Architecture And Design

Two years ago 6sqft reported on the rise of a singular single-family residence on a Williamsburg corner lot; the amazing townhouse was built from 21 steel shipping containers, tamed and transformed into a sleek and surprisingly livable home by the architecture and design firm LOT-EK for the Brooklyn couple behind neighborhood barbecue favorite Fette Sau. If you've always wanted to live in the 25-by-100-foot, 5,000-square-foot home at 2 Monitor Street, now's your chance; the house just hit the market for $5.5 million.
Tour this industry-inspired wonder

Brooklyn Children’s Museum installs a rooftop playscape made from reclaimed water tower wood

Images courtesy of Tri-Lox

June 19, 2019

Brooklyn Children’s Museum installs a rooftop playscape made from reclaimed water tower wood

Images courtesy of Tri-Lox A new interactive playscape created by design and fabrication practice Tri-Lox brings creative play to the rooftop terrace at Brooklyn Children’s Museum in Crown Heights. Inspired by the unique nests made by the baya weaver bird, Nest is made from reclaimed NYC water tower wood fashioned into an organic form; the woven landscape has a climbable exterior, circular hammock area and permeable interior space, all designed to foster free play and discovery.
Find out what makes this playscape so special

June 19, 2019

Frank Lloyd Wright’s unique hexagonal house in Glen Ridge, NJ is back on the market for $1.2M

Just 35 minutes from Manhattan, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s three remaining New Jersey homes just hit the market for $1.2 million. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom property in charming Glen Ridge is a stunning example of the architect’s midcentury Usonian style of flat-roofed, streamlined homes made of natural materials and incorporating many connections to the outside. Built out of cypress wood, brick, and glass, the home is notable for its hexagonal floor plan formed entirely by 60 or 120-degree angles with not a single right angle.
Take a look inside

Central Park’s Belvedere Castle reveals $12M restoration

The restored Belvedere, courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy

June 18, 2019

Central Park’s Belvedere Castle reveals $12M restoration

By Dana Schulz

After a 15-month, $12 million restoration and repair project, the Belvedere will reopen to the public on Friday, June 28th. In anticipation, the Central Park Conservancy today opened the historic structure to press, revealing its restored facade, expansive views through new clear-pane-glass windows, new mechanical and utility systems, and a recreation of a wooden tower that was part of Olmsted and Vaux's original plan 150 years ago. Though many New Yorkers refer to the site as Belvedere Castle, "Belvedere" actually means “beautiful view” in Italian and refers to the vistas from the second-highest point in Central Park. Belvedere receives approximately one million visitors each year, and starting this month, they will also be able to see the Castle illuminated at night, as the landmark will be lit for the first time ever.
See more right here

Six significant LGBTQ sites in New York City are landmarked

Top, left to right: GAA Firehouse, James Baldwin Residence, LGBT Community Center; Bottom, left to right: Audre Lorde Residence, Women’s Liberation Center, Caffe Cino; Photos courtesy of NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

June 18, 2019

Six significant LGBTQ sites in New York City are landmarked

Six sites significant to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community of New York City officially became city landmarks on Tuesday. The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Gay Activists Alliance Firehouse, the Women's Liberation Center, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, Caffe Cino, James Baldwin's Upper West Side home, and the Staten Island home of Audre Lorde. The designations coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, as well as the city's first time hosting WorldPride.
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This $13M private island just outside NYC is totally off the grid

Listing photos by Vizzi Media Solutions

June 17, 2019

This $13M private island just outside NYC is totally off the grid

This unique home located in New Rochelle just outside New York City is not only situated on a pair of private islands with over five acres of land, but with a year's worth of fuel oil, the islands are completely self-sustaining for off-the-grid living right in Westchester County. An inspired renovation by the current owner means custom everything and integration with nature without sacrificing comfort. Asking $13 million, Columbia and Pea Islands–and a 5,625-square-foot home–are definitely not your ordinary property.
Take an island tour

Essex Crossing’s public park is now open on the Lower East Side

Images by QuallsBenson

June 13, 2019

Essex Crossing’s public park is now open on the Lower East Side

A 15,000-square-foot park—the latest component of Essex Crossing to open to the public—is now complete on the Lower East Side, right in time for summer. Designed by landscape architecture firm West 8 (best known for designing the Hills at Governors Island), the park is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, where the ambitious Essex Crossing project is still in full swing, with seven of its nine sites now open or under construction.
More details

June 12, 2019

New IKEA collaboration features robotic furniture for small space living

The way people live in their homes is constantly evolving, and IKEA manages to keep evolving to address our changing needs; case in point: a new collaboration between the Swedish furniture giant and Ori, an American startup that has been developing robotic furniture ideal for modern living, has resulted in a new IKEA line called ROGNAN. The new "robotic furniture solution for small space living," will help modern urbanites combine comfort and convenience in small spaces, without sacrificing style.
See robotic furniture in action, this way

Seven years in the works, Jeanne Gang’s $383M Museum of Natural History expansion breaks ground

A rendering of the front façade of the Gilder Center (L) by Studio Gang, 2019; Center interior (R) by MIR and Studio Gang, 2019.

June 12, 2019

Seven years in the works, Jeanne Gang’s $383M Museum of Natural History expansion breaks ground

Following delays caused by a lawsuit aimed at protecting the adjacent, city-owned Theodore Roosevelt Park, a groundbreaking ceremony on June 12 officially kicked off construction of the American Museum of Natural History’s new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. Designed by architect Jeanne Gang—who was initially brought on board the project seven years ago—the $383 million Center will add new galleries, classrooms, a theatre, and an expanded library while linking 10 museum buildings for better circulation throughout the campus. Originally slated to open in 2020, the construction process is expected to last three years.
All the details

Historic Clinton Hill home that spawned ghost stories is back on the market for $3.6M

Here's a rare chance to own one of the city's most historic homes, the Lefferts-Laidlaw House at 136 Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill (and part of the Wallabout Historic District). Built around 1836, the home "typified the villas that were erected in Brooklyn's early suburbs in the early-to-mid nineteenth century" and might be the "only remaining temple-fronted Greek Revival style residence in Kings County," according to the 2001 designation report. It's become known as one of the most haunted houses in the city, thanks to stories of "doorbells rung, doors rattled" on a nightly basis in the late 19th century—but the tongue-in-cheek tone of the original New York Times reports is hard to miss. Perhaps the scariest thing left about it is the asking price. The home has been on and off the market for years, last seeking $4.5 million in 2016. Now, the property is back for a significantly reduced $3.6 million.
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Renderings reveal Madison Place, new 800-foot condo tower in Nomad

Rendering courtesy of DBOX

June 11, 2019

Renderings reveal Madison Place, new 800-foot condo tower in Nomad

The anticipated 805-foot condo tower currently rising in Nomad at 15 East 30th Street—dubbed Madison House—has just unveiled a teaser website and new renderings to give us a peek of the project, inside and out. The 62-story building was designed by Handel Architects, and Gachot Studios will be helming the interior design. Having already topped out, sales are expected to launch in September, including a range of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom residences and an expansive duplex penthouse with a private terrace and elevator entry.
More details

Photo by Timothy Schenck, courtesy of the High Line.

June 11, 2019

The High Line’s final section, the Spur, is open

The High Line's newest section, the Spur, opened to the public last week following a ribbon-cutting celebration on Tuesday. Elected officials, artists, advocates, supporters, community members, and architects involved in the project were on hand for a speaking program that welcomed visitors to the new space. The Spur–the last section of the original elevated rail to be converted into public space–extends east along West 30th Street and ends above 10th Avenue; it's also home to the High Line Plinth, the first site on the High Line dedicated to a rotating series of contemporary art commissions. Simone Leigh’s "Brick House" is the first Plinth commission.
Photos and more, this way

June 7, 2019

Six fireplaces, stunning woodwork, and a steam room at this historic Park Slope home, now asking $3.99M

The gracious four-story brownstone at 228 Garfield Place—part of the Park Slope Historic District—has been impeccably maintained and boasts many original architectural details, including six fireplaces, pocket doors, inlaid wood floors, wood shutters, and stained-glass transoms. The longtime owners also updated the residence with some modern, wonderfully decadent creature comforts, like a steam room in the master suite. The property was first listed in January for $4.495 million and has received a couple of price chops over the months before settling on its current asking price of $3.995 million.
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Jeanne Gang’s first residential tower in NYC tops out in Downtown Brooklyn

Images courtesy of Studio Gang

June 4, 2019

Jeanne Gang’s first residential tower in NYC tops out in Downtown Brooklyn

The first residential tower in New York City designed by Jeanne Gang's Studio Gang topped out this week in Downtown Brooklyn. Reaching 620 feet tall, 11 Hoyt Street will offer 481 condos, an elevated park, and 55,000 square feet of amenities. Sales launched at the Tishman Speyer-developed building last September, with prices ranging from $690,000 for studios to about $3.5 million for a four-bedroom. Hill West Architects served as the architect of record for the project.
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New 9/11 memorial honoring rescue and recovery workers opens at World Trade Center

Photo by Monika Graff for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

June 3, 2019

New 9/11 memorial honoring rescue and recovery workers opens at World Trade Center

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum's new monument honoring first responders opened Thursday, on the 17th anniversary of the official end of the recovery effort at Ground Zero. The 9/11 Memorial Glade monument recognizes first responders who are currently sick or who have died from illnesses caused by toxins following the September 11 attacks. Located at the World Trade Center site, the memorial consists of six stone monoliths that point skyward to "symbolize strength and determination through adversity."
See it here

Delayed pedestrian bridge in Battery Park City will finally open this fall

Rendering by WXY architecture + urban design

May 30, 2019

Delayed pedestrian bridge in Battery Park City will finally open this fall

A new pedestrian bridge in Lower Manhattan will open this fall, more than ten years after it was proposed, the city announced Wednesday. The 230-foot West Thames Street Pedestrian Bridge replaces the Rector Street Bridge, a temporary structure built after two bridges in the area were destroyed during the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Designed by engineer Thornton Tomassetti and WXY architecture + urban design, the $45 million bridge crosses West Street and connects Battery Park City with the Financial District.
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Architecture And Design

May 30, 2019

See inside Central Park’s revamped SummerStage venue

By Dana Schulz

This summer marks the 33rd SummerStage to take place in Central Park, but this year, NYC's largest, free outdoor performing arts festival has a completely revamped and reconceptualized venue to the tune of $5.5 million. The event, hosted by the City Parks Foundation, is comprised of 100 performances in 17 neighborhood parks throughout the city, but the flagship venue in Central Park is certainly the headliner. After 20 years, the 5,500-person space has a new stage with 20 percent more capacity and updated technology, along with a new circulation pattern meant to enhance the guest experience, new member and VIP viewing platforms, new concession areas, and more.
Go behind the scenes before the venue opens this weekend

Architecture And Design

Photo by Laurian Ghinitoiu.

May 30, 2019

See new views of OMA’s first NYC building, with ‘prismatic’ details

The new L-shaped residential building at 121 East 22nd Street represents Rem Koolhaas's architecture firm OMA's first ground-up Manhattan project; developers Toll Brothers City Living have released new photos of the eye-catching structure on the border between the Gramercy and Madison Square Park neighborhoods, highlighting its unique design. The new condominium residence is comprised of two blocks that straddle an existing tower, the 11-story School of the Future, constructed in 1915. The building's north tower has two interlocking planes that meet to form a distinct, three-dimensional corner. The 13-story south tower features an "undulating grid of punched windows" overlooking 22nd Street.
More views this way

May 29, 2019

For $8.9M, a glamorous Murray Hill townhouse once owned by Liza Minnelli

Once the home of several prominent figures—including Liza Minnelli—this elegant Second Empire-style townhouse at 115 East 38th Street in Murray Hill is seeking its new owner for $8.85 million. Steeped in history and landmarked in the Murray Hill Historic District, the gorgeous 1865 brownstone facade (which was painted in the mid-twentieth century) has remained remarkably intact, while the interior has received a modern renovation. Spanning across six floors and roughly 6,615 square-feet, the residence boasts five bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms, an elevator, six working fireplaces, a garden, a roof terrace, and views of the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings.
More photos here

May 28, 2019

A renovated Federal-era West Village home with a solarium seeks $5.1M

Part of the Greenwich Village Historic District, the Federal-style rowhouse at 41 Barrow Street was originally built in 1828 as a "two and one-half storied wood building with [a] brick front in Flemish bond, steeply pitched roof and dormer window," according to the 1969 LPC designation. For all the historic charm it oozes from the outside, the interior has undergone a thorough renovation that kept many of the original details—wide-plank wood floors, two of the three original fireplace mantels, exposed wood beams—while gaining some modern upgrades. Of these, a solarium built on the parlor floor is the highlight, bringing plenty of light into the home and better flow to a somewhat tricky layout. The historic West Village property is now on the market for a cool $5,100,000.
Take the tour!

Rendering by Darc Studio.

May 28, 2019

For a girls’ school in Crown Heights, ODA upends the traditional school building

In designing a Crown Heights girls' school seeking an addition to their current campus, design and architecture firm ODA New York challenged the traditional American school building model, taking the future of urban density into account. The resulting design introduces a sixth facade, giving the structure a new set of faces to apply materials and create openings.
More views of the cool new-school design

Architecture And Design

A previous rendering; via EDC

May 24, 2019

City revives Downtown Brooklyn’s Willoughby Square Park project

Downtown Brooklyn is finally getting a park that was promised to the neighborhood more than 15 years ago. The city's Economic Development Corporation announced on Friday it will take over construction of the green space at Willoughby Square. In January, the city abandoned the plan to add a new park on top of a high-tech parking facility because of the developer's inability to secure financing. But, as first reported by Crain's, the EDC said the agency's capital division will take on the work itself, without a private developer or the underground automated parking lot originally proposed. The city estimates the park will open sometime in 2022.
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Architecture And Design

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s new bill is a ‘roadmap to breaking the car culture’

Via City Council Speaker Corey Johnson

May 21, 2019

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s new bill is a ‘roadmap to breaking the car culture’

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson's comprehensive "complete streets" bill arrives just three months after he proposed a five-year plan to make New Yorkers who take mass transit, walk and bike a priority over motor vehicle drivers. Johnson plans to introduce legislation next week that would require city officials to build 150 miles of dedicated bus lanes and 250 miles of protected bike lanes within a five year period, Streetsblog reports. Johnson said, “I want to completely revolutionize how we share our street space, and that’s what this bill does. This is a roadmap to breaking the car culture in a thoughtful, comprehensive way.”
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Williamsburg’s tallest tower tops out at Domino Sugar Factory development

Photo by Max Touhey

May 21, 2019

Williamsburg’s tallest tower tops out at Domino Sugar Factory development