Architecture And Design

July 4, 2016

See Inside This 1833 West Village Townhouse, Now Asking $5.975 Million

232 West 10th Street is a brick townhouse in the West Village, constructed way back in 1833. The builder was John C. Blauvelt, who was earning a living as a cartman and built his home "typical of the Federal-style homes being built at the time" according to Daytonian in Manhattan. All these years later the brick facade has remained remarkably in tact. And now that it's on the market, asking nearly $6 million, we can take a peek inside the well-preserved interior, too.
Check it out

July 1, 2016

Own a Collection of Eight Private Islands off the Connecticut Coast for $78 Million

By Michelle Cohen

Hey, big spender...before you close on that trophy penthouse condo or townhouse duo, take a look at this extraordinary listing. When you've got billions–or even lots of millions–your real estate options are many. From a penthouse in the sky in a Billionaire's Row skyscraper to a townhouse or two on the Upper East Side or a Hamptons manse with acres of beachfront property, modern-day palaces await. For that eight-figure outlay, this listing is unusual even among the real estate deals of the superrich. The Post tells us of a private archipelago off the Connecticut coastline, owned by Christine and Edmund Stoecklein, on the market for $78 million. Known as the Thimble Islands, this surprising collection of eight islands boasts beautiful restored 19th century mansions, pools, guest houses, docking for yachts both small and large, a commercial-level greenhouse facility, tennis courts and a golf putting green and tees designed by Jack Nicklaus. The property is at most a ten-minute boat ride from the Connecticut shoreline or a twenty minute helicopter jaunt from Manhattan.
What you'll find on these secret island enclaves

July 1, 2016

Gene Kaufman’s Church-Incorporating Hotel Rises on West 36th Street

By Ondel Hylton

Over the past decade, developer Sam Chang and his McSam Hotel Group have built an astonishing number of hotels in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and in the process have built up quite the reputation for pockmarking the city with characterless tower blocks that diminish their surroundings. One of the developer's latest ventures is a 26-story, 566-room hotel beginning excavation work at 334 West 36th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Once occupied by the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, the mid-block English Gothic structure was built as the Christ Church Memorial Building in 1905. The savvy developer purchased the 15,000-square-foot site in 2013 for $50.8 million in anticipation for yet another hotel. Local preservationists connected with Community Board 4 to convince Chang to save the church facade and incorporate it with the new building. Surprisingly, he obliged, but the Gene Kaufman-designed structure is not quite a miracle.
Find out more

June 30, 2016

Court Temporarily Stops Construction on Barry Diller’s Futuristic Offshore Park

By Dana Schulz

Last summer, a civic group known as City Club of New York slapped Barry Diller's Pier 55 with a lawsuit, claiming he and the Hudson River Park Trust had failed to thoroughly evaluate the environmental impact of the 2.7-acre offshore park. In April of this year, the Manhattan Supreme Court dismissed the case, and later that same month news broke that construction on the $130 million project would begin this summer after gaining regulatory approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, DNAinfo reports that today an appellate court issued an injunction that says work must temporarily stop until at least September when the opponents present their case again.
More details ahead

June 30, 2016

INTERVIEW: Deborah Berke on Becoming Dean of Yale Architecture School, and Her New Book

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

July is a big month for Deborah Berke, the founder of the New York-based architecture and design firm Deborah Berke Partners. Not only will Ms. Berke become Dean of the Yale Architecture School on July 1st (the first woman to do so in the school’s 100-year history), taking over for Robert A.M. Stern, but her new […]

June 30, 2016

The Upper East Side Townhouse Where Henry Fonda Married a Countess Asks $11M

By Michelle Cohen

This elegant five-story single-family townhouse at 151 East 74th Street has been a home to a president's son (Captain Kermit Roosevelt, son of President Theodore Roosevelt) and Hollywood royalty. The late, great actor Henry Fonda called the nearly 6,000-square-foot townhouse home and hosted his wedding to 23-year-old Italian countess Afdera Franchetti here in 1957. Built in 1878, the brick Colonial Revival style home remains an elegant address, and is on the market for $11.225 million. There have been recent improvements and upgrades, with plenty of potential left for transformation. With that many floors, two decks, a landscaped backyard and a prime Upper East Side location on a gorgeous townhouse block near Central Park, the landmarked home might be just the one for a certain outgoing president who has expressed interest in living in New York City after leaving the White House. There's definitely plenty of room for college kids and their friends, dogs, staff and security personnel.
Tour the townhouse

June 30, 2016

Join the World’s Leading Urban Decision-Makers at the NYT’s Cities for Tomorrow Conference

By Diane Pham

Rapidly growing populations and increasingly scarce resources are two of the biggest challenges that cities face today. But how are policymakers, developers, entrepreneurs and designers responding to these issues? For the third year in a row, the New York Times’ Cities for Tomorrow conference will bring together the world’s top urban-thinkers to discuss what’s being done to enact change that will […]

June 29, 2016

25 Feet Above Street Level, World Trade Center’s Liberty Park Opens Today

By Michelle Cohen

The World Trade Center's Liberty Park, the new one-acre public park at 25 feet above ground level spanning Liberty Street between West and Greenwich Streets, opens today. NYYimby reports that the park is getting the last few finishing touches in preparation for its grand opening dedication ceremony. As part of the landscape design by Joseph E. Brown of architectural and engineering firm Aecom, a 300-foot-long "living wall" composed of 826 panels of varying plant types is a highlight of the new park, which also functions as a pleasant disguise for the entrance to the WTC’s security hub that sits beneath.
More of what you'll find in the new park

June 29, 2016

JDS and SHoP’s Cherry Street Tower Will Be Taller Than Expected, May Reach 1,000 Feet

By Dana Schulz

Back in April, the power team of JDS Development and SHoP Architects unveiled plans for a 900-foot, 77-story rental building at 247 Cherry Street in the Two Bridges area of the Lower East Side. This neighborhood has become controversial for a recent influx of sky-high development; 247 Cherry will rise directly next to Extell's 850-foot One Manhattan Square and not far from two 50-story towers at 265-275 Cherry Street. Its 900-foot height would've made it the tallest tower between Midtown and Downtown, but left it 100 feet shy of the supertall status JDS and SHoP are known for (the duo is responsible for the 1,438-foot-tall 111 West 57th Street and 9 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn’s first 1,000+ foot tower). However, Bowery Boogie reports today that the height may actually be at or above 1,000 feet, rising 80 stories.
More details ahead

June 29, 2016

Trump vs. Clinton: How the Design of Their Merchandise Stacks Up

By Dana Schulz

On the political front, Hillary is racking in donation dollars, while Donald Trump's campaign had a mere $1.3 million to its name as of May 31st. But what about their swag? T-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers, tote bags. Sure, online purchases won't sway either campaign significantly, but it's interesting to look at how the polar-opposite presidential candidates are marketing themselves through merchandise. 6sqft compared the goods from both camps, and found that while Hillary's merchandise is much more colorful, playful, and plentiful, and even features designer collabs, the Donald sticks to his message and caters to a very specific audience.
See how the merch stacks up

June 27, 2016

Gramercy Tudor Castle Co-op, Now Twice the Size, Is Back for $6.25M

By Michelle Cohen

Built in 1929 and designed by architecture firm Schwartz & Gross, the landmarked 16-story building at 44 Gramercy Park North is "distinguished and eclectic," according to architecture critic Carter Horsley. Those adjectives certainly describe this out-of-the-ordinary home currently listed at $6.25 million, which 6sqft covered previously, marveling at the co-op's elaborate "Downton Abbey"-esque Tudor stylings. The sprawling 12th floor apartment was the residence of the building's owner/developer, so no expense was spared in its creation, which explains Neo-Gothic details like a limestone arch and casement windows, terra-cotta panels and brickwork. The home's current owners have lived here nearly 50 years. In its newest incarnation the apartment's listing offers a combination of units 12A and 12D, turning the size of this Gramercy aerie from grand to palatial at 2,500 square feet, claiming the largest amount of frontage (88 feet) facing south onto Gramercy Park through 14 enormous handcrafted stained glass windows. And the two-in-one situation looks like quite a find for the buyer who likes options.
Check out the amazing original details

June 27, 2016

Interview: COOKFOX Partner Brandon Specketer on Biophilia’s Role in Building Design

By Diane Pham

You’ve certainly heard of LEED and Passive House in architecture, but what about biophilia? For COOKFOX, adding nature to a building and all the elements that surround it is a no-brainer. They strongly believe that humans have a deep, innate connection and love of nature, and in an urbanscape, they only way we can live fulfilled lives […]

June 24, 2016

One of Only Three East Coast Joseph Eichler Homes Is Selling for $490K

By Michelle Cohen

The listing says this undeniably out-of-the-ordinary home at 130 Grotke Road in a wooded Rockland County, NY community is "Not for everyone except you!" Which means Eichler fans and modern house lovers will want to take note: This could be your chance to scoop up a modern classic for half the price of its California counterparts. 6sqft previously featured the rare trio of East Coast Eichlers and the story of their rise to popularity during the dawn of the American suburban heyday—and plans to expand to the East Coast starting with three homes in the quiet community of Chestnut Ridge. Inevitably weather conditions and other factors led to a decision to return the focus to the West, but those three homes have not only endured—they have encouraged a community of modern architecture lovers to grow around them. One of those three homes—a four-plus-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot 1962 slate grey beauty—is now on the market for $489,900.
Tour this unique modernist gem

June 24, 2016

New Renderings Show Rooftop and Courtyards at ODA’s Massive Rheingold Brewery Project

By Dana Schulz

In March of 2015, the cube-happy architects at ODA revealed their design for 10 Montieth Street, part of Bushwick's 10-block Bushwick's Rheingold Brewery site. The 400,000-square-foot, 400-unit rental building from the Rabsky Group has a bow-tie shape with a sloping zig-zagging green roof and amenity-laden courtyard. Last week, renderings were released for a second project from ODA at the Rheingold site, this one with developer All Year Management. Inspired by a "European Village" and dubbed Bushwick II, this rental one ups 10 Montieth; it will encompass one million square feet over two city blocks and have 800-900 units, as well as an entire system of interconnecting courtyards and common spaces that break from the street grid, an 18,000-square-foot central park, and a 60,000-square-foot rooftop with an urban farm and recreational spaces including a pool. Dezeen has uncovered additional renderings of Bushwick II that showcase these outdoor spaces, and they do not disappoint.
More details and renderings ahead

June 23, 2016

Take in the Views From Extell’s 823-Foot-Tall One Manhattan Square

By Dana Schulz

Two Bridges, the area on the border of the Lower East Side and Chinatown, is seeing a wave of new, sky-high development, including a 900-foot tower from supertall team JDS and SHoP Architects and perhaps two 50-story buildings from L+M Partners. But the controversial surge in construction started with One Manhattan Square, an 823-foot tower from Extell. In anticipation of the 80-story condo building hitting the market this September, the developer has released a flashy new video that shows the sparkling Adamson Associates Architects-designed exterior, as well as the sweeping views from the upper floors. But as Curbed, who first spotted the video, notes, it ignores its potential supertall neighbors to make a point of just how much much it towers over its surroundings.
Watch the full video here

June 23, 2016

Live in Tennessee Williams’ Former East Side Townhouse for $1.85M

By Michelle Cohen

This three-bedroom duplex at 151 East 37th Street with three fireplaces, skyline views and exclusive roof rights, listed at $1.849 million, has the added cachet of being in the townhouse where famed playwright Tennessee Williams lived in the 1940s (h/t New York Post) before the debut of "The Glass Menagerie" on Broadway. More historic firepower: The house was built in 1860 by President Martin Van Buren as a home for his daughter. A 1940 postcard from the scribe to his father describes the well-known strategy of living with roommates to defer steep housing costs in NYC: "Settled in lovely new apt., 151 E. 37 St. 3 big rooms and other a roof with skyline & view of river for $18.50 (3 of us) each (per month)..."
Have a look at the apartment

June 23, 2016

New Renderings of South Street Seaport’s Fulton Market Revamp From SHoP Architects

By Dana Schulz

Though they didn't have much luck with their controversial tower at the Seaport, SHoP Architects and the Howard Hughes Corporation have gotten approvals for their revamp of the historic, 1983 Fulton Market Building. Yimby reports that on Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the revised design for the building's exterior, which alters the signage from the original 2014 proposal. To show how the signs will look, SHoP prepared several new renderings of the site.
See them all here

June 22, 2016

Massive Maya Lin-Designed Tribeca Townhouse Gets Thumbs Up From Landmarks

By Ondel Hylton

While better known for its manufacturing buildings converted to retreats of discreet loft living, Tribeca is ushering in a mini-Gilded Age of mega-modern townhouses that are rising from the neighborhood's modicum of narrow lots. Yesterday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved Maya Lin Studio's design of a five-story, 20,000-square-foot single-family mansion at 11 Hubert Street that will use the structural bones of an existing three-floor commercial building and add more than 6,000 square feet of floor area throughout. The nondescript commercial structure is a vestige of a never-finished 1980's residential project that Lin, in collaboration with architects Bialosky + Partners, hope to rectify.
More details this way

June 22, 2016

City Will Allow Landlords to Convert Lower Manhattan Public Spaces to Retail

By Michelle Cohen

6sqft recently covered the controversial proposal by the Alliance for Downtown New York (ADNY), the Department of City Planning (DCP), and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), to change zoning laws to allow property owners in the Water Street Subdistrict of lower Manhattan–at One New York Plaza, for example–to bring in retail tenants like restaurants and clothing stores in exchange for making improvements and upgrades to the public plazas and arcades adjacent to their buildings. Crains reports that the City Council passed a bill Tuesday that would allow the Financial District landlords to convert the public corridors in front of 20 buildings in the Water Street corridor to retail shops. The public corridors, which cover ten blocks, were created when the Water Street buildings that abut them were built. Building developers agreed to create the public arcades and walkways in exchange for more buildable square footage.
Read more

‘Violently’ Ringing Door Bell Served As Home Security in the Early 1900s

Image via Paleofuture

June 22, 2016

‘Violently’ Ringing Door Bell Served As Home Security in the Early 1900s

By Annie Doge

Image via Paleofuture Long before there was technology like Ring with its motion detecting sensors and live streaming videos, New Yorkers and other folks took to keeping their homes safe with much more rudimentary measures like the nickel-plated door alarm seen above. Paleofuture spotted an ad for the nifty little battery- and wire-free device in a 1906 issue of "Literary Digest." Set off by "the slightest bit of pressure," the door stop alarm claims to provide "Absolute protection from burglars and sneak thieves." What more could you ask for for just $1?
more here

June 21, 2016

Sleep in a Cozy, Converted Taxi in Long Island City for Just $39 a Night

By Dana Schulz

Here's your chance to sleep in a yellow cab without worrying about the meter. A listing has popped up on Airbnb for a "cozy one-of-a-kind NYC taxi van" that's been "renovated into swanky living quarters." This renovation outfitted the vehicle with a full-size bed that comes with soft pillows and bright yellow sheets (how fitting), a portable wireless air conditioner, and, according to the reviews, a couple bottles of Fiji Water. The $39/night price tag also covers the Long Island City location with views of the Manhattan skyline that's walking distance to a bathroom and cafes with WiFi.
Find out more about these unusual accommodations

June 21, 2016

Booken Transforms Your Reading Material Into a Useful Table

By Dana Schulz

By now, everyone has jumped on the bandwagon of organizing bookshelves by spine color. And while we love the look, it's refreshing to see a new, inventive way to display one's reading material. Booken was designed by Yael Mer & Shay Alkalay of Raw Edges as a way to exhibit the book "as an object that becomes material." It's the horizontal version of the traditional bookcase, and with the books hanging by their spines, they create a visually interesting and purposeful console table that doubles as a library.
Find out more

June 17, 2016

Shigeru Ban’s Cast Iron House Tops Out, Raises the Bar for Tribeca Penthouses

By Ondel Hylton

Few intersections of New York come close to perfection, but the corner of Shigeru Ban's latest New York endeavor at Franklin and Broadway sure comes close. Long anchored by the exquisite 134-year-old James White Building at 361 Broadway, one would assume that a modern penthouse addition could only diminish the neo-Grecian beauty. Not so here. A rehabilitation, conversion, and enlargement spearheaded by Knightsbridge Properties seeks to produce an end sum that will at least be neutral and surely harmonious. Named Cast Iron House by Ban himself, the 13-unit condominium development is a marriage of old, new and timeless, and it reminds us of the incredible sophistication and beauty our city can possess when the bottom line fades. As a sequel to his Metal Shutter Houses in West Chelsea, Ban and design partner Dean Maltz carve eleven airy residences within the sumptuously detailed and impeccably restored 1882 Tribeca cast iron building and float a pair of glass and steel penthouses above.
Get a look inside these magnificent penthouses

June 16, 2016

New Renderings of Extell’s Central Park Tower Emphasize Design and Record Height

By Annie Doge

A new set of images of the world's upcoming tallest residential tower have been uncovered, these better revealing the cantilevering silhouette of the 1,550-foot supertall and how it will relate to the skyline of Central Park South. The images of the Central Park Tower (née Nordstrom Tower) were first spotted by NY Yimby and are part of official EB-5 Immigrant Investor program materials posted online and provided by developer Extell. As such, they confirm that the supertall will indeed no longer have the spire, a feature which would have brought the tower to 1,775 feet and just a foot shy of One World Trade. The materials also reveal that the tower is being marketed with a height of 133 floors (the actual count is just 95, though some units like the 17,000-square-foot three-story penthouse have ceilings that stretch well beyond the standard) and 179 luxury residential units.
more here

June 16, 2016

Barnard College Moves Ahead with New Teaching and Learning Center Designed by SOM

By Dejah Mcgibbon

After much deliberation, Barnard College's administration announced plans last year to build a new teaching and learning center at the heart of its four-acre campus in Morningside Heights. Now with demolition of the former library nearly complete, groundwork and excavation for the new 11-story structure will soon begin. The upcoming 128,000-square-foot interdisciplinary building is being designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and will incorporate several tiers of terraces to increase outdoor access for students and faculty. The 189-foot-tall structure aspires to become the college's hub of academic and intellectual life and will feature an updated and expanded library, a digital commons with five teaching labs, and a computational science center that will connect to the adjacent Altschul Hall. All three of the resources will utilize new media and digital technologies to enhance student learning methods.
More details ahead

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