Architecture And Design

Do what you love. We've all heard it before, but for some reason it seems so much more poignant coming from the mouth of starchitect Norman Foster. In this latest installment of the Louisiana Channel, Marc-Christoph Wagner meets up with Foster in his Geneva home to get some career insight from the icon. Though Foster's worlds are for those in the art and architecture professions, his passion and words can certainly be carried across the spectrum.
Watch the video here

Architecture And Design

May 10, 2015

$13M Tudor Revival Mansion on Lake George Has Historic Connection to Brooklyn

Lake George, New York is about a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Brooklyn, but this stunning upstate mansion has an interesting connection to the borough. Known as Wikiosco, which means "home on beautiful waters" in Algonquin, the Tudor Revival-style residence was built in 1895 for Royal C. Peabody, founder of Brooklyn Con Edison. It was designed by Brooklyn-based architecture firm Ludlow and Peabody; architect Charles S. Peabody was Royal's son. Our friends at Find Everything Historic noticed that Wikiosco is on the market, asking $12.9 million. And considering that a 25-foot-wide Brooklyn brownstone often goes for far more than that, we think this seven-bedroom, 20,000-square-foot mansion is the perfect getaway home for one lucky New Yorker. Not only is it one of the last intact 20th century mansions along Lake George's western shore (which is known as Millionaire's Row), but it boasts a 4,000 bottle wine cellar, 12-car garage, two covered boathouses, and a heated outdoor pool.
Find out more about this storied home

May 9, 2015

May Design Agenda: 6sqft’s Guide to Navigating NYCxDesign Week

By Michelle Cohen

NYCxDESIGN, New York City’s official celebration of all things design, hits town from May 8–19, 2015. Home to more designers than any other US metro area, NYC is one of the world’s design capitals. Now in its third year, NYCxDESIGN spotlights the city’s diverse design community and its contributions to our economy and everyday life and increases awareness of and appreciation for design with a collaborative mix of cultural and commercial offerings. The seemingly endless program lineup offers exhibitions, installations, trade shows, talks, launches, open studios and receptions all across the city to celebrate the efforts of everyone from students to stars of the local and international design community. This year will see hundreds of events covering topics from graphic design to architecture, technology and urban design to fashion and product design, interiors to landscape, furniture to design thinking and more. It will be hard to head in any direction and not stumble into a design-related event, but we've compiled a guide to a few of the top collaborative efforts and highlighted some of our picks.
Check out our Design Week picks, this way

May 8, 2015

C.P.H. Gilbert-Designed Park Slope Brownstone Retains All of Its Historic Splendor

If you're looking for the epitome of the Park Slope brownstone, look no further than this home on the market at 315 Garfield Place. Located within the neighborhood historic district and just half a block from Prospect Park, the property, built in 1892, is striking both inside and out. It was designed by the famous Brooklyn architect C.P.H. Gilbert, and the listing claims that there have only been three owners in its entire history. The asking price comes in just under $12 million.
Tour the interior here

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 5/7-5/13

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers, beginning tonight.

May 7, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 5/7-5/13

By Lori Zimmer

This week is a bit heavy on the arty side, kicking off with an opening on the Lower East Side with a ridiculously long name, or one involving smashing plates in Chelsea. Hunt for new talent at Parsons' MFA Thesis exhibition, school yourself with a gallery talk with Rivane Neuenschwander, or support a great cause (and see some great art) at Swoon's Heliotrope Foundation benefit. To satisfy your design tooth, this weekend is all about Brooklyn, as BKYLN DESIGNS hits the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint. But you can travel back in time at the week's end by celebrating the Van Alen Institute at a Beaux Arts gem, the Surrogate's Courthouse.
All the best events here

May 7, 2015

Combine Life, Work and Sleep in a 7x7x7-Foot Catch-All Pod

As New Yorkers we're used to multi-tasking; we eat while we work, we text while we walk, check our e-mail while we brush out teeth. So why not bring all of our urban dweller idiosyncrasies under one very, very small roof? The creation of Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign, this tiny 7x7x7-foot pod is actually a space designed for young entrepreneurs who can't turn it off. But given the habits of most of New York's labor force (yes, you), and the fact most of us are used to squeezing into smaller than average quarters, this petite pod could prove a boon to the work-obsessed—or what finally pushes them over the edge.
Find out more here

VIDEO: Bjarke Ingels Takes Us Through His 57th Street Pyramid ‘Courtscraper’

Photo by Field Condition

May 7, 2015

VIDEO: Bjarke Ingels Takes Us Through His 57th Street Pyramid ‘Courtscraper’

Even though big dreamer and BIG architect Bjarke Ingels's 57th Street pyramid was recently christened a less-than-desirable "Via" by its developer, Ingels and his team have given the building a moniker of their own, nicknaming it "courtscraper." In this video produced by Bloomberg, the architect takes us inside his 625 West 57th Street project, which he describes as "the lovechild of a courtyard building and a skyscraper."
Watch the video here

May 7, 2015

Former Beekman Home of CBS Founder Lowers Price to $37.5M

By Aisha Carter

This palatial Beekman Place mansion, designed by Eldridge Snyder, has served as a domicile to the head of CBS and to the shah of Iran's twin sister. The majestic home stands eight levels tall, with eight to ten bedrooms covering 10,500 square feet. Unfortunately, the home has had a visit from the price chopper, falling from an initial asking of $49.9 million in February 2014 to a current asking of a much lower $37.5 million.
More pics inside

May 6, 2015

New Renzo Piano-Designed Residential Tower to Rise in Soho

Renzo Piano's versatility continues to win the hearts of NYC developers, and it looks like the starchitect is finally getting his chance to flex his muscle in the residential realm. The Post reports that Piano—who just cut the ribbon to the new Whitney to rave reviews—has been chosen by Michael Shvo and Bizzi & Partners to design a brand new 290-foot tower at 100 Varick Street in up-and-coming Hudson Square bordering Soho.
FInd out more here

Gowanus Brownstone Has an Inhabitable Blob in Its Living Room

During the mid-'90s and early 2000s, blobitecture was all the rage. But it didn't take very long for the trend to fall out of favor—because at the end of the day you can't really build a city full of blobby buildings. But it looks like the movement just might be seeing a second life within residential design. In this 2014 renovation by RAAD Studio, the architects transformed the innards of a historic brownstone on the border of Gowanus and Carroll Gardens into an ultra-modern space with clean lines, sleek surfaces, and most notably, an amoeba-like sculpture growing out of the living room wall.
Have a closer look inside the home here

May 6, 2015

Billionaire Carlos Slim Looks to Break Record for Priciest Townhouse Ever Sold with $80M Ask

Carlos Slim, Mexican business magnate and former world's richest person, is looking to break the record for most expensive townhouse ever sold in NYC. As the Daily News first reported, he's listed his Upper East Side Beaux Arts mansion at 1009 Fifth Avenue for $80 million, after buying it for only $44 million five years ago from Russian oil mogul Tamir Sapir. Built in 1901, the limestone-and-red-brick home is known as the Duke-Semans Mansion and is one of the last remaining private homes on Fifth Avenue. It's located directly across from the Met, rises eight stories, and encompasses a whopping 20,000 square feet. According to the listing, the French Renaissance interiors "feature soaring ceilings, hand-carved wood paneling, lovely trompe l'oeil accents, gold-leaf trimmed fixtures and intricate plaster friezes."
READ MORE

May 6, 2015

Two Artists Turn Famous U.S. Landmarks into Fun Animations

Looking for a midday mental break? Fix your gaze on these adorable animations created by illustrators Kirk Wallace and Latham Arnott. Using their artistic skills and backgrounds in computer science, the duo have turned a handful of America's most recognizable landmarks—like the Statue of Liberty, The Golden Gate Bridge and Seattle's Space Needle—into wonderful works of art with loads of personality.
more adorable animations this way

May 6, 2015

Landmarks Greenlights 190 Bowery Restoration Plan with Iconic Graffiti Intact

After several weeks of back and forth on whether or not the new owner of 190 Bowery, Aby Rosen’s RFR Realty, would keep its iconic graffiti, it's now official that the historic Germania Bank Building will remain in all its tagged glory. As Yimby reports, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the proposed restoration and conversion to an office building with ground-floor retail. The plan, conceptualized by preservation architecture firm Higgins Quasebarth & Partners with the help of MdeAS Architects, "calls for restoration of metal gates, wooden doors, stained glass, and other elements, but not removing the graffiti or cleaning the façade."
More on the approved plans here

May 5, 2015

House Tours Galore: Where to Get a Look Inside the Area’s Most Fabulous Homes and Gardens

Temperatures have finally hit the high 70s mean, and that can only mean one thing–it's house tour season. Architecture buffs, history lovers, and die-hard New Yorkers look forward to these events all year. It's a time to see how the other half lives; get some design inspiration; and just enjoy a nice day out looking at beautiful homes and gardens. From Harlem brownstones to Hamptons estates to the gardens of Jackson Heights, we've rounded up this season's hottest tours.
See our full list of tours here

May 5, 2015

The Cliff House Is an Eco Treehouse Wrapped Around a Maple Tree

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

German design company Baumraum has mastered the art of building treehouses like no one else. They've crafted many stunning treetop shelters around the world, but this modern example is right in our backyard. Perched high in a maple tree overlooking the majestic Hudson River, the fabulous Cliff House was designed for a (very lucky) family. It features minimal interiors, a killer balcony/deck and some amazing views to make the clients feel a bit like birds.
Learn more about this fantastic tree house

May 5, 2015

The Former Upper West Side Mansion of Charles Schwab Is Asking $20 Million

It doesn't get any grander than this 11,500-square-foot, six-story mansion on the Upper West Side. Located at 323 West 74th Street, this home has an interesting history, to say the least: It was designed by the famous architect C. P. H. Gilbert as part of a larger row of residences off Riverside Drive to rival the mansions of Fifth Avenue. The infamous moneyman and steel magnate Charles Schwab lived here from 1914 to 1917, then, according to Daytonian in Manhttan, it was used as the "scandalous love nest" for the mistress of industrialist George Gould. Today, it's been configured as an owner's triplex with an apartment below. The asking price comes in at $19.995 million.
See more interior photos here

May 5, 2015

Renderings Revealed for the World’s First 3D-Printed Estate and Pool

By Alyssa Alimurung

When we interviewed architect Adam Kushner back in September, he had just gotten power at the site of his planned 3D-printed estate and pool in Gardiner, NY. Now thanks to Inhabitat we’re getting a better look at the ground-breaking design being developed by the architect and the CEO of D-Shape, James Wolff. Just a month ago, Wolff presented new renderings of […]

Architecture And Design

May 5, 2015

Greenwich Village Townhouse from Infamous 1970 Explosion Gets a Price Cut and New Look

By Aisha Carter

Justin Korsant's unique Greenwich Village townhouse that so famously suffered from an accidental explosion in 1970 has lowered its price from $13.5 million to $12.95 million. All eyes have been on the unique split level home with a slanted facade since word got out that Korsant had plans to overhaul the local landmark, which was redesigned by Hugh Hardy post-explosion. Instead, Korsant tabbed Hardy's own modern-day firm, H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, to come up with Landmarks-approved plans, which include six floors, a penthouse, and an elevator. Now all you have to do is grab your contractor and make it happen.
More pics inside

May 4, 2015

Architect Sharon Davis Builds Herself an Eco-Retreat Next to an Historic Upstate Road

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

The Old Albany Post Road is a 6.6-mile historic supply route in Philipstown, New York and one of the oldest unpaved roads still in use. One of the most charming places through which it winds is a hamlet called Garrison, where NYC-based architect Sharon Davis has had a house for more than 20 years. The visionary first bought the 70-acre plot to protect its land from developers, but ended up building herself a new home that is both cozy and modern, as well as an homage to the historic nature of the old road.
Learn more about this eco-friendly humble home

May 4, 2015

Shoes Are the Star at This SoHo Loft Redesign by Aa Studio

Anyone who appreciates good design as much as a good pair of shoes will love this project by Aa Studio. The New York-based architecture firm focuses on space, proportion and light in home design. So given the task of a bedroom redesign that would also accommodate a large designer shoe collection, it's no surprise that the result feels so spacious. The gorgeous, bright master bedroom, located inside of a Soho penthouse, comes with sleek, grown-up cubby spaces that show off the impressive footwear display.
See more interior photos here

Extell Looks to Religion to Build Its Next 57th Street Supertall Tower

The possible skyline in 2018, via CityRealty

May 4, 2015

Extell Looks to Religion to Build Its Next 57th Street Supertall Tower

In the past, it was street names like Park Avenue and Central Park West that signaled a building's wealth and prestige, but these days it's gotten confined to a much shorter thoroughfare, 57th Street. Appropriately dubbed Billionaires' Row, the stretch has gotten much heat lately for its influx of supertall towers casting shadows on Central Park just to the north. Three of the towers in this sky-high lineup belong to Extell Development: the under-construction Nordstrom Tower at 217 West 57th Street, which will be the tallest residential building in the world when completed; 111 West 57th Street; and everyone's favorite One57. But now, as Crain's reveals, Extell is looking to expand its 57th Street portfolio with the site of the current Calvary Baptist Church and the Salisbury Hotel at 123 West 57th Street, on the same block as 111 West 57th and One57. As the paper reports, the church "will soon decide whether it will sell its sanctuary and 197-room hotel" to the developer.
More on the possible project here

May 3, 2015

1980s A-Frame Home in the Hamptons Gets a Renovation Fit for a Barefoot Lifestyle

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

The Red Dirt Road House is a stunningly simple A-frame home with no red in sight. Painted pitch black on the outside and featuring an all-white interior, this woodland retreat is minimal, modern, and has an Australian vibe to it. It was designed by Amee Allsop for a city-based Aussie client who mainly uses the property in the summer but also bought the property with dreams of hosting yoga retreats all year around.
Learn more about this Aussie-style home in East Hampton

Architecture And Design

May 1, 2015

West Village Rowhouse Once Home to Photographer Diane Arbus Lists for $13.5M

If you've ever seen the work of legendary photographer Diane Arbus, you know her style is a little offbeat. Born into a rich NYC family in 1923, Arbus became famous for capturing "deviant and marginal people," those who would otherwise seem ugly to most, with her camera. Unfortunately, she's also remembered for taking her own life at the age of 48 while living at the Westbeth Artists Community. But before moving to the well-known artists' complex, Arbus lived in an appropriately "secret world," a West Village back house that was once a stable, hidden behind its classic, Federal-style rowhouse at 131 Charles Street. She moved into the rear carriage house in 1959 after separating from her husband Allan Arbus and lived there until around 1968. As the Wall Street Journal reports, both the front and back houses are now on the market for $13.5 million.
Look inside this magnificent, historic home

May 1, 2015

$2M Historic Bushwick Mansion Has a Secret Wild Side