Architecture And Design

Architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is designing another film studio in New York City. Production company Samson Stages announced plans for a new 330,000-square-foot production facility on the waterfront in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Designed by BIG, the firm also behind Robert De Niro's under-construction Wildflower Studios in Astoria, the Samson Stages Red Hook Studio will include a building with eight stacked stages and a public park.
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Architecture And Design

Army Corps of Engineers releases first renderings of NYC sea walls for coastal storm protection plan

This rendering shows a 20-foot-tall proposed floodwall along the Hudson River at Huron Street in the West Village. Image: Army Corps of Engineers.

January 31, 2023

Army Corps of Engineers releases first renderings of NYC sea walls for coastal storm protection plan

Late last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the $52 billion proposal that will represent the most comprehensive effort to date to protect the city from storm surges and the only existing plan for protecting the entire New York Harbor area. The Army Corps recently revealed a new series of renderings that provide a visual glance at how some of these projects might transform the New York City waterfront. Renderings show barriers, gates, sea walls, and raised promenades at Flushing Bay in Queens, at Greenpoint Public Park, and Coney Island in Brooklyn, among others, as THE CITY first reported.
More renderings, this way

Plan to resurrect NYC’s iconic Brooklyn Banks skate park moves forward

The Brooklyn Banks in 2009. Photo credit: Rasmus Zwickson via Flickr

January 27, 2023

Plan to resurrect NYC’s iconic Brooklyn Banks skate park moves forward

Tony Hawk’s The Skatepark Project announced plans Thursday to bring the much-loved Brooklyn Banks skate park back to life in a partnership with the nonprofit Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan/Create Gotham Park project. The organizations have joined an ongoing initiative to develop Gotham Park and return the iconic skateboarding mecca to the community by creating a new public park under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. During his State of the City speech on Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams voiced his support for the new public space.
Find out more about bringing back the Banks

Live in Zaha Hadid’s Chelsea masterpiece with four bedrooms and a curvy balcony for $10.5M

Photo credit: Fortem Media for The Corcoran Group

January 25, 2023

Live in Zaha Hadid’s Chelsea masterpiece with four bedrooms and a curvy balcony for $10.5M

This four-bedroom condo in The Residences by Zaha Hadid at 520 West 28th Street is a rare opportunity to live in the late starchitect's residential masterpiece. The unique loft-like 3,840-square-foot residence, asking $10,495,000, features Hadid's signature curves, curated amenities, and a balcony with views of the architecturally significant Chelsea skyline. Details include 10-foot-wide motorized windows with distinctive curved detailing, high ceilings, and generous proportions.
Tour this curvy, curated Chelsea home

Photo courtesy of Douglas Elliman

January 23, 2023

This $4.5M historic Riverdale home overlooks the Hudson River from an elegant veranda

Known as the Henry Atherton Villa, this extraordinary home at 5247 Independence Avenue was known at the turn of the 20th century as a gathering place for artists, poets, and society notables. Looking out over the Hudson River and the Palisades beyond, the property is 15 minutes away from Midtown Manhattan, surrounded by the verdant historic Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale. Built in 1830, the Gothic Revival style home received a Colonial Revival addition at the turn of the century. Asking $4,500,000, the home spans 10,000 square feet, with nine bedrooms, gracious lawns, a solarium, and a veranda with breathtaking river views.
See more of this historic Riverdale home

Hell’s Kitchen church home to first Black Catholic parish in the north sells for $16M

Photo by James Russiello on WikiCommons

January 19, 2023

Hell’s Kitchen church home to first Black Catholic parish in the north sells for $16M

The first Black Catholic church to open above the Mason-Dixon line has been sold for $16 million, as first reported by Bisnow New York. Located at 342 West 53rd Street in Hell's Kitchen, the former St. Benedict the Moor church was constructed in 1869 as the only church for Black Roman Catholics. The property was sold by the Archdiocese of New York to developer Walter Wang's JMM Charitable Foundation, whose future plans for the site are unknown, according to W42ST.
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Civil rights lawyer William Kunstler’s former Village townhouse sells for $6.5M

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens unless otherwise noted

January 10, 2023

Civil rights lawyer William Kunstler’s former Village townhouse sells for $6.5M

The Greenwich Village townhouse of late civil rights attorney William Kunstler sold last month for $6,500,000, according to CityRealty. Kunstler, who famously defended the Chicago Seven, Malcolm X, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., and others, and his wife, attorney Margaret Ratner Kunstler, paid $225,000 for the townhouse in 1981, as the Wall Street Journal reported. Located at 13 Gay Street, the four-story brick Greek Revival townhouse was built in 1844 and retains the same 19th-century charm of its neighbors.
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See the marine science-themed playground coming to Hudson River Park’s Pier 26

All renderings courtesy of OLIN

January 5, 2023

See the marine science-themed playground coming to Hudson River Park’s Pier 26

Manhattan is getting a new, marine science-inspired play area to teach kids about wildlife. The Hudson River Park Trust last month broke ground on the 4,000-square-foot play area at Pier 26 in Tribeca. Designed by OLIN, the Pier 26 Science Play Area will feature interactive sculptural elements where children can play while learning about marine life and the surrounding Hudson River habitat. The specialized park will also serve as an outdoor programming space for the future Hudson River Estuarium and complements the recently opened ecologically-themed Pier 26. Located at North Moore Street in Hudson River Park, the play area is expected to open to the public this year.
See it here

Architecture And Design

Snøhetta-designed Bronx library features a green glass facade inspired by trees

The Library’s fritted glass facade is wrapped in a graphic print inspired by the verdant tree canopies of The Bronx. Credit: © Snøhetta & LMNB

December 29, 2022

Snøhetta-designed Bronx library features a green glass facade inspired by trees

World-renowned architecture firm Snøhetta last week unveiled its design for a new library in the Bronx. The 12,000-square-foot Westchester Square Library, which will sit next to the historic Huntington Free Library on Glebe Avenue, will feature a striking green glass facade with abstract views of the neighborhood's trees, a way to pay homage to the Bronx's status as the city's "greenest borough," according to the firm. The library is being developed with the city's Department of Design and Construction and the New York Public Library.
See the design

Architecture And Design

How to decorate your small NYC apartment for the holidays

By Lidia Ryan

Decorating your home is one of the joys of the holidays. But in New York City, most people don’t have room for a 10-foot Christmas tree or an elaborate display of lights. But that shouldn’t stop even studio dwellers from getting into the spirit! We spoke to interior designers to get some expert tips on how to decorate small spaces for the holidays.
Tips this way

December 19, 2022

Designer gift guide: 11 NYC creatives share what they’re giving (and what they want) this holiday

6sqft has once again asked a handful of New York City designers, architects, and artists to share a few things they plan on gifting–or, perhaps, hope to receive–this season. Read on for dozens of unique and unexpected items curated by some of the city’s most talented creatives. We promise a bounty of ideas and inspiration to choose from if you happen to find yourself scrambling for a gift.
This year's coolest gifts, this way

$87M restoration of historic Orchard Beach Pavilion kicks off in the Bronx

View of the Upper and Lower Promenades, Cafeteria, and South Loggia, Looking South (1936); Images courtesy of Marvel/ NYC Parks/ NYCEDC

December 14, 2022

$87M restoration of historic Orchard Beach Pavilion kicks off in the Bronx

Construction kicked off this week on a project to reconstruct the historic bathhouse and pavilion at Orchard Beach in the Bronx. The city's Parks Department and the Economic Development Corporation on Tuesday broke ground on the $87 million reconstruction of the 140,000 square-foot landmarked pavilion, which includes a major renovation of its historic architecture, new amenities for the community, and increased accessibility.
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Vogue editor Hamish Bowles lists his treasure-filled pre-war Village duplex for $2.9M

Photo credit: MW Studios for Sotheby’s International Realty

December 13, 2022

Vogue editor Hamish Bowles lists his treasure-filled pre-war Village duplex for $2.9M

Vogue editor-at-large Hamish Bowles has long been celebrated for his distinctive and eclectic taste. The design editor purchased this pre-war Greenwich Village duplex for $1.5 million in a 2008 estate sale and proceeded to infuse every corner of it with lush textiles and colors, antique furnishings, vintage books, and couture menswear. The longtime Vogue fixture relocated back to his native London when he took a job as editor-in-chief of The World of Interiors magazine in 2021. Now, his charming two-bedroom co-op at 45 East 9th Street is for sale, asking $2,900,000. Bowles tells the New York Times, "During the pandemic it became a salvation–and a marvelous place for me to call home."
A stylish eyeful, this way

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church finally reopens at the World Trade Center

All photos © Alan Karchmer for Santiago Calatrava unless otherwise noted

December 8, 2022

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church finally reopens at the World Trade Center

The only house of worship that was totally destroyed during the September 11 attacks finally reopened to the public this week. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, now located at 130 Liberty Street, resumed regular parish life with a prayer service on Monday. Inspired by Byzantine architecture, Calatrava designed a facade that appears to glow from within; the church will be illuminated every night as a beacon of hope at the site.
More here

175-year-old church in Manhattan’s Rose Hill neighborhood to be demolished

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

November 29, 2022

175-year-old church in Manhattan’s Rose Hill neighborhood to be demolished

A historic church that has resided in Manhattan for more than 175 years is set to be demolished, as first reported by Crain's New York. Located at 154 Lexington Avenue in Nomad, the First Moravian Church served as an important meeting space for patriotic societies and women's groups and played a critical role in welcoming Armenian immigrants to New York City. An application was filed this month for an 11-story mixed-use building at the site, according to city records.
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See Snøhetta’s lush public garden now open at 550 Madison Avenue

All photos courtesy of Barret Doherty unless otherwise noted

November 17, 2022

See Snøhetta’s lush public garden now open at 550 Madison Avenue

The new public garden at Philip Johnson's 550 Madison Avenue building opened this week, the final component of the postmodern landmark's renovation led by the Olayan Group. Designed by Snøhetta, the lush privately-owned public space (POPS) is located adjacent to 550 Madison in a formerly enclosed mid-block passageway. Increasing the public space at the site by 50 percent, the half-acre garden is now the largest in Midtown East.
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Preservationists, local pols hope to save 200-year-old Greenwich Village house from demolition

Photo by Spencer Means on Flickr

November 15, 2022

Preservationists, local pols hope to save 200-year-old Greenwich Village house from demolition

A 200-year-old landmarked property in Greenwich Village once home to author Ruth McKenney could soon be demolished. The city's Department of Buildings last week ordered the immediate demolition of the rowhouse at 14 Gay Street after learning unpermitted work on the building has left it at risk of collapsing. According to The Village Sun, adjacent 16 Gay Street, also constructed in 1827, has also been compromised.
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Here’s what Rikers Island could look like as a green infrastructure hub

All renderings courtesy of Andrea Johnson for the Regional Plan Association

November 3, 2022

Here’s what Rikers Island could look like as a green infrastructure hub

A new report released this week details how New York City's notorious Rikers Island could become a green energy center after the prison complex closes. The Regional Plan Association and Rhode Island School of Design on Wednesday revealed their vision to transform the over 400-acre Rikers Island into a green energy hub with solar energy production, recycling and composting infrastructure, a research and training facility for the formerly incarcerated, and a wastewater treatment plant.
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All renderings courtesy of Marvel

October 31, 2022

Bronx Museum of the Arts unveils $26M renovation plan and brand redesign

The Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York City's only free contemporary art museum revealed a new design and revamped brand identity. Located at the corner of Grand Concourse and 165th Street in the Bronx, the Bronx Museum of the Arts will receive a new multi-story entrance and lobby design in its South Wing created by architectural firm Marvel using $26 million in city funding. It is the first time the museum has undergone such a significant transformation, which will wrap up by 2025.
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October 28, 2022

See how Studio Gang’s canyon-inspired science center is taking shape at AMNH

Not only does the American Museum of Natural History's new center make the museum's founding dream of building one continuous campus across four city blocks a reality, but it also brings a new architectural gem to New York City. Designed by Jeanne Gang's Studio Gang, the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation is a dramatic, curving structure, inspired by caves and canyons formed by natural forces. The museum released new photos and provided a media tour of the Gilder Center this week, highlighting its progress on the Upper West Side ahead of the official opening in February.
Take the tour

Finalist proposals unveiled for new climate change center on Governors Island

Conceptual rendering of Proposal #1. Credit: Trust for Governors Island

October 27, 2022

Finalist proposals unveiled for new climate change center on Governors Island

Mayor Eric Adams and the Trust for Governors Island on Wednesday unveiled the three finalists for the city's global competition to design a state-of-the-art research institution on Governors Island dedicated to climate solutions. The so-called Center for Climate Solutions will create 7,000 permanent jobs, approximately $1 billion in economic impact, and develop innovative ways for New York City and the rest of the world to address the climate crisis, according to the city. The winning design team will be announced next year.
Details here

10 years after Superstorm Sandy: rebuilding, redesigning and rethinking New York City

Photo credit: Chris Ford via Flickr

October 27, 2022

10 years after Superstorm Sandy: rebuilding, redesigning and rethinking New York City

A decade ago, an Atlantic hurricane-turned-superstorm named Sandy caught ready-for-anything New York City completely off guard as it raged up the East Coast from the Caribbean to Canada. On October 29, 2012, the city was blindsided by an unanticipated storm surge that flooded streets and subway tunnels and cut power. It took some areas weeks to get the lights back on and, in the best of cases, open for business, and years to rebuild (an effort which is still ongoing). It goes without saying that the city would like this disaster to be the first and last of its kind, but predictions of future environmental impacts are front-page news daily. To that end, experts and innovators in architecture and engineering, government organizations, regulators, and planners have dedicated their efforts–and billions of dollars–to protect the city in a post-Sandy world. But what has really been accomplished–and is the city safer?
Storm clouds, silver linings, but few solutions

See NYC architects compete in annual pumpkin carving contest Pumpkitecture

Image courtesy of Sam Lahoz

October 27, 2022

See NYC architects compete in annual pumpkin carving contest Pumpkitecture

The annual competition that pits New York City-based architectural firms against each other to carve the best pumpkin is returning on Friday, just in time for Halloween. Known as Pumpkitecture, the event will give onlookers the opportunity to see architects hone their skills in real-time and compete for the big prize, the Pritzkerpumpkin. Pumpkitecture will take place at the Center for Architecture at 536 LaGuardia Place in Greenwich Village on October 28 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Get ready to go gourd to gourd

Furniture resale marketplace AptDeco launches national shipping

Photo courtesy of AptDeco

October 21, 2022

Furniture resale marketplace AptDeco launches national shipping