281 Park Avenue South

July 15, 2026

Airbnb buys landmarked Gramercy building for $81.5M

Airbnb plans to turn a New York City landmark into office space. The short-term rental company paid $81.5 million for the six-story limestone building at 281 Park Avenue South. Known as the Church Missions House, the property was built in the 1890s for the Episcopal Church and most recently housed the Swedish photography museum Fotografiska, which closed its doors in 2024.
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May 28, 2024

NYC’s Fotografiska museum to close and relocate, historic Park Ave South building to hit market

By Aaron Ginsburg

Swedish photography museum Fotografiska New York will close its New York City location with plans to relocate to a larger spot, the museum announced last week. Fotografiska opened at the historic Gramercy building at 281 Park Avenue South in 2019 and later was joined by the restaurant Verōnika and the Chapel Bar. The museum's last day in the current building will be September 29 and the restaurant and bar will close in June. As Crain's reported, 281 Park Avenue South owner, Aby Rosen's RFR Holding, will put the architecturally stunning building on the market this week for an undisclosed amount.
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In Gramercy’s new Fotografiska museum, Verōnika restaurant takes a creative approach to preservation

Photos by Adrian Gaut

January 28, 2020

In Gramercy’s new Fotografiska museum, Verōnika restaurant takes a creative approach to preservation

By Alexandra Alexa

On the second floor of the new Fotografiska outpost in Gramercy—a branch of the Swedish photography museum—is a sumptuous new restaurant that's quickly becoming one of the city's most sought-after reservations. Verōnika (named after the patron saint of photography) was designed by Roman and Williams (known for their work on similarly chic Le Coucou, Upland, and La Mercerie) who worked closely with restaurateur Stephen Starr to define the space. Informed by the tradition of grand European cafés, the 150-seat restaurant is filled with elegant details and textures: soaring 20-foot ceilings, warm brass chandeliers, wood-trimmed arched doorways, velvet banquettes, and leather chairs.
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281 Park Avenue South

Airbnb buys landmarked Gramercy building for $81.5M

NYC’s Fotografiska museum to close and relocate, historic Park Ave South building to hit market

In Gramercy’s new Fotografiska museum, Verōnika restaurant takes a creative approach to preservation

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