Architecture And Design

As with any major project ready to make waves in NYC, we were just counting the days until Barry Diller's plan for a futuristic floating park would run into legal trouble. Today, the Times reports that opponents of the $130 million project have joined together to sue Diller and The Hudson River Park Trust (who approved the plans to build) in order to stop construction. The civic group, known as City Club of New York, are saying that the parties have failed to throughly evaluate the environmental impact of the park, and they want Pier 55 to undergo a new environmental review while also obtaining approval from the State Legislature.
More on the lawsuit here

Architecture And Design

June 12, 2015

Thomas Phifer’s Ethereal Woodland Retreat Hides Behind a Rippled Silver Curtain

Standing on an idyllic clearing within a nine-acre woodland parcel in the Hudson Valley, the Salt Point House boasts an ethereal beauty that is still strikingly contemporary. Designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners for a New York City couple, this stunningly simple weekend retreat consists of a glass and wood box sandwiched between two rippled silver curtains. Made from perforated stainless steel, the shades not only keep the interiors private but also filter the excess brilliance mediating the home with its luscious surroundings.
Learn more about this ethereal home in the woods

June 12, 2015

Laser-Engraved Rolling Pins Leave Fun Prints on Your Baked Goods

Why waste your time with sprinkles and icing when you can fancy up your cookies with nothing more than a rolling pin? These laser-engraved models from Valek are embossed with fun patterns like moustaches, deer, and swirly leaf motifs. There's even miniature versions for the kids that feature dinosaurs or robots. With just a roll of the pin, your dough instantly becomes a piece of art.
More here

Two World Trade Center rendering via Silverstein Properties

June 11, 2015

Bjarke Ingels Talks About His Design for 2 World Trade Center

If you were still itching for more after Tuesday's reveal of Bjarke Ingels' design for Two World Trade Center, you're in luck. The starchitect himself chatted with NY Yimby about his design process and inspirations behind the tower. He also revealed an interesting tidbit of information when asked when asked when he started the design process. "Let's say in December," he responded. Keep in mind, though, that word only broke about him replacing Norman Foster in April. Controversy aside, Ingels has a lot to say about this world-famous project, including why he thinks Foster's plan was scrapped for his.
More revealing details right this way

June 11, 2015

Kodama Zomes: Hanging Geodesic Homes for Lazing the Summer Away

Are you ready for a relaxing summer? We've found a great piece of furniture floating around the Internet that we wouldn't mind having in our home. Meet the new Kodama Zomes, a unique hanging lounger shaped like a geodesic dome that offers the perfect space for relaxation, reading, meditating, or just snoozing your afternoons away. Designed by structural engineer Richie Duncan, the sturdy cocoon will help you unplug as it softly sways you with the summer breeze.
Learn more about these floating sofas

June 10, 2015

J.P. Morgan’s 120-Year-Old ‘Great Camp Uncas’ in the Adirondacks Can Be Yours for $3.25M

By Shiloh Frederick

You can now own a piece of the Adirondacks that has provided serenity for so many others for over a century. The secluded Camp Uncas was built in 1895 by Brooklynite William West Durant, who is credited with perfecting the Adirondack "Great Camp" style. While the compound is unquestionably a spectacular work, its claim to fame is that it was once owned by financier J.P. Morgan. Morgan purchased the 1,500 acre property from Durant in 1897, and for the fifty years that followed, his family used it as a vacation home. Though the property has traded hands several times since the Morgans graced its grounds, its roster of owners is no less interesting—nor is its rustic architecture.
Explore the forest hideaway

June 10, 2015

POLL: Do You Like Bjarke Ingels’ Design for 2 World Trade Center?

Yesterday, it was huge news when the renderings were revealed for Bjarke Ingels’ redesign of 2 World Trade Center, taking over from architect Norman Foster. Now that the immediate buzz has subsided, and we’ve all had a chance to study the design and considers Ingels’ motives for its stepped design and stacked-volume height, we want […]

Architecture And Design

June 10, 2015

Camera-Equipped Intelligent Oven Knows Exactly How to Cook Your Meal

Although it may look like a run-of-the-mill toaster oven, don't let its modest appearance deceive you. This little appliance will quickly turn a poor soul who can't fry an egg into a master chef—or something close to one. Invented by Ammunition Group, a team credited with bringing the iPhone, the FitBit, the GoPro, and Lyft to market, the June Intelligent Oven is a revolutionary kitchen appliance that harnesses the power of everything we digital age junkies love: computers, a HD camera, and a Google-like image search system that can determine what we're cooking and how it should be cooked.
READ MORE

June 9, 2015

REVEALED: Bjarke Ingels Design for 2 World Trade Center

Last week it was made official that starchitect Bjarke Ingels would replace Norman Foster as the designer of 2 World Trade Center, as News Corp. and 21st Century Fox closed in on a decision to move into the downtown tower. Now, without delay, Wired has revealed exclusive renderings of the Ingels redesign for the site, which will top out at 1,340 feet, just 28 feet shy of One World Trade Center. The glass tower is defined by its striking setbacks that retract from the spot of the 9/11 attacks. Bjarke said in a statement, "To complete this urban reunification (the) tower will feel equally at home in Tribeca and the World Trade Center. From Tribeca, the home of lofts and roof gardens, it will appear like a vertical village of singular buildings stacked on top of each other...From the World Trade Center, the individual towers will appear unified, completing the colonnade of towers framing the 9/11 Memorial. Horizontal meets vertical. Diversity becomes unity."
Watch a video of the architect discussing his new design

Architecture And Design

Karim Rashid Asks Facebook Followers to Choose the Facade of His Next Building

With all the controversy currently swirling around Karim Rashid's colorful design of a residential building in a historic Harlem neighborhood, it looks like the designer is looking to avoid any additional headache with the public as he moves forward with a brand new project in Soho. Rashid recently took to Facebook, asking his more than 419,000 followers to vote for one of four facades being considered for a building slated to rise at 30 Thompson Street. "It is a great opportunity to get feedback for my work," he said. "I believe we live in the age of 'the empowerment of the individual' where we all have a voice in the digital age."
Find out more here

June 8, 2015

Own a Charming Wood Frame Church in the Catskills for $99,000

We're all keen on the trend of buying religious institutions for use as residential buildings. But in Manhattan, living on hallowed ground often means shelling out millions to nab just a room or two in one of these holy structures. Well, if you're on a budget and have designs on living in something a little more divine than a church attic studio (and don't mind giving up the city life), then feast your eyes on this amazing wood frame church located 90 minutes from Manhattan in the town of Harris in the Catskills. Priced at a mere $99,000, this 2,500-square-foot cutie was constructed in 1920, comes with half an acre, and according to its Craigslist listing, is in "excellent shape!"
Have a look inside

June 7, 2015

Energy Star-Rated Green Woods House in Amagansett Was Passively Designed

When the owner of an existing house located in the woods in Amagansett approached Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects, he requested a modern family residence that was as energy-efficient and sustainable as possible. With this in mind, the architects created the Green Woods House, a passive solar design that opens up towards the south, keeping the north-facing façade well insulated and private from the road. Read on to find out how the Bridgehampton-based studio managed to make someone's dream home a reality with a limited budget and sloppy terrain.
Learn more about this passive, stunning family home

June 5, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Michael Schneider on Telling Tales of Immigration on Ellis Island Using Technology

By Susan Cohen

Modern-day storytelling ranges from the age-old tradition of oration to the modern take of 140 characters. But what happens when the story is a mix of old and new and is intended for an audience that ranges from elementary school students to centenarians? That's where ESI Design, a firm dedicated to enriching the human experience, steps in. ESI was founded in 1977 by Edwin Schlossberg. Their unique focus on melding traditional techniques with modern technology made them the perfect fit to design the recently launched Peopling of America Center at the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. The center–conceived with the vision and support of the Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation and its president Stephen Briganti and the National Parks Service–highlights journeys undertaken before Ellis Island opened in 1892 with "Journeys: The Peopling of America - 1550s-1890," which opened in 2011. On May 20th, another wing called "The Journey: New Eras of Immigration" opened to give visitors the chance to look at immigration that took place after Ellis Island closed in 1954. One of the visionaries at ESI is senior designer of media and technology Michael Schneider. For the Peopling of America Center, he was responsible for figuring out which of the available technologies worked best for the new exhibits and their audience. We recently spoke with Michael to learn how ESI approaches storytelling and, specifically, how the firm designed the galleries for the Peopling of America Center.
Read our interview with Michael here

June 5, 2015

Inventor D.H. Burrell’s Little Falls Mansion Will Transport You Back to the Victorian Age

By Shiloh Frederick

Comfortably nestled within the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York, the Burrell Overlook Mansion is seemingly untouched by time. This former farmstead built between 1886-1889 was the home of inventor and engineer D.H. Burrell. Burrell, a quirky genius in his own right, paired the Victorian mansion with a self-sustaining hydroelectric power generator that amazingly remains functional to this day. But while the mansion once served as a playground for madcap ideas, today it operates as a peaceful bed and breakfast and historical hideaway for those passing through the valley. And now, for a mere $725,000, you can make this beauty your very own personal retreat.
Read more about this historic home

June 5, 2015

QUIZ: Play 6sqft Trivia to Test Your Knowledge of NYC History, Architecture, and Real Estate

On Tuesday, 6sqft celebrated its first birthday with a party attended by some of our biggest supporters and readers. The evening included an intense three-round game of trivia, where our guests tested their knowledge of New York City history, architecture and real estate. Some of the questions stumped all ten teams, while others turned out to be well-known factoids. Didn't make it to the party? We've created an online version of our trivia game just for you. No Googling allowed!
TAKE THE QUIZ

June 5, 2015

Pier55 Floating Park Gets New Renderings and Updated Design Details

Back in April, the city introduced a plan B for Barry Diller's Pier 55 floating park, but it was far less exciting than the original futuristic design. Thankfully, the latest set of renderings, revealed by Curbed, show that the whimsical nature of the park hasn't gone anywhere. Mathews Nielsen, the landscape architect for the project who is working with designer Thomas Heatherwick, unveiled the latest set of images at a meeting this week. They take into account concerns from the local community board, including its height (the platform will now be 62 feet at its highest point as opposed to 70), circulation (the winding pathways are being designed with congestion in mind), and the issue of people jumping off (the periphery will be lined with shrubbery and a fence).
More details ahead

Architecture And Design

June 5, 2015

Ten Arquitectos Develop All-Purpose ‘Casitas’ for Community Gardens Around the City

By Shiloh Frederick

Over the past year, "casitas" have been sprouting up in community gardens from Puerto Rico to the South Bronx. These "little houses" are the result of a collaboration between the New York Restoration Project (NYRP) and the Urban Air Foundation (UAF) to develop an adaptable structure for community gardens. Taking on former mayor Mike Bloomberg's post-Sandy challenge to create resilient infrastructure throughout the city, the two organizations partnered with Ten Arquitectos to create the shed-like structures. The modular timber casitas are multi-functional and can be converted to food preparation stations, performance stages, storage spaces, or just a spot for shade.
More design details here

June 5, 2015

Historic Riverside Mansion Designed by Notable Architect Asks $14 Million

By Emily Nonko

Within the Riverside Drive-West 80th-81st Street Historic District on the Upper West Side, there's a row of eight stunning townhouses built in the Elizabethan Renaissance Revival style. The row was designed by the prominent architect Clarence True, who contributed greatly to the development surrounding Riverside Park. Elegant properties like this one at 320 West 80th Street attracted the New York City elite around the turn of the century, and not much has changed today. Now the mansion is on the market for $14 million.
See the beautiful interior

June 4, 2015

All the Details Are Intact at This $1.5M Historic Bed-Stuy Brownstone

By Emily Nonko

If you're in the market for a classic Brooklyn brownstone with all its details intact, check out this home for sale at 454 Jefferson Avenue in Bed-Stuy. The Second Empire-style house, which is four stories and holds two units, is boasting well-kept interior details alongside some more modern renovations. Simply put, it's a solid brownstone property without any special frills–just the exposed brick, wood floors and large windows. It's asking $1.55 million.
See the interior

June 4, 2015

Ai Weiwei and HHF’s Artfarm Displays Contemporary Chinese Art Inside an Agricultural Building

HHF Architects and Ai Weiwei have come up with a super cool, ready-made and affordable solution for an art gallery in a rural environment. They blended art and a farm, resulting in Artfarm. Using a pre-engineered agricultural structure commonly used in the area, they created a versatile and expansive display for the public exhibition of Chinese art from private collections worldwide.
Learn more about this rural art gallery in upstate NY

June 3, 2015

Starchitecture Firm Snøhetta Will Design Vornado’s Penn Station Area Overhaul

Back in April, we learned that Vornado Realty Trust was hoping to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into revitalizing the Penn Station area with new retail space, public plazas, and other infrastructure. Now, Crain's reports that the developer has tapped Oslo-based starchitecture firm Snøhetta to handle the overhaul's master plan, the same architects responsible for the 9/11 Memorial Museum Pavilion and the public plaza in Times Square. Snøhetta will be responsible for creating a "framework" for both Vornado's Penn Plaza buildings and the surrounding street-level spaces. And in a similar vein to the recently approved One Vanderbilt scheme at Grand Central, the master plan will include closing off part of West 33rd to vehicular traffic in the hopes of creating a permanent pedestrian plaza near Madison Square Garden.
More details and specifics on the street closures ahead

June 3, 2015

How Does the One WTC Observatory Stack Up Against the World’s Highest Tourist Spots?

It was a big day in New York City last Friday, when the One World Trade Center Observatory officially opened to the public, welcoming New Yorkers and tourists alike to the top of the tallest building in North America. While the view from 1,250 feet up in the air seems like the apex of the world, the folks over at the Skyscraper Museum put together this fun infographic, which compares the highest publicly-accessible tourist spaces around the world, including observation decks, bars, restaurants, and other sky-high thrills. Turns out, the One World Trade Observatory ranks 9th for observation decks and 11th for all publicly-accessible spaces.
More details ahead

Architecture And Design

June 3, 2015

Bjarke Ingels Confirmed to Replace Norman Foster in the Design of 2 World Trade Center

Back in April, word broke that starchitect Bjarke Ingels was in talks to re-design 2 World Trade Center, as News Corp. and 21st Century Fox mulled over a downtown move. Now the Post's Steve Cuozzo reports that the rumors are rapidly closing in on reality as both media companies have signed a non-binding but detailed letter of intent with developer Larry Silverstein to anchor the new 80-plus-story tower that pins Ingels as the architect. The news conglomerate would occupy 1.3 million square feet of the available 2.8 million square feet—a portion significant enough to jumpstart construction of the tower that has been stalled since 2008.
FInd out more here

Architecture And Design

Extell May Build Brooklyn’s Tallest Tower at City Point

Rendering of City Point with a previously envisioned 65-story tower

June 3, 2015

Extell May Build Brooklyn’s Tallest Tower at City Point