Architecture And Design

May 5, 2014

Archilier Architecture’s “Chinese Lantern” Inspired Design to Light Up 470 Eleventh Avenue

Rising 720 feet tall from the corner of 11th Avenue and 38th Street, Archilier Architecture's new, unconventional mixed-use tower from developer Black House will bring 51 luxury apartments and 419 hotel rooms across the street from the newly-renovated Jacob K. Javits Center. While the ultra high-end skyscraper is one of many new construction projects in the city, it promises to be unlike anything we’ve seen before on the streets of Manhattan.
-See more of Archilier's beautiful design
May 5, 2014

Your Art and Design Events Agenda, Week of May 5, 2014

Looking for something to do in this great city now that the weather has warmed up? We've rounded up some of this week's best art, design and architecture events to kick off the month of May. Get your art fix in Times Square for Midnight Moment or head to Randalls Island for the third rendition of Frieze Art Fair, browse the latest in cutting edge design at Collective Design Fair, explore Jersey City with Mana Contemporary's massive open house or get outside and check out the latest installation at Socrates Sculpture Park. It's going to be a great week!
All the best events here
May 5, 2014

Wake Up to Stunning 180 Degree Views of the City That Never Sleeps

One look and you may never want to leave this exquisite sun-drenched and spacious home, part of The Residences, a gorgeous new Gwathmey Siegel designed masterpiece developed by Bizzi & Partners. Sitting 60 stories above one of the most desired streets in Manhattan, this 2BR/2.5 bath residence at 400 Fifth Avenue bestows breathtaking panoramic views from just about every room. Every detail, from the hardwood black oak flooring throughout to the ample closet space, ensures no matter where you are in this gracious home, life is better simply by being there. In fact, the residences at 500 Fifth are so beautiful the building even has its own coffee table book, 500 Fifth Avenue: A New Gwathmey Siegel Landmark, coming out this fall!
Take a peek inside this gorgeous residence
May 2, 2014

Coming Soon Summer 2015: The Beekman Hotel

After years of failed attempts by developers, GFI Capital Resources Group is accomplishing what some thought was impossible: They are converting 5 Beekman Street – along with its empty next-door neighbor 115 Nassau Street – into a hotel and condo. The landmark building was one of New York’s original skyscrapers, once towering nine stories. Its distinctive architecture boasts the famous Temple Court, an interior atrium punctuated by a skylight in the shape of a pyramid. It is surrounding this very feature that 287 hotel rooms will be constructed.
Read on for more details here
May 2, 2014

Amoeba-Shaped Transportation Hub Proposed for Queens

Amoeba, organ, extraterrestrial creature — take your pick; this transportation hub dubbed the Urban Alloy Towers is quite interestingly shaped. The creation of Chad Kellogg and Matt Bowles of AMLGM, the structure is proposed for the area around where the LIRR station in Woodside, Queens links to the 7 train. The idea came from the notion that large-scale housing development is most successful when located near transportation. So, Kellog and Bowles figured they'd put their development "directly on the intersections between surface and elevated train lines," utilizing the remnant spaces surrounding the train infrastructure. Included in this multi-use structure would be live/work spaces, retail, small offices, both market-rate and luxury residential units, SROs, and a central atrium.
Read more about the design here
May 1, 2014

NYC Condos Designed by Pritzker Prize Winners

The Pritzker Architecture Prize is architecture’s most acclaimed honor. Since 1979, the award has been given away annually to honor one living architect whose built work demonstrates consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment. New York City is home to structures built by 12 of the 36 past winners — ranging from Philip Johnson to I.M. Pei to this year's winner, Shigeru Ban — and currently holds 14 residential examples of their work. One other fascinating tidbit is that condos designed by Pritzker Prize winning architects are selling on average a whopping 44% higher (price/square foot) than those their respective neighborhoods, and 47.5% higher than the Manhattan market average. But are they worth the money? Learn more about them all ahead.
Are these Pritzker Laureate-designed condos worth their markup?
April 29, 2014

Park Avenue Historic District Approved with Major Modifications, Extell’s New Tower May Soon Rise as a Result

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has just approved the creation of the Park Avenue Historic District, but with major modifications that could mean big changes for the neighborhood. The boundaries of the district were proposed to run from 79th to 96th Street, but the final version passed today excludes the blocks north of 94th Street, which encompasses the Morris Ketchum Jr.-designed Hunter College School as well as The Loyola Grammar School at 48 East 84th Street. More importantly, today's ruling would appear to give Extell Development the green light to replace a Park Avenue church rectory with a condominium tower.
Park Ave will soon be afoot with change
April 29, 2014

Christian de Portzamparc Unveils New Renderings of Riverside Center

Famed French architect, and Pritzker Prize winner, Christian de Portzamparc is causing quite a stir. Take a glance at his website and you’ll be met with a rendering of the new Riverside Center that would inspire hope in the most pessimistic NIMBY. After a disappointing official rendering of the first building cast some serious doubt on the fate of the much-anticipated development, de Portzamparc has unveiled a new vision, and fingers are crossed that it will be realized.
More on de Portzamparc's design here
April 29, 2014

Anon Pairot’s Stunning Zatellite Lamp is Handwoven with Steel

No, that's not a typo, though this futuristic lamp does have a satellite-like design form. A creation of the Anon Pairot Design Studio, it is constructed using spot welding and hundreds of woven 0.5 millimeter steel rods. The copper-colored, geometric orb is one of many Anon Pairot designs that feature a pattern reminiscent of traditional Thai textiles.
More about the design here
April 29, 2014

Demolition Begins at 43 East 22nd to Make Way for Bruce Eichner’s New Supertall Condo

A new 80-unit condominium tower at 45 East 22nd street will bring the distance between New York’s two preeminent skylines a bit closer. Ian Bruce Eichner’s, Continuum Company has plans to build the loftiest skyscraper between the Empire State Building (1,250 feet) in Midtown and the Woolworth Building (792 feet) in the Financial District. The project designed by the high-rise pros of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, stretches skyward 60 floors — a whopping 778 feet from an unassuming 50-foot wide lot currently occupied by two row-homes. We recently stopped by the site to see how things are coming along, and it looks like demolition has just started. Check out our survey and snaps of the project ahead.
More photos and renderings here
April 25, 2014

Eyeing the Drake: The Macklowe Construction Brings a “Patriotic” Burst of Color to Park Ave

One of the city’s noblest professions is “sidewalk superintendent.” These intrepid pedestrians love to peer through holes in the wall to watch large equipment playing the construction game. The more sophisticated of these curiosity-seekers also look for holes in the city’s facades to glimpse the progress of larger-than-normal, future skyline stars. You can imagine the astonishment, therefore, when I noticed, a couple of days ago, that 432 Park Avenue had adopted a “patriotic” stance, and that its fenestration grid now is highlighted, from top down, in red, blue and white, the colors of the American flag, and also the French flag — a stark divergence from the pristine, streamlined design set out by the building's architect, Rafael Vinoly.
For sidewalk superintendents, the former Drake is startlingly colorful
April 25, 2014

Everyday Foods Re-Branded as Luxury Products by Tiffany, Gucci and More

If Gucci was to start canning pickles, would that make eating them more appetizing? A new series by artist Paddy Mergui is re-imagining everyday foods as luxury products. The collection, titled "Wheat is Wheat is Wheat", wraps over a dozen common foods in designer patterns and well-recognized packagings, playing on our susceptibility to big names and brand recognition. "[Design is] so under the radar that people think it's nice and that it's giving them self esteem," Mergui tells The Verge. "Actually, be aware that you're being manipulated by the visual aspects of packaging." From Apple's iMilk to Burberry ramen to Cartier coffee to a dozen Versace eggs, see all the products ahead.
More Images of the re-branded food ahead
April 25, 2014

Combine Work Time and Playtime with CATable

Cats are fickle. They need attention only when they want it, and that’s usually when you’re working. Hao Ruan of LYCS Architecture has an answer for those moments when your cat leaps onto your computer while you’re working and one little paw happens to stomp on the ‘Delete’ button. Hand carved for a seamless touch, the CATable allows for fun and play for both you and Kitty. As your cat meanders through the maze-like tunnels and crannies in the desk, you can work happily on the tabletop.
More details on the design here
April 21, 2014

Condos at the Shigeru Ban-Designed Cast Iron House Now Up for Sale!

Want to live in a Pritzker prize winning architect-designed condo? Five units in the Shigeru Ban-designed Cast Iron House were placed on the market today, including the East penthouse. Designs for the 67 Franklin Street structure were approved two years ago, accompanied by plenty of accolades from community members and architecture enthusiasts alike. And now that Ban has added '2014 Pritzker Prize Laureate' to his resume, we expect these beauties to fly off the shelves in the coming months (You have heard of the Pritzker Prize-effect, right?). As it stands, the 2,990-square-foot 3BR/3BA on the second floor has an asking price of $4.975 million, while the 3,809-square-foot 4BR with 1,531-square-foot terrace East penthouse, has been listed for a cool $13 million.
More photos and floor plans ahead
April 18, 2014

Maya Lin and Daniel Wolf to Turn a Former Yonkers Jail Into a Studio and Gallery

For nine decades the brick walls at 24-26 Alexander Street in Yonkers were known more for its portfolio of inmates than as a museum-like structure. But soon the classic two-story building will be liberated from its former life as a prison to house a collection of a very different kind. As part of a concentrated effort by the City of Yonkers to continue the transformation of the area all along the Husdon River, Mayor Mike Spano was more than a little excited when art collector and dealer, Daniel Wolf, and his wife, the renowned artist and architect Maya Lin, expressed interest in the property.
pics of the prison here
April 18, 2014

Construction Begins on Manhattan’s Tallest Condominium Tower

Construction on the SHoP Architects-designed tower at 111 West 57th Street has finally begun! Yesterday evening, one of 6sqft's reporters walked past the site and took a quick snap of the newly arrived construction vehicles and equipment. The Manhattan giant, which will also be the world's slenderest tower, will rise 1,300-feet high, above a floor plate of around 60-feet wide. The building will host three elevators and each floor will be its own 5,000-square-foot apartment with 15-foot ceilings. And for those worried how wind load will affect the 76-story structure, a huge steel weight will be suspended within the top of the building to keep it from swaying (yikes).
More on the tower
April 17, 2014

Chelsea’s Walker Tower Finally Getting Its Finishing Touches

One of our intrepid reports stopped by the Walker Tower earlier today to check out how things are coming along at the 212 West 18th Street landmark. The tower — which has drawn buyers ranging from Cameron Diaz to Mike Thorne (that guy who discovered the Sex Pistols) — had its scaffolding removed just seven months ago and has already set new sales records for Downtown Manhattan (this includes an impressive $50.9 million deal for the 6,000-square-foot 5BR/5.5BA penthouse). The conversion of the former Verizon building into luxury condos has been underway since 2011, but word is that construction on the interior will be wrapped up in the coming weeks. Let's take a look at what's been completed so far.
More photos here
April 17, 2014

LOT-EK’s DUNE CO-HABITAT Will Protect Far Rockaway from Future Storm Surges

Say goodbye to the old wooden bungalows, and hello to a new, much more sustainable community. Ever since Hurricane Sandy devastated Far Rockaway, there have been plans to either rebuild it magnificently or leave it alone. The new design from LOT-EK (famous for their shipping container houses) makes it a beautiful community to rival to those in Manhattan. Aptly dubbed DUNE CO-HABITAT, the 80+ acre plan involves building a community of houses on raised platforms, and using planted dunes as a natural flood defense.
More details on the distaster-proof design here
April 11, 2014

“Plus Pool” Will Let You Safely Swim in the East River

Last year, a Kickstarter crowd funding project for an ambitious public pool in the East River passed its $250,000 goal. This month, the project entered its first phase by dropping a miniature version of the pool called Float Lab into the river, testing the water quality and concept of the pool. If all goes according to plan, Gothamites will be splashing in this river pool in 2016!
See more renderings of this amazing design here
April 9, 2014

Photographers James and Karla Murray Capture New York City’s Rapidly Gentrifying Storefronts

If it seems like Starbucks and Duane Reade are colonizing the streets of New York City, there’s now photographic proof. A new series from shutterbugs James and Karla Murray looks at the rapidly changing face of Gotham’s storefronts and — no surprise — they’re getting more corporate. Gone are the colorful mom-and-pop signage the Murrays shot just a decade ago for their book Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York. In their place? Fast food franchises, banks, and high-end boutiques.
A peek inside the book
April 7, 2014

Barclays Center is Getting a Green Roof!

There is one more thing to cheer about at Barclays Center. The sports and entertainment venue in Brooklyn is about to get a little greener thanks to a collaboration between Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC) and the Shanghai-based Greenland Group Co. Barclays will soon be topped off with small plants and a soil-like cover to create an expansive 130,000-square-foot green roof!
Going green
April 5, 2014

Exclusive Photos of the Incredible $80K Towhnouse Rental Where Beyonce Shot ‘Halo’

The Soho home where Beyonce shot the video 'Halo' is still renting for $80K a month — putting it out of reach of just about all of us. Though broker photos are aplenty across the nets, 6sqft got to explore the private home last fall on Dwell magazine's City Modern Tour. The 5-story structure, renovated by Asfour Guzy, is touted as one of New York’s most unique properties, and it's no wonder why: This former Con Ed station boasts everything from a huge verdant terrace to 19-foot ceilings, and even a 007-like indoor pool that we bet B took a dip in.
Take a look inside