Architecture And Design

June 16, 2014

Prodigy Network Announces Winning Designs for 17John “Cotel” – NYC’s First Crowdsourced Hotel

Remember that competition held in February to crowdsource the design of a hotel to be located in downtown Manhattan? Looks like the results are in and Prodigy Network just announced the winners of the competition for the 17John ‘Cotel’ (collaborative + hotel = cotel). The winning designs cover both the public interior spaces and the private rooms of 17John, and as the competition brief outlined, all the rooms are specifically tailored to the modern business traveler. Rooms range from long-term living spaces to more standard short-stay hotel rooms. The hotel will also be equipped with flexible spaces for work and meetings, and digital services that "provide comfort, community, and connectivity for its guests".
see the winning designs here
June 16, 2014

Boerum Hill Apartment with a One-of-a-Kind Rooftop “Skytrack” Selling for $795K

Believe it or not, before Trader Joe's and Rag & Bone came along, Boerum Hill was a neighborhood filled with boarding houses for ironworkers who came to work on Manhattan's bridges and skyscrapers. A number of manufacturing factories also made their way into the neighborhood during the early 20th century, including a construction at 120 Boerum Place. This beautiful pre-war building was converted into a condo in the early 80s. But instead of demolishing the whole thing, they fused the old with the new, keeping a number of industrial details intact, including an incredible "skytrack" that wraps the entire roof of the building. For those who love the comforts of living in a premiere neighborhood, but want a more unfinished aesthetic, apartment #2J at the Skytrack is calling for you...
photos of the interiors and terrace here
June 16, 2014

Wood-clad Windsor Terrace House Mixes a Modern Layout with Rustic Elements

Row after row of wood-framed houses fill the quaint, tree-lined streets of Brooklyn's Windsor Park neighborhood. Many are decades old and like this cozy home on Reeve Place, require a bit of a face-lift after many years of wear and tear. In 2013, the owners enlisted the architects at Brooklyn's Barker Freeman Design Office to give the semi-detached house a makeover, complete with a brand new wood-paneled exterior.
See how they mix the old with the new straight ahead
June 13, 2014

GLUCK+’s Showstopping Facade on This Midtown Townhouse Hides a Space-Efficient Home

There's no doubt that the aluminium facade of this Midtown townhouse is a showstopper. Set between two traditional red brick homes on East 51st Street, the building's shiny, punctuated front is sure to get every passersby's attention. But it wasn't designed just to become talk of the town — it's also meant to give the owners some much-needed privacy.
The interiors are just as unique
June 13, 2014

NYC Events 6/13: Rock Out at the River to River Festival; 90s Bad Girls Exhibition Opens

Multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary art is at your finger tips this week in New York! Catch a flick featuring interviews with Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Commo and Questlove; experience the reprise of a 90s Bad Girls exhibition; or check selfies from the Austrian Cultural Forum. The week ends with the kick off of the River to River Festival, which will bring tons of art, performances and music to venues all across Lower Manhattan- all for free. Enjoy!
All the best events here
June 13, 2014

Infamous Greenwich Townhouse with ‘Explosive’ Past for Sale Again, Now $13.5M

Lovers of NYC landmarks rejoiced just last week when it was announced that Justin Korsant of Long Light Capital would be keeping the frontage of his recent Greenwich Village buy intact. But even with plans in the works to gut the interior and start fresh, Long has no intention of living in the home at 18 West 11th. The soon-to-be-updated pad and was just listed for $13.5 million over at Urban Compass. Long originally paid $9.25 million for the property. Downtown flip, anyone?
See the new floorplan and renderings here
June 13, 2014

The Unveiling of 101 Tribeca Is Better Than Expected

If you didn’t like the renderings revealed earlier this year for the much-anticipated tower at 101 Murray Street, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that they were incorrect. New renderings – the right renderings- have been released to New York YIMBY… and she’s a beauty. 101 Tribeca, as she’ll be called, is being developed by Fisher Brothers and The Witkoff Group, and designed by Kohn Pederson Fox. The building is set to soar over Tribeca at roughly 950 feet tall with a sleek, slender design that elegantly bevels out at the top. The 63-story structure will house 129 condominiums, totaling 433,800 square feet. Its tall ceilings, coupled with its sheer height, promises to deliver unobstructed views that will stretch as far as New Jersey and Long Island.
Find out more about this record-breaking structure here
June 12, 2014

Crazy Futuristic Hotel at 55 Wythe in Williamsburg Now Under Construction, Developer Zelig Weiss Scores a $18.4M Loan for the Site

The new Level Hotel planned for 55 Wythe in Williamsburg wasn't much more than a rendering when it was revealed last month, but one of 6sqft's intrepid reporters swung by the site recently only to find that construction on the Jetson's-like building had commenced. Permits for the 320,000 square foot hotel were approved in early April, and according to locals, heavy equipment arrived on the scene a few weeks ago with groundwork now well underway. Now, further cementing Level's status as a hotel of the future, the hotel's developer, Zelig Weiss, closed on an $18.35 million loan from Madison Realty Capital to purchase the site for about $30 million, according to Crain's.
More details and photos here
June 12, 2014

These Hamptons Houses by James Biber are Made for Both Summer and Winter Living

James Biber's portfolio features plenty of famous and easy-to-recognize works. In New York, the acclaimed architect has made his mark with designs like the Fashion Center kiosk and CUNY's Macaulay Honors College. Outside of the city, he's been on board projects that include the Harley-Davidson Museum and Arizona Cardinals Stadium. These big-name clients are the result of nearly 25 years in the industry, but often it's the smaller ones that leave the strongest impression. Case in point: Biber calls these three houses in Long Island "a seminal course in building."
Details on the three buildings here
June 12, 2014

Your Daily Link Fix: Rediscovering Beacon; Are Architects Ruining Skylines?

12 Architects You Should Recognize By Their Sketches: Architizer tests your architecture knowledge, while examining the dying art form. Rediscovering Beacon: The New York Times explores the quaint city of Beacon, about an hour outside of New York City. Are “Starchitects” Ruining Skylines?:  Bryan Lehrer interviews Witold Rybcznski about star architects who design buildings in cities […]

June 11, 2014

A Modern Day Noah’s Ark by Architects Austin + Mergold Pops Up at Socrates Sculpture Park

An overturned ark has washed ashore Socrates Sculpture Park. But don't worry, Long Island City isn't the scene of a maritime accident — the upside-down barge is a brand new art installation designed by Philadelphia's Austin + Mergold. Dubbed the SuralArk, the hulking vessel — which spans 50-feet-wide and 18-feet-tall — is the 2014 winner of Folly, Socrates Sculpture Park's annual design competition co-sponsored with the Architectural League of New York. Austin + Mergold beat out 169 other entries from established designers and studios across the country to nab the top honors, giving their ark a summer-long stint at the park.
Get a close-up of the sculpture
June 11, 2014

Five NYC Firms Named to Van Alen Institute’s International Council of Architecture & Urban Design

The Van Alen Institute has convened its new International Council of architecture, planning, and design leaders in Venice, Italy during the Biennale this month.  The inaugural group represents 13 firms from across more than 17 cities and ten countries.  Five of these Council members have offices in NYC — Allied Works Architecture, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), Jan Gehl Architects, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, and Snohetta.
More details here
June 10, 2014

LOT-EK’s Shipping Container Townhouse Brings a Modern Sustainable Edge to Greenwich Village

At first glance, there's nothing particularly unique about the facade of this white brick townhouse, but take a second look and you'll see that there's more to the building than meets the eye. Upon closer inspection, you'll notice that the protruding bay windows aren't made from ordinary frames, but from sections of stainless steel truck bodies. The recycled windows are a signature of LOT-EK, the studio that owners Lawrence and Alice Weiner hired to re-do their Greenwich Village townhouse. Founded in 1993 by Columbia University grads Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Liganano, the New York and Naples-based firm has become known for its sustainable approach to construction and architecture, namely the use of upcycled steel containers.
More photos of the inside here
June 10, 2014

NYC’s Oldest Buildings: What Are They and Where Are They? Test Your Knowledge

New York has a lot of old buildings. Perhaps surprisingly, many of those buildings are actually houses (yes, like real houses). These remnants of the early Dutch farming days can be spotted throughout the five boroughs, as can churches, apartments and "skyscrapers" from earlier times. We've rounded up some of the city’s oldest structures. Test your knowledge and see how many you're familiar with ahead. And while you're at it, make plans to visit one of these historic landmarks the next time you're out and about.
Your blast from the past this way
June 10, 2014

Philip Johnson-Designed Sony Building to Get 96 Luxury Condos by Chetrit Group

The Philip Johnson-designed Sony Tower at 550 Madison Avenue, one of the most notable postmodern office towers in New York City, is set to be partially converted to high-end condos, as states planes filed by developer Chetrit Group.  It's not known which of the building's 37 floors the residential units will occupy, but Chetrit, led by Joseph Chetrit, has said in the past that it will convert the upper floors and either keep the lower floors as offices or turn them into a luxury hotel. Construction likely won't begin for at least one to two years since Sony still leases office space.  When the developer purchased the building from Sony in 2013 for $1.1 billion at auction, Sony committed to remaining in the offices for around three years until moving to a new space near Madison Square.  Chetrit outbid 21 rivals and paid $685 million more for the building than Sony did in 2002.
Find out more about the development here
June 10, 2014

“Limited Edition” Penthouse in the Ultra Posh Puck Building Closes for $28 Million

And it's official: After going into contract December of last year, Penthouse IV in the illustrious Puck Penthouses at 295 Lafayette has closed for $28 million, according to city records filed yesterday afternoon. The penthouse is the second largest in the penthouse-only building (there are six overall), with more than 5,900 square feet of space, 3BR/5.5BA, and a whopping 2,000 square feet of terraces overlooking a garden. Four of the Puck's five other penthouses have yet to be listed, but they are anticipated to sell for between $21 million and $60 million. The Puck is one of burgeoning real estate tycoon Jared Kushner's many luxury residential undertakings, and this particular project transforms the interior of a landmarked building into what the Puck official site has dubbed as "limited edition" properties.
Images of the puck penthouses this way
June 9, 2014

Infamous Greenwich Village Townhouse with an Explosive Past (and Funny Facade) to be Reconstructed by New Owner

At a glance, the quirky notched and jutting façade of the townhouse at 18 West 11th Street in Greenwich Village seems to be the only remarkable thing about the building. But dig a little deeper and the address’s rich history tells the tale of a city brimming with wealth and culture – and once even something a bit sinister. Justin Korsant of Long Light Capital recently purchased the home for $9.25 million and has plans to reconstruct it. But will the renovation of this building wipe out its incredible past?
Learn about this townhouse's unique history and new future
June 9, 2014

Brooklyn Navy Yard Gears Up for Expansion, 1.8 Million Square Feet to be Added

Over the years, the Brooklyn Navy Yard has become a modern manufacturing pole, and it has grown to host spaces for everyone from furniture makers to photographers to even financial services companies. Demand for space has grown tremendously, and in response, the Navy Yard has announced plans to create another 1.8 million square feet of space for both future and current tenants looking to grow their businesses.
More of what's in store this way
June 8, 2014

LAST DAY TO ENTER: Win a Juniper THIN LED Task Lamp from the Dwell Store!

To celebrate the launch of 6sqft we’ve teamed up with Dwell to give one lucky reader a beautiful, blazing red THIN LED Task Lamp (worth $395) from the Dwell Store. The lamp, a collaborative design between Seattle’s Peter Bristol and Brooklyn’s Juniper Design, employs 33 dimmable LEDs in an ultra-thin, modern silhouette combined with brass details and a cast iron base for […]

June 7, 2014

Palaces for the People: Where to See the Timeless Tiled Works of Guastavino in NYC

In New York, many of the grand Beaux-Arts masterpieces — Grand Central Terminal, the Queensboro Bridge, the City Hall subway station, Columbia University, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine — have one striking element in common: Guastavino tiles. Spanish architect and builder Rafael Guastavino and his son Rafael Jr. brought with them to New York at the end of the 19th century a Mediterranean design technique from the 14th century for thin-tile structural vaulting. The expertly engineered and architecturally beautiful vaults were lightweight, fireproof, load-bearing, cost-efficient, and able to span large interior areas. Today there are over 250 Guastavino works in New York City alone, not to mention the 1,000 throughout the U.S. The Museum of the City of New York's current exhibition, Palaces for the People: Guastavino and the Art of Structural Tile, explores Guastavinos's spaces in New York and showcases "never-before-seen objects, artifacts, photographs, and documents." We couldn't help doing a little Guastavino exploration ourselves, and have put together some of our favorite tiled sites that you can actually visit.
See our picks right this way
June 6, 2014

A Retro NY Home Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Hits the Market for $795K

Frank Lloyd Wright has put his stamp on some of the world's most famous and recognizable structures, including New York City's own Guggenheim Museum. But did you know the prolific architect was also the forefather of a revolutionary style of residential housing that informed the airy, open floor plans seen in many modern homes today? Wright's Prairie style took hold in the Midwest during the early 20th-century and quickly spread across the country, profoundly influencing the built landscape we know today. If you've ever wanted to live in an iconic Wright home, this could be your chance: One of the few prefab Prairie homes designed by the architect has hit the market, and it's just a quick half-hour drive from Manhattan.
Take a tour of the retro, mid-century property