated for completion in 2026, the project will protect 100,000 residents, 300,000 jobs, and 12,000 businesses in the area, according to the city.
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Original Domino Sugar Factory sign reimagined as a lobby sculpture

Photo courtesy of Etienne Frossard

May 6, 2024

Original Domino Sugar Factory sign reimagined as a lobby sculpture

By Aaron Ginsburg

Williamsburg's original Domino Sugar Factory sign has been given new life as an art installation. Two Trees Management last week unveiled "Untitled (reverse virgule)," which repurposes the iconic yellow Domino Sugar Factory sign into an 11-foot by 36-foot wall sculpture. Created by artist Virginia Overton, the piece sits in the lobby of the Refinery at Domino, a new office building that opened last year within the historic sugar factory building.
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Architecture And Design

Iconic bridge views and remarkable light: Inside Annabelle Selldorf’s condo One Domino Square

All photos courtesy of William Jess Laird

May 2, 2024

Iconic bridge views and remarkable light: Inside Annabelle Selldorf’s condo One Domino Square

By Devin Gannon

Architect Annabelle Selldorf's first residential skyscraper, One Domino Square, features a striking iridescent porcelain tile facade that shifts the appearance of the tower, allowing it to simultaneously stand out and blend in with its Williamsburg surroundings, depending on the light. Following the launch of sales for the building's 160 condos last month, new images provide a look inside the residences, which flaunt stunning bridge and skyline views, airy open floorplans, and an abundance of natural light.
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35-acre nature preserve opens in the Rockaways at NYC’s first net-zero community

Photo courtesy of Francine Fleischer

April 26, 2024

35-acre nature preserve opens in the Rockaways at NYC’s first net-zero community

By Devin Gannon

New York City this week opened a public nature preserve in Far Rockaway that serves as the centerpiece of a new sustainable mixed-use project. The 35-acre natural area marks the first phase of Arverne East, a development transforming a vacant 116-acre oceanfront site into a community with 1,650 homes, retail, and open space. The nearly $1 billion project will produce more energy than it consumes, through passive house construction and a district geothermal system, making it the city's first net-zero community.
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Architecture And Design

April 22, 2024

Petite but posh: Interior designers share their favorite small-space makeovers

By Lidia Ryan

New York City apartments are small. It’s just a fact of life that in a city that crams over 8 million people into 300 square miles, there will be some space challenges. From using the oven for storage a la Carrie Bradshaw to turning hallways and closets into bedrooms, most New Yorkers know how to get creative in their living spaces. But as New Yorkers graduate to more “grown up” apartments, the space-saving hacks should get more sophisticated too. Interior designers based in New York, San Francisco (our cramped sister city to the west), and nationwide share how they made tight spaces shine in elegant homes.
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See ODA’s curving, connected residential buildings rising in Williamsburg

Renderings courtesy of Secchi Smith

April 16, 2024

See ODA’s curving, connected residential buildings rising in Williamsburg

By Aaron Ginsburg

Renderings released this week show off a new full-block residential development coming to Williamsburg. Designed by architecture firm ODA, the project includes the Lorimer House, a 270-unit rental, and Copper Lofts, a "boutique collection" of 66 residences, connected by an elevated bridge, creating the illusion of one cohesive development. Taking advantage of their corner location in Broadway Triangle, the eight-story buildings feature a curving facade marked with alternating balconies and recessed terraces. Construction is expected to wrap up this spring.
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April 16, 2024

Vornado reveals new renderings for 62-story office tower at 350 Park Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

A supertall office tower long planned for Midtown is finally moving forward. During a breakfast held by the Association for a Better New York, Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday revealed new details and renderings for 350 Park Avenue, a 62-story building developed by Vornado Realty Trust, Citadel, and Rudin Management. Designed by Foster + Partners, the tower, which will bring 1.8 million square feet of office space and a new public concourse to Midtown East, will enter the city's public review process early next year.
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Architecture And Design

One Madison Avenue unveils lush rooftop garden and stylish steakhouse by Daniel Boulud

One Madison Avenue Rooftop Exterior. Courtesy of SL Green, by Neoscape

April 10, 2024

One Madison Avenue unveils lush rooftop garden and stylish steakhouse by Daniel Boulud

By Devin Gannon

An office tower in Midtown is luring tenants with food and lush outdoor space. SL Green this week unveiled plans for a steakhouse by Chef Daniel Boulud at One Madison Avenue, an adaptive-reuse commercial building facing Madison Square Park. In addition to La Tête d’Or by Daniel, the first-ever steakhouse from the French chef, the tower will feature a sprawling event and rooftop space designed by David Rockwell and catered by Boulud.
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Renovation of Eero Saarinen’s modernist Midtown skyscraper is complete

Photos courtesy of Colin Miller

April 9, 2024

Renovation of Eero Saarinen’s modernist Midtown skyscraper is complete

By Devin Gannon

One of New York City's most iconic modernist skyscrapers has been revitalized for a new era. Designed by renowned 20th-century architect Eero Saarinen, the 38-story Midtown Manhattan office building 51W52, also known as the CBS Building, received a $128 million renovation by Harbor Group International (HGI), which acquired the building from CBS owner Paramount in 2021. HGI says the upgrades, which includes an updated lobby and lounge, conference center, and cafe, have helped the building see 350,000 square feet in new leases and renewals after an increase in vacancies last year.
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Architecture And Design

Historic Crown Heights school is now a 40-unit luxury rental

Rendering courtesy of PKSB Architects

April 4, 2024

Historic Crown Heights school is now a 40-unit luxury rental

By Aaron Ginsburg

A former Catholic school in Crown Heights is now a 40-unit rental building. The Gregory at 991 St. John's Place sits within the St. Gregory the Great Roman Catholic Church complex, designed by Frank J. Helmle and Harvey Wiley Corbett in the 1920s. GEMA Capital Partners and PKSB Architects oversaw the conversion of the historic schoolhouse into a multi-family rental. Leasing has kicked off for the project's mix of studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes, starting at $3,437/month.
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See inside the Brooklyn Paramount as historic theater reopens after 60 years

Image courtesy of Evan Joseph

April 1, 2024

See inside the Brooklyn Paramount as historic theater reopens after 60 years

By Aaron Ginsburg

Fort Greene's historic Brooklyn Paramount Theater, which once hosted legendary artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Duke Ellington, reopened last week for its first season in 60 years. A multi-million dollar restoration modernized the venue while preserving its opulent latticework ceiling, hand-crafted statues, and other Baroque features. For its first show in six decades, the Paramount hosted brothers Damian and Stephen Marley, who performed at the theater during their co-headlining Traffic Jam Tour.
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$24M revamp of Lower East Side’s Nuyorican Poets Café is underway

Renderings courtesy of the NYC DCLA

March 29, 2024

$24M revamp of Lower East Side’s Nuyorican Poets Café is underway

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Nuyorican Poets Café, a beloved performance space on the Lower East Side for half a century, is undergoing a $24.1 million transformation. The city's Department of Cultural Affairs and the Department of Design and Construction on Thursday kicked off the project, which will renovate and expand the cultural institution's lobby, add new performance spaces and offices, improve accessibility, and perform extensive repairs on the building's exterior. Designed by Rice+Lipka Architects, the reconstruction project is slated for completion in spring 2026.
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