Daniel Libeskind’s first New York City building may be affordable senior housing in Bed-Stuy

March 29, 2018

Rendering of the Sumner Houses Senior Building, courtesy of the Architect, Studio Libeskind (via NYC Housing Authority)

Though he has called New York home for decades, noted Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind has yet to see a NYC building to completion. But it appears that may soon change, as CityRealty reports that his first ground-up building will be a 197-unit affordable housing project on Site 2 of the Sumner Houses in Bed-Stuy. A January press release announcing the selection of the project’s developers credits Studio Daniel Libeskind as the designer of the 10-story building-to-be, and a rendering shows an angular white-colored building done in the firm’s signature un-orthogonal style.


Photo courtesy of NYCHA

The city has selected Selfhelp Community Services, Riseboro Community Partnership and Urban Builders Collaborative to develop the site. Conceived through city’s NextGen Neighborhoods program, the new building will create 197 senior affordable housing units and over 20,000 square feet of community space. Apartments will be set aside for extremely low, very low, and low-income individuals earning up to $40,080. The units represent a contriibution to Housing New York 2.0’s “Seniors First” program, a commitment to build senior housing on NYCHA-owned land.

The Sumner Houses span two superblocks, cover 22 acres, and have 13 mid-rise buildings home to roughly 2,400 public housing residents. The developers were selected through an unprecedented community engagement process which included 15 resident meetings, almost 2,000 notices, and more than 1,200 face-to-face resident engagements. A fact sheet distributed by the city explains that 100% of all incoming units will be affordable, no residents will be displaced for existing apartments, nor will rents rise.

The Site 2 building will replace a lawn and patch of trees facing Marcus Garvey Boulevard. Another development parcel, Site 1, is located at the opposite end of the block and will replace a basketball court and parking area. Construction could finish before 2020.

daniel libeskind, bed stuy, sumner houses, affordable housing, senior housing, starchitects
Libeskind’s vision of the WTC’s transportation hub.


Libeskind’s winning design for the World Trade Center Master Plan. While the tower placements remain, the overall design has been substantially diluted by other factions.

c
Unbuilt condo tower called One Madison Avenue envisioned to rise 54 stories, 934 feet tall. The developer was Elad Properties

Unrealized New York works by the 71-year-old architect, above, include the winning design for the World Trade Center Master Plan (while the tower placements remain, the overall design has been substantially changed by subsequent architects), an idea for the WTC’s transportation hub and an unbuilt condo tower called One Madison Avenue envisioned to rise 54 stories, 934 feet tall.

[Via CityRealty]

RELATED:

Get Inspired by NYC.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *