Resembling an English estate, Sir John Richardson’s full-floor Flatiron co-op seeks $7.2M
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Resembling an English estate, Sir John Richardson’s full-floor Flatiron co-op seeks $7.2M

October 14, 2019

Listing images by DDReps; courtesy of Compass

The estate of renowned Picasso biographer and art historian Sir John Richardson—who passed away in March—recently listed his Flatiron co-op for $7.2 million. The seventh-floor loft at 73 Fifth Avenue spans across 5,400 square feet but despite some original details—dark oak floors, wood beams, exposed pipes, and oversized windows—it looks more like “a vast English country house” than a traditional loft, as New York Magazine noted. Currently configured as a two-bedroom with plenty of library space, the home is filled with a “mash-up of exotic and classical furniture,” alongside countless artworks from friends like Lucian Freud and Andy Warhol, and other curiosities.

73 Fifth Avenue, Sir John Richardson, Flatiron

Richardson moved into the raw loft space (which had previously been used as a dance studio) in 1995. He worked with architect Ernesto Buch to transform the space, “creating an enfilade of rooms connected via mahogany doorways crowned with neoclassical pediments,” according to the New York Times.

73 Fifth Avenue, Sir John Richardson, Flatiron

73 Fifth Avenue, Sir John Richardson, Flatiron

73 Fifth Avenue, Sir John Richardson, Flatiron

73 Fifth Avenue, Sir John Richardson, Flatiron

73 Fifth Avenue, Sir John Richardson, Flatiron

The reception room is flanked by a library lined with built-in shelves and a large, 46-foot long living room. There’s a dining area with a decorative fireplace and separate kitchen adjacent to the living room, which also connects to a back hallway leading to the guest bedroom, two full bathrooms (one of which is clad in eye-catching Moroccan tile), and a laundry room.

73 Fifth Avenue, Sir John Richardson, Flatiron

73 Fifth Avenue, Sir John Richardson, Flatiron

73 Fifth Avenue, Sir John Richardson, Flatiron

The master bedroom is on the other side of the living room as well as Richardon’s turquoise studio, one of his favorite rooms where he did most of his work. There are 30 windows throughout the full-floor home, which benefits from four exposures.

The elaborate space is likely to be transformed by future owners, but for now, it provides a unique glimpse into the world where some of the most important figures of the last two centuries came to enjoy Richardson’s dinner parties and conversation. There are plans to auction off his extensive art collection next year, though no date has been set yet.

[Listing: 73 5th Avenue, Unit 7FL by Jeffrey Stockwell, Jill Bernard, and Alan Shaker of Compass]

[At CityRealty]

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Listing images by DDReps; courtesy of Compass

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All information furnished regarding property for sale, rental or financing is from sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy thereof and same is submitted subject to errors, omissions, change of price, rental or other conditions, prior sale, lease or financing or withdrawal without notice. All dimensions are approximate. For exact dimensions, you must hire your own architect or engineer and for no listing shall the number of bedrooms listed be considered a legal conclusion.

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