Architecture And Design

It's widely known that house plants provide a myriad of benefits, but if you live in an urban area, it's likely that your floor and counter space are limited. Floral designer Kim Fisher has come up with an ingenious solution that can help you bring living greenery into your apartment (without needing to throw out the toaster to make room) with her sleek wall-hanging circular planter. And no green thumb is necessary -- the planter was designed specifically to hold succulents and airplants (all quite difficult to kill) -- and it's very easy to set up.
Find out how to get your own

February 17, 2016

INTERVIEW: Micro-Housing Architect Michael Chen Shares His Thoughts on the Tiny Trend

It's hard to flip through the home and garden television channels these days without seeing a program about tiny homes. But the trend has been gaining momentum for years, long before it made its way onto our TV screens. One of the creative forces behind this revolution is Michael Chen, firm principal of Michael K. Chen Architecture. With design offices in New York and San Francisco and 14 years of experience, Michael is considered a pioneer of innovative micro-housing. Not only does he share his "love of tinkering, of drawing, of discourse, and of making" with his clients, but he teaches at Pratt Institute School of Architecture in Brooklyn. Having recently finished the 5:1 Apartment–a compact, 390-square-foot space that fits all the functional and spatial elements for living, working, sleeping, dressing, entertaining, cooking, dining, and bathing–MKCA is taking the design world by storm with their thoughtful approach and clever product design. 6sqft decided to pick Michael's brain on just how he packs so much into such small footprints, where he thinks the micro-housing movement is headed, and the secrets behind some of his most spectacular spaces.
The interview, this way

February 17, 2016

Get a Head Start on the Creative Possibilities in This $2.5M Funky Tribeca Live/Work Loft

By Michelle Cohen

If you're looking for quintessential loft living in downtown Manhattan (and you're not looking for a bargain), Tribeca is the perfect spot to start. The once-industrial-reborn-as-fancy neighborhood is filled with historic former factory and warehouse buildings (many converted to co-ops and condominiums) and new buildings made to look like them. The co-ops that occupy the former sail factory at 474 Greenwich Street are the real deal (we toured a similarly one-of-a-kind higher-floor unit in the same building a while back). For $2.5 million, this ground-floor live/work residence has the space, the artistic pedigree, the decidedly colorful present, and the totally flexible future for the loft-seeking buyer.
See the entire funky space

February 17, 2016

Lacquered Coffee Table Was Inspired By a Japanese Noodle Box

Talented furniture designer Tracey Boyd gathers inspiration for her work by collecting ideas, experiences, and unique items found throughout her extensive travels. In the past, she's designed pieces based on salvaged drawer pulls from her hometown in England and ancient murals from across the world. Her Lacquered Cache Coffee Table, part of a collection with Anthropologie, is derived from the shape and function of a Japanese noodle bowl and is separated into four equal sections. Each quadrant opens to allow for additional storage within the table.
More on the table

February 17, 2016

$2.7M Ditmas Park Beauty Is Historic Victorian Outside, Hip Brooklyn Inside

By Emily Nonko

Ditmas Park is a magical neighborhood in New York City, filled with yards, front porches and beautiful freestanding Victorian homes. This is one of them, at 536 East 18th Street, and it is now on the market for $2.725 million. The exterior has been well kept, right down to the wood front porch. The interior has gone through a big renovation that hasn't taken away all the historic details, but definitely opened up and modernized the house. (It last sold in 2012 for $1,299,000, probably before any reno.) The result is the best of both worlds: Historic Ditmas Park from the exterior, modern and hip Brooklyn inside.
Check out the renovation

February 16, 2016

Former Workman’s Cottage in the Warren Place Mews Now Asks $4,900 a Month

By Emily Nonko

We've come a long way from the 1870s. That's when the Warren Place Mews was constructed on a short, private block of Cobble Hill by the wealthy merchant and philanthropist Alfred Tredway White. He advocated for housing for the working class in Brooklyn and built this mews–which consists of 34 modest, Gothic cottages that share an English courtyard–specifically for workingmen and their families. Today, these cottages have been priced into the millions, with 21 Warren Place hitting the market last summer for $1.5 million. Renting isn't for the everyday workingman, either. 8 Warren Place is now asking $4,900 a month for two bedrooms and bragging rights to living in one of the quaintest homes in Brooklyn.
Check out the cozy interior

February 16, 2016

Magic Wine Rack Makes Bottles Disappear

For over 20 years Tony Potter has been working and living as an illusionist and magician, but this renaissance-man-entertainer also has a passion for woodworking. Combining all his unique skills, he designed a wine rack called Pinetti that makes bottles appear to vanish. And while many of us don't need any help making wine disappear, it's still fun to see this seemingly standard wine rack do its magic.
Learn more about this tricky illusion

February 12, 2016

Rafael Viñoly Files Plans to Construct a 60-Foot Addition for Pershing Square Capital

In December, the Post reported that Bill Ackman had tapped starchitect Rafael Vinoly (the designer of 432 Park Avenue) to re-imagine 787 Eleventh Avenue along Manhattan's "Automobile Row" in Hell's Kitchen. Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management intends to relocate to the top floors of the building, and permits filed yesterday indicate that plans are moving forward. The 100-foot-tall structure will receive a two-story, 60-foot-tall addition, which will add nearly 20,000 square feet of construction floor area to the 460,000-square-foot building.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

February 12, 2016

Rent the Landmarked Clinton Hill Townhouse From ‘White Collar’ for $7,995/Month

By Michelle Cohen

This wood-frame townhouse at 106 Cambridge Place in historic Clinton Hill is in much better shape than some of its nearby Civil War-era brethren, many of which have been shored up and shined up with modern conveniences, leaving little remaining of their 19th century details. This 1860s house, however, is both gracefully preserved and filled with modern comforts both practical and stylish. Another distinction: The house appeared on the TV series "White Collar," as the home of FBI Agent Peter Burke. This five-bedroom, 20-foot-wide townhouse, after being listed for sale for $2.89 million last year, is now on the rental market for $7,995 a month. Since the listing refers to the upper triplex, we're assuming the garden apartment is either separately rented or otherwise used by the owners.
Take a look around

Circle Swinging Chair Brings Your Childhood Playground Inside the Office

Chairs come in all shapes and sizes, but more often than not they're simply four legs, a seat, and a back. But this standard form did not appeal to Polish designer Iwona Kosicka, as she recently introduced the world to SWING, her legless floating circle chair. This out-of-the-box design gracefully hangs from the ceiling and features refined woodwork, adding fun and sophistication to any room.
More on SWING

February 12, 2016

Revealed: Central Park Tower Shows Off Its Retail Base

Now dubbed the Central Park Tower, Extell's 1,550-foot-tall supertall on Billionaires' Row was originally known as the Nordstrom Tower, so named because of its ground-floor tenant who will be opening their first Manhattan flagship store. But despite the fact that we architecture nerds were saying "Nordstrom" for years, we had no idea how the store would actually factor into the 95-story building's overall design (which was recently knocked down from a whopping 1,775 feet with the loss of its spire). But now, the Seattle Times (the department store is based out of the Washington city) has revealed renderings of the retail base, reports NY Yimby.
All the details and renderings

February 11, 2016

HOK Architects Files Permits for 21-Story UES Condo Tower, Will Yield New Subway Entrance

Yesterday, Hellmuth Obata & Kassabaum (HOK) filed permit applications with the city's Department of Buildings to construct their first residential tower in the city–an 18-story, mixed-use condominium tower at 147 East 86th Street on the Upper East Side. The 210,000-square-foot project will anchor the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and 86th Street and will sit directly atop the Lexington line's 86th Street subway station, for which the developers will build a new entrance. The $340 million project is being shepherded by a joint venture among Stillman Development, Ceruzzi Properties, and Kuafu Properties, who will build retail on the first few floors of the building and high-end condo units up top. Much of the site is owned by the the estate of real estate mogul Sol Goldman. Filed plans show that the development will contain 63 units and rise 210 feet, the maximum height allowed in the zoning district.
More details and renderings this way

February 11, 2016

Beautiful Bathtub Is Made From Woven White Ash and Maple Veneer

Beautiful design comes in all shapes and sizes, but a bathtub carefully crafted from strips of wood veneer is not something you see everyday. From Israeli designer Tal Engel, this gorgeous bathtub known as Otaku is constructed from this very process by weaving together strips of white ash and maple veneer.
READ MORE

February 11, 2016

Construction Begins on 40-Story Marriott Hotel Replacing Antiques Garage in Chelsea

After an 11-year run, the popular Antiques Garage flea market, where bargain hunters haggled over an eclectic assortment of used goods, shuttered its weekend fairs in the summer of 2014. Like many soft sites around the Flower District, the parking garage used by the market at 112 West 25th Street was purchased by development interests, namely Extell, who later sold to Lam Generation for $68 million. Since the purchase, the three-story garage has been razed and groundwork has finally begun for a 330-room, four-star Marriott Renaissance Hotel. With the help of some unused neighboring development rights, Lam's tower will grow to 140,000 square feet of floor area and stand roughly 450 feet high over its mid-rise Chelsea locale. The neighborhood's current tallest building, Chelsea Stratus, is just one lot away and rises 25 feet higher than Lam's upcoming tower.
More details ahead

February 10, 2016

For $1,900/Month, You Can Get an East Village Studio With a Claw-Foot Tub in the Kitchen

We've seen apartments with showers proudly displayed in the kitchen before (like this $1,795/month unit on the Lower East Side), but now city dwellers who can't afford a separate bathroom can get an upgrade–in the form of a fancy clawfoot tub in the kitchen. EV Grieve noticed two listings in the East Village at 328 East 6th Street for studios that seem to tout their "tenement roots" by overemphasizing the "beautiful claw foot tub in the living space" (and by living space they mean directly next to the sink where you'll wash your vegetables). They're available for $1,800 and $1,900/month, which, according to the listings, is "the best deal for the dollar in this hood."
Check 'em out

February 10, 2016

New Furniture Collection Solves Our Spatially-Challenged Living Arrangements

Most New Yorkers are more than familiar with the trials and tribulations posed by our spatially-challenged living arrangements. However, with every one of life's obstacles, there's a potential opportunity waiting just under the surface. That's exactly what Parisian designer Gilles Belley intended to uncover when he was awarded a grant from VIA, a French organization promoting local design. With funding in hand, Gilles set out to research and develop furniture that would address the needs of modern city living. His solution includes a collection of three pieces formally titled "Rooms," which includes AREA, WALL and BLOCK, each designed to provide more flexibility for how we function in and define our living spaces.
Learn all about it

February 10, 2016

POLL: Are You a Fan of Bjarke Ingels’ Design for the Spiral?

On Monday, 6sqft brought you the latest reveal from starchitect Bjarke Ingels, a cascading supertall tower set for Hudson Yards and known as the Spiral. It caught people’s attention not only for the architect attached to it, but for its series of landscaped terraces and hanging gardens that twist around its glassy facade. The interior views are […]

Soho Cast-Iron Building Regains Its Lost Floors…and Then Some

A rendering of the new addition (L); A historic view of the building from a 1930s tax photo (R)

February 10, 2016

Soho Cast-Iron Building Regains Its Lost Floors…and Then Some

By Emrys Fitzgerald

A truncated two-story building in Soho's Cast-Iron Historic District is regaining its lost floors, and then some. In 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a four-story addition to 29 Greene Street that sought to recapture the structure's original design, and now steel framing is heading up. Built in 1878 as a four-floor building with a classic cast-iron front, a fire destroyed the top two floors sometime before the area's landmark designation in 1974. Enough historic detail remained for the Commission to include the building in the district, and now its remaining cast-iron elements will be used to replicate the facade on upper floors.
More details ahead

February 10, 2016

Checking In on Clinton Hill’s Lexington Greene Apartments + New Interior Renderings

The formerly semi-industrial pocket between Clinton Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant is among the most radically transformed areas of northern Brooklyn. In line with the voracious residential activity circling Pratt Institute, an 81-unit, five-story residential building has topped off at 10 Lexington Avenue. It will be known as Lexington Greene and is being developed by Williamsburg-based investor Joseph Brunner, who filed permits under the LLC 10 Lex Holdings in mid 2014. The development replaces a one-story cleaning and dyeing factory–home to the Colonial Laundry Company–that Brunner picked up in 2012 for $6,175,000.
See all the renderings and construction shots

February 9, 2016

AW Architects’ Blue Rock House in the Catskills Resembles a Minimalist Dairy Barn

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

AW Architects' Blue Rock House is an ensemble of buildings suggesting a minimalist dairy barn. Sitting atop a rural hill in the small town of Austerlitz, a three hours drive north from New York City, the project groups a main house, guesthouse and garage, interconnected by a string of beautiful bluestone walls that give the project its name. Its privileged location affords wide-open views out into the Berkshire and Catskill Mountains, and the choice of minimal materials evokes rusticity, elegance and attention to detail.
Learn more about this farm-like home

February 9, 2016

$19M Extravagant Riverside Drive Mansion Once Belonged to the ‘Father of the West Side’

By Emily Nonko

There's something a little intimidating about an 8,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom single-family mansion that once belonged to "the father of the West Side" himself. The property in question is 327 West 76th Street, in the Riverside Drive area of the Upper West Side. The home was built in 1892 and quickly sold to Cyrus Clark, a businessman who retired from the silk business and went into real estate, making it his mission to campaign on behalf of developing Manhattan's West Side. The house wasn't distinct just for its owner, but because the exterior architecture stands out so distinctly in a row of more refined townhouses. For years the home was broken up into apartments, but developer Leonard Zelin converted it back to a single-family a few years back. Now he's hoping the investment will pay off: Zelin bought the townhouse for $8.8 million in 2010 and it's now asking an impressive $18.995 million.
Take a look around

February 9, 2016

Crane Up! Third Hudson Yards Office Tower Rises to Street Level

One year since groundwork began, 55 Hudson Yards is starting its ascent into the the far west side skyline. The future 51-story, 1.3-million-square-foot tower is the third office building to rise from the 28-acre Hudson Yards master plan, behind the Coach building at 10 Hudson Yards and Time Warner's 30 Hudson Yards. Fifty-Five Hudson is being spearheaded by a partnership between Mitsui Fudosan America, Inc. (MFA), Related Companies, and Oxford Properties Group. Previously the parcel was owned by Extell Development who once planned a diagrid-ed skyscraper named One Hudson Yards (formerly the World Product Center). The site is positioned just north of the west side rail yards on a full-block parcel bound by Hudson Yards Boulevard, Eleventh Avenue, West 34th Street and West 33rd Street. The building will open onto the new Hudson Boulevard and the recently open subway station for the 7 train. A brick-faced ventilation building that serves the subway extension rises from the southwest corner of the parcel and will be absorbed into the building's massing.
More details, renderings, and construction views

February 8, 2016

The On Leong Tong Building: Chinese Architecture Brought to Life in NYC

By Penelope Bareau

If you're planning to head down to Chinatown for the celebration of the Lunar New Year, you'll likely amble past the corner of Mott and Canal Streets, where there is a remarkable building like no other in New York. It's called On Leong Tong, or, in English, the Merchants' Association building. Built in 1950, it combines modernism (though you wouldn't know it to look at it) with familiar Chinese architectural features—the pagoda roof, balconies, colorful columns and so on. Once you've seen it, you won't forget it.
Read the full history of this building

February 8, 2016

Permits Filed for 964-Foot Tower in Long Island City, Will Be Queens’ Tallest