Architecture And Design

Plans for Bushwick Inlet Park, a 28-acre open space along an unused industrial stretch of the Williamsburg waterfront, first came about in 2005, when the Bloomberg administration rezoned the area to allow for new residential development in exchange for the open space. Fast forward to last week, and the city finally acquired the last piece of land for the project, the controversial Citistorage site. Now that the park is on its way to becoming a reality, a trio of grassroots creatives hopes to bring their alternative vision for the former Bayside Oil Depot site to the forefront. Maker Park is the proposal to adaptively reuse this seven-acre parcel's architectural infrastructure--namely the ten 50-foot decommissioned fuel containers--and create a "park as creative as the neighborhood around it." The Architect's Newspaper recently revealed the first set of renderings, which showcase performance venues, art galleries, hanging gardens, reflecting pools, and an adventure playground.
More views and design details

November 30, 2016

$16.8M Village townhouse has details, a celebrity history–and a secret artists’ cottage in back

This 185-year-old West Village townhouse at 121 Washington Place would enchant any lover of historic homes. Well-preserved details are everywhere, from a brick facade to a distinguished wood-paneled library and full-length arched drawing-room windows. Then there are the features that would thrill any homeowner; at 22 feet wide, the four-story house has an elevator and, best of all, the unexpected surprise of a pint-sized skylit English cottage/artists' studio with a full bath at the back of an idyllic walled garden. Even beyond its current charms, this home and its unique little studio have seen many a colorful, creative life and hosted artists, poets and other notables from Mark Twain to Hillary Clinton.
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November 29, 2016

Own a glass-box Hamptons home designed by One World Trade Center’s structural engineer

Jeff Smilow is the Executive Vice President of buildings at WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff, and perhaps his greatest accomplishment has been serving as the structural engineer for One World Trade Center. His streamlined, rhythmic approach is also seen at this contemporary glass and steel home in East Hampton, which he completed just this year. Now on the market for $5.5 million, the transparent residence best exemplifies Smilow's handiwork on its first floor, where the 5,000-square-foot open plan is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, completely unencumbered by columns.
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St. Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center tops out with cross

Images st_nicholasshrine Instagram / WTC Progress Facebook

November 29, 2016

St. Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center tops out with cross

It's been a long and arduous process rebuilding the St. Nicholas National Shrine, a Greek Orthodox Church that was destroyed on 9/11 when the second trade tower toppled on it. Only last year was the foundation poured, and only two weeks ago were the steel ribs of the structure's defining dome installed. But despite construction moving forward at a glacial pace, officials yesterday celebrated a major milestone with a “topping out ceremony” at the church's new site at Greenwich and Liberty streets. The touchstone event was notably marked by the addition of a temporary 6-foot-3-inch Justinian cross, reports the Times.
see more photos here

Architecture And Design

November 29, 2016

JDS reveals interior and courtyard views of SHoP-designed American Copper Buildings

The team behind the American Copper Buildings--JDS Development Group and SHoP Architects--teased a few interior renderings of the rental back in August, but now the project's full site is live and there's a slew of images of the SHoP-designed model apartments, as well as never-before-seen renderings of SCAPE Landscape Architecture's courtyard plaza. Along with these new views comes news from Curbed that though listings for the 600 market-rate units aren't available yet, (160 others became available through an affordable housing lottery) rents will start at $2,800/month for studios, $4,100/month for one-bedrooms, and $6,800/month for two-bedrooms.
See all the new looks

November 28, 2016

New renderings for COOKFOX’s 700-foot Financial District condo tower 25 Park Row

Over the summer, L+M Development Partners demolished the former Financial District flagship of J&R Music and Computer World to make way for a 54-story, mixed-use condo tower at 25 Park Row, just across from City Hall Park in an area quickly becoming a more vibrant, 24-hour neighborhood. Site excavation is now well underway for the 700-foot building, reports CityRealty, […]

November 23, 2016

‘Sex and the City’ Writer Candace Bushnell lists Victorian farmhouse in Connecticut for $1.4M

By Annie Doge

Though she created a vision of Manhattan that made an entire generation want to move to the big city and sip cosmos, "Sex and the City" writer Candace Bushnell also has experience in a more laid-back country lifestyle. The Journal recently toured her historic Victorian farmhouse in Roxbury, Connecticut, which is currently listed for $1.365 million. Bushnell said she's an old house lover who grew up antiquing, so when she saw the circa 1830 home in 2005, she couldn't help spending $661,500 on it, even though she admits she "could barely afford it." Clearly a good investment, the three-acre property has an apple orchard, barn, salt water pool, and pool house, as well as original moldings and floorboards.
See the entire property

November 22, 2016

New Isay Weinfeld-designed Four Seasons won’t resemble the historic restaurant at all

The 21st century incarnation of the iconic Four Seasons restaurant set to open at 280 Park Avenue will bear no resemblance to the original, beyond the famous name and the sign that fronted the "Mad Men"-era power lunch spot in the Seagram Building, according to the restaurant's co-owner, Julian Niccolini. The New York Post reports that the team behind the "new" Four Seasons–Niccolini and partner Alex von Bidder, the Bronfman family, landlord Steve Roth of Vornado and representatives of landlord SL Green Realty–approved the new restaurant's design, by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld, last Friday.
A new femininity for the three-martini lunch?

Architecture And Design

November 22, 2016

The Halston House, a former party spot of Andy Warhol, gets a price chop to $28M

By Emily Nonko

A piece of New York City history has become (just slightly) more affordable to own yourself. The mid-century home at 101 East 63rd Street on the Upper East Side, known as the Halston House, is one of only three residences in Manhattan designed by famed architect Paul Rudolph. Not only is the architecture iconic, but after designer Halston moved in in 1974, he spent the next 15 years hosting parties attended by the likes of Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli and Bianca Jagger. The former carriage house turned party destination turned luxury residence first hit the market for $40 million last year when it was said that contemporary art dealer Jeffrey Deitch was “angling” to make a deal. It must not have worked out, because it's back on the market at a discount, asking $28 million.
Hear more about this iconic home

Windows at Frank Gehry’s IAC Building are oozing sealant

Frank Gehry's IAC Building was completed in 2006 for Barry Diller's media company InterActiveCorp. It was Gehry's first project in NYC, boasting his signature curving facade and ushering in a wave of starchitect-designed projects along Eleventh Avenue in Chelsea. It also gained notability for its full-height, double-glazed window panes that fade from clear to white, giving the 10-story structure the look of an iceberg. But it's this feature that's now resulted in a lawsuit, according to the Post, who reports that "the window sealant has become a dripping, opaque blob."
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Architecture And Design

November 21, 2016

Site of planned Norman Foster-designed Sutton Place condo tower to be auctioned off next month

The 262,000-square-foot project that includes plans for a 900-foot-tall luxury condominium tower drawn up by British architect Sir Norman Foster of Foster + Partners that embattled developer Joseph Beninati had hoped to build in the heart of Sutton Place is set to be auctioned next month, according to Crains. As 6sqft previously reported, the sale of the property at 3 Sutton Place was authorized in September to pay back creditors and partners who were owed money from the derailed project, and a source has told Crain's that an auction is scheduled for December 13 with bids due by December 8.
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November 20, 2016

Studio Marchetti’s Dutchess County home is a series of pavilions sliding past each other

By Rebecca Paul

Living outside of the city comes with its sacrifices, but breathtaking scenery is not one of them, not to mention ample space and modern architecture. This beautiful home is situated on a hill in Dutchess County and was designed for a young family by the New York architecture firm Studio Marchetti. The structure is made up of a series of pavilions that slide past each other in order to highlight the beautiful views and includes a pool and pergola to further integrate nature into the living space.
Tour the property

November 18, 2016

This 1755 Connecticut cottage is asking just $360K

By Emily Nonko

For the same price as a modest Manhattan apartment, this adorable 18th century Connecticut cottage could be yours. The cedar-sided home was constructed in 1755 in the town of Clinton, at 11 Pearl Street. More recently, the interior got a full renovation, meaning that the inside is surprisingly modern. Best yet, its located in a quaint town just outside of New York Side, and is only a five minute walk to the MetroNorth Railroad. Sounds appealing? It's hit the market for $360,000.
Here's a look inside

November 18, 2016

Renderings revealed for 40-story Coney Island tower, the tallest residential building in South Brooklyn

Robert S. Trump (Donald's much lesser known younger brother) sold Coney Island's Trump Village Shopping Center in the early 2000s to developer Rubin Schron of Cammeby’s International Group, who, in 2014, publicized plans to replace the center with a 40-story mixed-use tower. Despite opposition from the community, the project is moving ahead, as Yimby has revealed renderings from S9 Architecture of the 430-foot-tall building at 532 Neptune Avenue that's been dubbed Neptune/Sixth. When complete, it will be the tallest residential tower in South Brooklyn, offering 544 apartments, a retail and community facility base, and a public courtyard.
More renderings and details

Construction update: Pier 55’s 535 concrete columns rise from the Hudson River

Current view of Pier55 site, via 6sqft

November 18, 2016

Construction update: Pier 55’s 535 concrete columns rise from the Hudson River

Now that the Barry Diller-funded Pier 55 offshore park can proceed freely, the Wall Street Journal took a look at how construction is progressing on the $200 million project. Currently, the 535 concrete columns, each three feet wide and ranging from 70 to 200 feet long, that will support the 2.75-acre park have been erected, poking out of the Hudson River amidst the historic wooden piles that once supported Pier 54, where the Titanic was supposed to dock (these will remain to sustain marine life development). On top of them will be pots, "hollow pentagonal forms" that weigh as much as 60 tons and will be "linked with concrete to create a rectangular platform of about 104,000 square feet."
More new details this way

NYPL reveals first image for its $200M Mid-Manhattan Library renovation

Image: Mecanoo with Beyer Blinder Belle

November 17, 2016

NYPL reveals first image for its $200M Mid-Manhattan Library renovation

Hot on the heels of wrapping a major renovation and hosting an epic reopening for the Rose Reading Room at their flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the NYPL is now moving forward with another mammoth revamp on its Mid-Manhattan Library. Last September, the library revealed that Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo had been tasked with the $300 million overhaul of both the flagship and the Mid-Manhattan branch at Fifth Avenue and 40th Street. And now, the NYPL is offering us our first look at the latter, a project they are calling a "state-of-the-art library that will serve as both a model and catalyst for a rejuvenated library system."
all the details here

Richard Meier, Rafael Viñoly, and KPF release designs for Upper West Side waterfront development

Towers L to R: Rafael Viñoly, Richard Meier, Kohn Pedersen Fox

November 17, 2016

Richard Meier, Rafael Viñoly, and KPF release designs for Upper West Side waterfront development

Forty-two years after Donald Trump first proposed a mixed-use development on the Upper West Side waterfront, one of the final pieces of the puzzle is coming together. Curbed got their hands on sparkling new renderings of what's now being called Waterline Square, a trio of residential towers on the five-acre site between West 59th and 61st Streets that's part of Riverside Center. In addition to views of the glassy structures, which will offer a combination of condos and rentals, and a Mathews Nielsen-designed park, what makes the reveal so exciting is the roster of starchitects behind the towers--Richard Meier and Partners, Rafael Viñoly Architects, and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.
More details and renderings

NYC’s next superblock: Development goes into overdrive along far West 29th Street

Google Earth rendering created by CityRealty

November 16, 2016

NYC’s next superblock: Development goes into overdrive along far West 29th Street

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

It is not often that a single block stands out in a city like New York. But a huge transformation is occurring at the junction of 29th Street. West 29th Street, in between 10th and 11th avenues, is the transition point between three neighborhoods: West Chelsea, Hudson Yards and the Far West Side. The massive […]

November 16, 2016

Starchitect Frank Gehry may self-exile to France now that Trump’s been elected

Outspoken starchitect Frank Gehry is taking the whole "I'm moving if Trump wins" thing quite literally. The Canadian-born, LA-based architect told French paper La Croix just before the election that President Francois Hollande assured him he could go into exile in France if Trump became president. But as ArtNet points out, a possible relocation may have more to do with a personal beef than political leanings. In 2010, Gehry's 8 Spruce Street surpassed Trump World Tower as the city's tallest residential building, and we know how feisty the Donald gets when it comes to size...
The rest of the story

November 15, 2016

See new photos inside the world’s tallest modular tower; leasing kicks off at 461 Dean

It's been a long an tumultuous journey for 461 Dean, also know as the B2 tower, and better known as the world's tallest prefab tower. The fire-engine-red stacked building has seen numerous delays in the last four years thanks to lawsuits, leaks, and alignment issues. Its developer Forest City Ratner even opted to exit the modular business last month—although that's not to say that the technology developed is any less valuable (more on that ahead). But now that celebratory champagne bottle can finally be popped, as this afternoon the developer held a grand opening ceremony to kick off the official start of leasing.
more details here

November 15, 2016

Where I Work: Go inside Lite Brite Neon’s colorfully gritty Gowanus workshop and showroom

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we take a tour of the Gowanus studio of Lite Brite Neon. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! Among the manufacturing and arts tenants in the Old American Can Factory, a converted six-building industrial complex at the Gowanus Canal, is Lite Brite Neon, which has been described as "the darling of artists and designers." And after touring their funky workspace/showroom, the description definitely fits. They were founded in 1999 in Brooklyn and have been creating neon art, signage, lighting, and displays ever since, in addition to preserving and restoring historic neon. 6sqft recently got an insider's look at their colorfully gritty home and spoke to lead designer Wayne Heller about how the company functions and what makes neon unique.
Take the tour here

#NotMyAIA: Architects reject AIA statement pledging to ‘work with’ Trump

Promises and reality: Trump’s failed attempts to build the world’s tallest buildings in NYC

November 15, 2016

#NotMyAIA: Architects reject AIA statement pledging to ‘work with’ Trump

. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) issued a statement last Wednesday pledging that "The AIA and its 89,000 members are committed to working with president-elect Trump to address the issues our country faces, particularly strengthening the nation's aging infrastructure." The statement issued by organization chief Robert Ivy assured that the country's architects would help the incoming president and congress with construction industry-related matters: "During the campaign, president-elect Trump called for committing at least $500 billion to infrastructure spending over five years,” said Ivy–possibly providing an imperative for the message. But that does not appear to be reason enough for members, who say they do not necessarily "stand ready to work with him and with the incoming 115th Congress.” A swift and indignant backlash led to an apology by Ivy released early this week.
Read on

November 14, 2016

New York Wheel’s first two pedestals arrive on Staten Island

In early October, the New York Wheel welcomed its four massive legs at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Sunset Park—the first physical components of the project to find their way to NYC. Now another milestone has been met, as Friday marked the first delivery of parts to the official Staten Island construction site. According a press release, two of the wheel's four pedestals have been unloaded, and another two will arrive later this week.
check out the photos

Architecture And Design

November 11, 2016

432 Park Avenue will become a beacon of light beginning Monday