Former sculpture studio turned enchanting live-work space in Kips Bay asks $7.95M
Photos courtesy of Andrew Frasz for Sotheby’s International Realty
Every so often, we come across an only-in-New York City-type listing, and this townhouse certainly falls under that category. The four-story home at 218 East 25th Street belonged to the sculpture studio Rochette & Parzini for over six decades. In addition to living quarters, the current owner, photographer Clara Aich, has used the majestic space to host musical performances, plays, and other cultural gatherings that benefit from its soaring ceilings, massive skylights, and loft-like proportions. The unique home hit the market this week for $7,950,000.
As the New York Times reported, Aich first visited the property in the 1970s. It was filled with plaster models of architectural sculptures. She paid $15,000 for the down payment and another $10,000 for the architectural ornaments.
The plaster models were left behind by Rochette & Parzini, a sculpture foundry that used the building from 1909 to 1972. The firm designed sculptures for landmarks like the Morgan Library, the Waldorf Astoria, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and worked with famed architects like Warren & Wetmore and McKim, Mead & White.
“For me they were very important,” Aich told the Times, referring to the ornaments. “They became part of me when I saw them there.” Many remain on display across the home’s brick walls, along with her own art collection.
The double-height studio on the ground floor served as the perfect setting for Aich’s commercial photography shoots. She also used the stunning space to host an informal “salon,” hosting events of all types, from German opera and cabaret singers to meditations by an Egyptian shaman, the Times reported.
The palatial living and entertaining space, with ceiling heights up to 25 feet, sits in the rear of the home. At the front, a windowed office/ guest bedroom with a full bath. At the far end, a wooden staircase leads to a mezzanine that can double as a sleeping loft.
Accessed by a staircase along the east wall, the primary suite in the front mezzanine overlooks the living space through sliding glass panels. The bedroom includes a steel and brass bathroom. A vintage tub sits in front of the wood-burning fireplace. Aich’s bed is an antique from Indonesia, the Times noted.
A staircase leads from the ground floor to a separate duplex on the third and fourth floors, which has a dramatic living space with a large skylight and a wood-burning fireplace, a full kitchen, and a south-facing terrace. According to the listing, the building’s original iron chain pulley system from its days as a sculpture studio is still in place.
Bonus space comes in the form of a cellar with laundry and several storage rooms. According to the listing, the 5,000-square-foot building also comes with about 3,000 square feet of unused air rights for a potential expansion.
[Listing details: 218 East 25th Street at CityRealty]
[At Sotheby’s International Realty – Downtown Manhattan Brokerage by Amadei Hettinger Team]
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