Architecture And Design

If you love architecture and urban design from historic to contemporary, you'll have already been looking forward to this year's Open House New York! This much-anticipated and rare weekend of access to typically off-limits sites is now in its 16th year; this year’s OHNY will take place on Friday, October 12, Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14. Thanks to partnerships with over 400 arts and cultural organizations, city agencies, architecture firms and others, OHNY Weekend will open more than 250 buildings and projects across the five boroughs for tours and talks with architects, urban planners, historians, preservationists, and civic leaders. OHNY has just released a sneak preview of the program, which includes recently-opened sites like 3 World Trade Center, Domino Park and Pier 17, construction previews of 150 Rivington and Hauser & Wirth Gallery West 22nd Street and specially curated series like Works by Women, MAS 125, Factory Fridays and Open Studios.
This way to see what's on the list for OHNY 2018

Public waterfront space to be part of massive Long Island City Innovation Center project

Image: TF Cornerstone

September 12, 2018

Public waterfront space to be part of massive Long Island City Innovation Center project

Developer TF Cornerstone has released new details about public open space slated to be part of the proposed project spanning over 1.5 million square feet at 44th Drive on city-owned land along the Long Island City waterfront, LICpost reports. Known as the Long Island City Innovation Center, the proposed massive city-led development, which will need zoning changes in order to move forward, includes office, retail, and manufacturing space and two high-rise residential towers with over 1,000 units, 25 percent of which would be affordable. The latest news concerns the acre of publicly accessible open space that is also part of the controversial development. According to TF Cornerstone, this open space will become a waterfront park with a focus on resiliency and sustainability.
Find out more

See inside WeWork’s first elementary school in NYC designed by Bjarke Ingels

Via WeWork/WeGrow

September 12, 2018

See inside WeWork’s first elementary school in NYC designed by Bjarke Ingels

WeWork opened its first elementary school in Chelsea last week, equipped with modular classrooms, tree houses and giant floor cushions, dezeen reported Wednesday. Bjarke Ingels was tapped last year to design the WeGrow school on West 18th Street, designated for children ages three to nine, with a focus on education through play and interaction. New photos from the co-working company reveal open-plan classrooms with multi-functional furniture and lots of natural light.
Take a tour

Architecture And Design

September 12, 2018

City Island cottage has two bedrooms and a big backyard for $385K

This cheery City Island cottage may look tiny, and while it's definitely not big, it manages to fit two bedrooms, a bonus loft space, several closets, and a high-end kitchen into its petite frame. Plus, it has a large backyard and is just blocks from a private beach. First spotted by Curbed, who notes that the yellow-shingled charmer is on "one of the heavily-residential side streets" of the Bronx island, the house is asking $385,000.
Get a look inside

Rafael Viñoly reveals new photos and video of Three Waterline Square

Image courtesy of CityRealty.

September 12, 2018

Rafael Viñoly reveals new photos and video of Three Waterline Square

Catching up with the rise of Waterline Square has been a pastime of skyline watchers since the project was announced. Now, CityRealty shares a recent Instagram post by designer Rafael Viñoly revealing the newly-installed final piece of the façade at Three Waterline Square, completing its multi-faceted crystal-planed exterior. On the inside, Three Waterline Square’s carefully expressed corners and gently sloping walls allow stunning panoramic river, park, and skyline views.
New images and video this way

September 11, 2018

Storied Philip Johnson house in New Canaan, CT asks $7.7M, including plans for a modern mansion

The stories behind some of New Canaan, Connecticut's treasure trove of modernist homes have been less than uplifting. In addition to Philip Johnson's famous Glass House, the wealthy enclave boasts dozens of homes by Johnson and his colleagues known as the Harvard Five. An ongoing battle simmers between some of the town's wealthy residents who favor sprawling McMansions and a passionate contingent of modern architecture fans. At least 20 of the homes, built in the 1940s, '50s and '60s–have been torn down, usually to build larger houses on the property. One embattled example is a lesser-known Johnson house known as the Alice Ball House. The 1,700-square-foot home, built in 1953, has been referred to as a "livable version of the Glass House." And it's now for sale for $7.7 million–along with approved plans by the current owner, an architect who has envisioned a companion property on a much grander scale, including an indoor pool and a massive skylit underground garage.
Find out more about this storied modernist gem

September 10, 2018

INTERVIEW: Exhibition designer Jonathan Alger on how sports healed NYC and the nation after 9/11

Immediately after the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, sporting events across the country were suspended as the nation grieved, with stadiums used for prayer services and relief efforts instead of games. After a few weeks, commissioners and government officials decided to recommence games, with one of the first at Shea Stadium between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves. When former Mets catcher Mike Piazza hit a home run, tens of thousands in the crowd, and even more watching on television at home, truly cheered and celebrated for the first time since 9/11. From then on, sports became something that was okay to enjoy again. "Comeback Season: Sports After 9/11," a new year-long exhibit at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, examines the role of sports in helping New York City and the entire nation heal after the attacks. Designed by C&G Partners, the show uses the emotion of the crowd to inspire and guide the narrative, with broadcasts and sports memorabilia from that time. The exhibition chronologically follows what happened in sports in the aftermath of 9/11 with nine sections that look at significant sports moments. 6sqft spoke with Jonathan Alger, the co-founder of C&G Partners, about the strategy behind "Comeback Season," the importance of the color green throughout the show and the capacity of sports to do actual good.
Learn about the exhibit and hear from Jonathan

September 7, 2018

Archtober 2018: Top 10 NYC events and program highlights

Archtober is New York City’s annual month-long architecture and design festival of tours, lectures, films, and exhibitions taking place during October when a full calendar of events turns a focus on the importance of architecture and design. Organized by the Center for Architecture, in collaboration with over 70 partner organizations across the city, the festival raises awareness of the important role of design and the richness of New York’s built environment. Now in its eighth year, Archtober offers something for everyone—from the arch-intellectual who wants to talk about the relationship between architecture and power to the armchair landscape architect with a thing for waterways, parks or sustainable design—in the 100+ event roster. Below, we pick 10 don't-miss highlights in this year’s program.
Learn about the architecture of NYC at these cool events

Historic Bed-Stuy mansion smashes neighborhood record with $6.3M sale

Bedford-Stuyvesant's most expensive home has sold for $6.3 million, setting a record price for the neighborhood and sending a message that rising property prices are making their way further into Brooklyn, according to the Wall Street Journal. At nearly twice the previous record sale of $3.3 million in 2017, the Renaissance Revival-style John C. Kelley mansion at 247 Hancock Street is the most expensive single-family house ever sold in Bed-Stuy. The 8,000-square-foot, 10-bedroom townhouse was built in 1887 for water-meter magnate John Kelley, designed by noted architect Montrose Morris and modeled after a Gilded Age Vanderbilt mansion along Fifth Avenue.
Take a look inside this incredible mansion

September 5, 2018

New views and details revealed for 407-acre state park opening in Central Brooklyn next summer

The largest state park in New York City will open next summer in Brooklyn and be named after Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress and a native of the borough. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that the first phase of the 407-acre park on Jamacia Bay will be completed in 2019. The site, formerly home to two landfills, will be converted into parkland with 10 miles of trails for hiking and biking, kayaking, picnic areas, educational facilities, an amphitheater and more.
Learn more

Architecture And Design

Perkins Eastman reimagines Manhattan’s street grid with more pedestrian-friendly space

Rendering via Perkins Eastman

September 4, 2018

Perkins Eastman reimagines Manhattan’s street grid with more pedestrian-friendly space

As a solution to Manhattan's growing gridlock, planning and design firm Perkins Eastman is proposing a physical redesign of New York City's street grid. In a CityLab article penned by Jonathan Cohn, who leads the firm's transportation and public infrastructure studio, and Yunyue Chen, the recipient of Perkin Eastman's 2017 Architectural Fellowship for the Public Realm, they argue the city should "transform the streets radically, dedicating them to pedestrians." This includes grouping blocks into larger neighborhoods and organizing them into either thoroughfares and local streets.
Get the details

September 4, 2018

Brooklyn Heights’ oldest home returns to the market after a $2M price chop

Owning a piece of New York City history just got a little cheaper. The oldest home in Brooklyn Heights, located at 24 Middagh Street, has hit the market again, this time asking $4.5 million, a price drop of over $2 million from when it was listed last year. The five-bedroom Federal-style home boasts a private, landscaped courtyard and a separate two-bedroom carriage house.
Enough of a discount?

Study recommends creating a High Line-style park along Brooklyn’s Prospect Expressway

Rendering via BHA

August 31, 2018

Study recommends creating a High Line-style park along Brooklyn’s Prospect Expressway

A new study recommends building a cantilevered linear park to run along the Prospect Expressway in Brooklyn, akin to the High Line. Developed by students from NYU Wagner's capstone program, PX Forward proposes ways to reimagine the 2.3-mile-long corridor, whose construction was led by Robert Moses between 1953 and 1962. As it stands today, the expressway cuts through neighborhoods like South Slope, Windsor Terrace, Greenwood Heights and Kensington, exposing residents to unsafe conditions due to high traffic and noise pollution.
More here

Architecture And Design

August 30, 2018

At this five-acre Hamptons getaway, a grass roof and infinity pool camouflage with the landscape

By Hannah Frishberg

This five-acre waterfront family getaway on the Hamptons' Peconic Bay was designed by Manhattan-based firm Mapos with the intention of being sustainable and timeless (h/t Dezeen). The site's existing tree arrangement was maintained at the request of the family, who were particularly taken by an old Sycamore. So as to not disturb the existing fauna on the property, it was also decided that only unfinished materials would be used in the home, including steel and concrete – painted sheetrock was strictly out – and allowed to naturally patina.
See the whole property

See new photos of Jeanne Gang’s ‘solar carving’ tower take shape along the High Line

Photo by Timothy Schenck

August 29, 2018

See new photos of Jeanne Gang’s ‘solar carving’ tower take shape along the High Line

Four months after topping out, Jeanne Gang's tower at 40 Tenth Avenue is getting its geometric glass installed. New images released by Studio Gang show the 10-story commercial building taking shape between the High Line and the Hudson River, as well as its unique glazing system on the lower levels (h/t designboom). Formerly dubbed the Solar Carve Tower because of the way the building is "sculpted by the angles of the sun," 40 Tenth Avenue features a curtain wall made of diamond-shaped panels facing downward, with four triangular pieces around it.
See its progress

August 28, 2018

$3M Gramercy apartment is a Gilded Age fantasy in NYC’s oldest co-op

In 1876, Philadelphia hosted the Centennial International Exhibition, the country's first official World's Fair, which brought new technologies and European styles to the forefront. One outcome was a new interest in Aestheticism, especially in New York City. As The Met explains, the "cultural phenomenon" was "the flourishing of an artistic culture and lifestyle" with "an intense interest in collecting and decoration." And if you want to see a modern-day display of this more-is-more trend, look no further than this opulent co-op at 34 Gramercy Park East. Listed for $2,950,000 (including a coveted key to the Park), the home underwent a recent renovation that looked towards the Aesthetic Movement, restoring period details of the city's oldest co-op
You have to see the rest

Travel on a 1920s ocean liner in the historic Cunard Building’s new multimedia event

Photo courtesy of D.S. DestiNY

August 28, 2018

Travel on a 1920s ocean liner in the historic Cunard Building’s new multimedia event

By Emily Nonko

One of Lower Manhattan's most stunning interiors is getting a moment in the spotlight, thanks to a Montreal-based multimedia company. The building in question is 25 Broadway, also known as the Cunard Building or Standard & Poors Building. The 1920s office was designed with an extravagant great hall for Cunard Line and Anchor Lines. The nautical-themed space, where cruise-goers would purchase tickets, became an interior landmark in 1995. Moment Factory, a multimedia company known for creating immersive environments, felt the hall would be the perfect place to debut its work in New York City. The design team studied just about every inch of the elaborate room, boasting murals, domed ceilings and marble work, to transform it for visitors while remaining true to the original architecture. The result, as the company puts it, is a "massive 360-degree digital canvas, enveloping its audience in light, color and sound." 6sqft got a sneak peek of this unique show, which brings you aboard a classic ocean liner and reveals the hall in all its glory by the end of the show.
Check out the incredible space

August 27, 2018

Behind the scenes at Williamsburg’s abandoned Bayside Oil Depot, set to be NYC’s next public park

We first learned about the proposal to turn Williamsburg's former Bayside Oil Depot into a public park nearly two years ago. Since then, co-founders Karen Zabarsky and Stacey Anderson have been working tirelessly with a team of designers and environmentalists to refine their plans to be something both true to the site's history and representative of where the neighborhood is heading. Part of the larger Bushwick Inlet Park, a 28-acre open space along an unused waterfront industrial stretch, the plan is unique in that it plans to adaptively reuse the 10, 50-foot decommissioned fuel containers, transforming them into everything from performance spaces to greenhouses. With a fresh name--THE TANKS at Bushwick Inlet Park--Karen and Stacey recently took 6sqft on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the abandoned site, giving us a glimpse into how this incredible industrial relic is poised to become NYC's next anticipated park. Get a rare, up-close look at the tanks, hear what these powerhouse women have been up to, and learn what we can expect in the near future.
You won't believe these photos

August 24, 2018

After five years and a $20M discount, outrageous Mill Basin mansion finds a buyer

Apparently, 257 feet of waterfront, two boat slips, a 1,000-square-foot pool, a “circular meditation room,” and an outdoor pavilion/kitchen with seating for 40 was not enough to make this over-the-top Mill Basin mansion a hot seller. We'll blame it on the Miami Vice-meets-Star Strek design. But for one daring buyer, this made for quite the deal, as The Real Deal reports that after five years on the market, the home at 2458 National Drive has sold for $10, a whopping $20 million less than its original asking price.
Get a look around

TBD Design Studio gave this West Village penthouse a complete overhaul–and a private rooftop pool

Image courtesy of TBD Architecture + Design Studio; photo by Christopher Olstein.

August 17, 2018

TBD Design Studio gave this West Village penthouse a complete overhaul–and a private rooftop pool

It's hard to find a penthouse in downtown Manhattan that isn't impressive in one way or another, but this 1,600-square-foot space high above Christopher Street in the West Village has bragging rights to that rare and elusive refuge that few can claim: There's a private pool on its rooftop terrace. TBD Architecture + Design Studio was responsible for a total renovation of the stunning duplex (h/t Dezeen), resulting in a new multi-level rooftop deck with a hot tub, outdoor shower, bar area, and the aforementioned pool.
Check it out

August 16, 2018

From Rheingold Brewery to the Denizen: Inside Bushwick’s most unique rental

A new rental development designed by ODA Architecture has been dubbed by its developers as a building "made for Bushwick." And once you tour the sprawling, two-block site, that bold declaration makes more sense. Located on part of the former site of Brooklyn's Rheingold Brewery at 54 Noll Street (with its still-under-construction sister site at 123 Melrose Street), the Denizen Bushwick features a fragmented facade with rust-colored, deeply-recessed windows. But what stands out the most at the building, in addition to its bisecting green promenade and interconnected courtyards, remain the corridors of large-scale art that stand seven stories tall.
Take the tour

Architecture And Design

August 15, 2018

Where I Work: Go inside SHoP Architects’ aviation-inspired offices in the Woolworth Building

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and businesses of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the Financial District offices of SHoP Architects. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! The largest collection of WWII-era spotter planes in the world, a massive copper section of the Barclays Center facade, a materials library with hundreds of samples of everything from fabric to flooring--these are just some of the surprises you'll come across in SHoP Architects' offices in the iconic Woolworth Building. The firm's projects include buildings at mega-developments like the Domino Sugar Factory and Essex Crossing, the twisting American Copper Buildings, and the world's future tallest residential skyscraper 111 West 57th Street, and their office certainly embodies this creativity and range of work. After taking a tour of the space, 6sqft chatted with Associate Principal Angelica T. Baccon about this very special office design, what a typical day is like at the firm, and, of course, the backstory behind those planes. We also met with Materials Librarian Kate Smith to learn a bit more about this rare resource that helps inform the ideas at SHoP.
Take the tour!

August 13, 2018

This $3.5M Crown Heights mansion gives you plenty of room to imagine its grand historic past