Architecture And Design

September 26, 2017

New renderings of Lower Manhattan’s second tallest tower reveal golden Art Deco design

The Financial District’s second supertall located just one block south of the New York Stock Exchange is getting ready for construction. The tower, found at 45 Broad Street, will reach 1,115 feet, feature 66 floors and include about 200 condominiums. As CityRealty discovered, new on-site renderings show a slender structure with an Art Deco style and pointed Gothic architecture. Designed by CetraRuddy, the tower will be the second tallest tower in Downtown Manhattan after 1 WTC, and the architecture firm's tallest tower yet.
See the supertall
September 26, 2017

REVEALED: Pritzker Prize winner Álvaro Siza’s first U.S. building in NYC’s Hell’s Kitchen

Back in 2015 architects and design buffs were excited to hear that Portuguese Pritzker Prize-winner Álvaro Siza would be designing his highly-anticipated first U.S. building on Manhattan's west side in a neighborhood being called Hudson West. Now, CityRealty reports that developers Sumaida + Khurana and LENY have released renderings of the building at 611 West 56th Street on the former site of the Gristedes corporate headquarters. The development team has secured an acquisition loan, and demolition and foundation work have begun on the 35-story, 80-unit condo.
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September 25, 2017

Andrew Franz transformed this Chelsea apartment by replacing walls with glass partitions

To bring light into this Chelsea apartment, architect Andrew Franz pulled out all the tricks. To open and brighten up every corner of the 800-square-foot pad, the firm removed walls, added full-height glass partitions and high-gloss lacquered ceilings. While some of the apartment's historic details were restored, the final product feels super modern and spacious—with each room, of course, awash in sunlight.
Take a tour
September 25, 2017

POP-UP concept is a floating parking garage with moving water reservoir and green space

Due to a combination of population growth, car dependency and climate change, coastal cities across the country face growing issues with flooding, parking and lack of green space. As a solution, Danish architecture firm THIRD NATURE designed a 3-in-1 facility that stacks a water reservoir, parking facility, and urban space on top of each other (h/t ArchDaily). The project, called POP-UP, combines a large water reservoir with a parking garage that can move up and down as the reservoir fills and empties with water. Embracing the Archimedes principle of flotation, POP-UP works like a “piece of cork in a glass of water,” allowing the parking structure to correspond to the weight of the displaced water.
See the design
September 22, 2017

Bought in the ’70s for $170K, showbiz couple’s massive Upper West Side townhouse asks $20M

Built in 1897 in the Elizabethan Renaissance Revival style by renowned architect Clarence True, this brick and limestone mansion occupies a 43-foot-wide lot, not in Forest Hills or Riverdale, but at 323 West 80th Street on the Upper West Side. The New York Post writes that the owners, a Broadway producer who ran the downtown rock club the Bitter End and his wife, Donna, a casting director who happens to be the sister of Bernadette Peters, bought the house–then a rundown SRO–for $170,000 in the 1970s. Even then, they could see the potential in this grand, gothy 10,000-square-foot palace, at the time carved up into 20 rooms. A few years have passed, but we can't help but wonder if they imagined they'd list the spruced-up house, complete with garage, elevator and enchanted garden, for almost $20 million.
Check out the details of this amazing property
September 22, 2017

Ai Weiwei exhibit will displace Washington Square Christmas tree this holiday

An art installation from internationally acclaimed artist-activist, Ai Weiwei, will be displayed at the same time as the Christmas tree underneath the Washington Square Arch this year, displacing the tree, which has been a holiday tradition since 1924. The exhibit serves as one part of the famed Chinese artist’s larger project, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors,” which will feature ten large fence-themed works and more than 90 smaller installations across the five boroughs. As Bedford + Bowery learned, the plan is moving forward, despite objections from the Washington Square Association, who sought an appeal to have the project withdrawn because it will disrupt the usual holiday celebration, the second oldest tree lighting ceremony in New York City.
More this way
September 22, 2017

Top 10 can’t-miss events for NYC’s Archtober 2017

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 throughout our city in everyday life. Organized by the Center for Architecture, in collaboration with over 60 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 seventh year, Archtober offers something for everyone—from the arch-intellectual who wants to talk Jane Jacobs to the armchair architect with a thing for skyscrapers, parks or historic buildings—in the 100+ event roster. Ahead, 6sqft has hand-picked 10 don't-miss highlights in this year’s program.
Learn about the architecture of NYC at these cool events
September 22, 2017

Rare and historic Dumbo triplex once owned by artist Caro Heller hits the market for $2M

If you've visited Brooklyn Bridge Park then it's likely you've seen 8 Old Fulton Street, the historic brick cooperative--with the red door--directly facing the park. In the 1860s, this building was constructed for the Brooklyn City Railroad Company. Today the landmark holds just 10 co-ops, meaning it's rare to see apartments up for grabs. But this one-bedroom triplex has hit the market for $1.975 million, decked out with columns, exposed brick and twelve-foot ceilings. The previous owner was the artist Caro Heller, who passed away in 2014. According to public records, her children--an adventure writer and gallery owner--have listed the property for sale.
See the stunning interior
September 21, 2017

Architensions transformed a Brooklyn townhouse into a stunning compound with a writing pavilion

This Brooklyn abode feels more like a compound than traditional townhouse, with a redesign that blurred the lines between inside and out, and added three pavilions to the backyard. Two pavilions extend from the rear of the townhouse, while the third was envisioned as a mini writers retreat. (We've swooned over this backyard pavilion before.) Inside the main house, the completely paired down, modern interiors were finished with light wood, gray tile and high ceilings.
Head inside
September 20, 2017

First look at Halletts Point’s phase two reveals pair of blocky, glass towers

Construction of the Durst Organization’s first development outside of Manhattan, Halletts Point, a $1.5 billion waterfront development in Astoria, is moving full speed ahead. As CityRealty learned, new renderings hanging outside of the construction site reveal two blocky towers covered in glass, with rows of balconies at their corners. Earlier this month, construction topped out on the project’s first two towers at 26-01 1st Street, designed by Dattner Architects. Now, work has officially begun on the second pair of buildings at 26-02 1st Street and 26-40 1st Street.
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September 19, 2017

Williamsburg townhouse gets a ‘mullet’ reno with business in front and a party out back

Yes, you heard that right--the architects characterized this East Williamsburg townhouse renovation as having "a mullet strategy" of a "business/historically correct approach in the front and a party/modern attitude toward the back." The architects, BFDO, were tasked with restoring the facade of a historic wood frame house, while also modernizing and expanding it. The result? A pleasing blend of older historic details with a brightness and openness not often on display in a Brooklyn townhouse.
Check it out
September 19, 2017

Richard Meier’s first NYC skyscraper tops out, clad in black glass

Along the East River just south of the United Nations, Pritzker Prize-winner Richard Meier’s 42-story, 460-foot-tall tower has officially topped out, CityRealty learned. Developed by Sheldon Solow’s East River Realty Development, the skyscraper at 685 First Avenue has an all-black, glassy facade to offer residents privacy and create a uniform appearance on the outside. Upon completion in 2018, the Turtle Bay residential tower will feature 556 rental and condominium apartments, with incredible panoramic waterfront views.
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September 18, 2017

Jersey City’s Harborside boardwalk to get $75M makeover and new food hall

Over the past two decades, the Jersey City waterfront has seen a huge boom in both residential and commercial development, revealing an entirely new skyline of tall, glassy towers. And now real estate investor Mack-Cali wants to embrace this waterfront location in the way that new large-scale developments are doing in Manhattan (Waterline Square) and Brooklyn (Domino Sugar Factory). The firm's $75 million plan will piggyback on next month's opening of a new New York Waterway ferry station there and transform the waterfront promenade in front of their 4.3 million-square-foot Harborside office complex into a "one-of-a-kind cultural district" that will include a beer garden, European-style food hall known as The Marketplace, and the Harborside Atrium, an interconnected series of pedestrian routes and lobbies throughout the buildings that will also serve as cultural event space.
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September 18, 2017

‘American Horror Story’ actor Denis O’Hare lists Fort Greene carriage house condo for $1.6M

Actor Denis O'Hare might be known for taking roles in creepy shows like "American Horror Story" and "True Blood," but his Fort Greene home is anything but. He bought the unique duplex at 159 Carlton Avenue, a landmarked 2,015-square-foot carriage house that was once the Feuchtwanger Stable, for just $175,000 in 1998 when he was still acting on Broadway (h/t WSJ). Over the past 19 years, his husband, interior designer Hugo Redwood, completely renovated the condo, preserving its amazing arched windows that once allowed horses and carriages to enter but creating a more open, loft-like space. And it's now on the market for $1,595,000.
Check out the layout
September 14, 2017

Billionaire sports team owner gets $17M discount on Upper East Side mega-mansion

A massive Upper East Side single-family townhouse at 50 East 69th Street was just wrestled off the market for an equally monumental $45 million, sources have told the New York Post. Joshua Harris, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and part owner of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, just bought the 21,070-square-foot house, which was listed at $72 million last September and reduced to $59 million in June. The 44-foot-wide limestone-clad building, known as the Dommerich Mansion, was built in 1917 in a neo-French classic style by architect Henry C. Pelton for Otto Louis Dommerich, who ran his family's family cotton business. It was most recently being used as a cosmetic surgery facility.
More details this way
September 14, 2017

712-foot observation tower proposed for Central Park would also clean the reservoir

Local creative studio DFA is proposing a 712-foot public observation tower in Central Park that would double as a sustainable filtration system to clean the decommissioned and hazardous Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir and turn it into a non-toxic, useable freshwater pond. The firm says their idea is "in response to [the] growing demand for public bird’s eye views in the world’s tallest cities and an increasing need for innovative environmental cleanup strategies." Though meant to be temporary, the prefabricated tower would be the world's tallest timber structure if completed, featuring a 56-foot-wide viewing platform and a glass oculus that showcases the tower's functional elements.
All the details and renderings ahead
September 14, 2017

Barry Diller pulls the plug on $250M Pier 55 offshore park

Barry Diller, the billionaire chairman of IAC, announced he's killing the $250 million project that promised to bring a futuristic offshore park and cultural site to the Hudson River's dilapidated Pier 54. 6sqft previously covered the unfolding saga of the ill-fated project, known as Pier 55 (or sometimes as "Diller Park"), as opposing factions continually blocked its progress and were eventually revealed to be funded by prominent New York real estate developer Douglas Durst. According to the New York Times, Diller said Wednesday that his commitment to build the undulating pier would be coming to an end—an inglorious one for a bold plan that some, and certainly Diller himself, saw as a new Manhattan waterfront icon to rival the nearby High Line.
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September 13, 2017

This renovated Park Slope co-op, asking $995K, has its own Instagram account

If there was a contest for most popular apartments in New York City, this one would be in the running as the winner. Apartment #3L at the Park Slope co-op 749 Union Street has been profiled in Lonny and Architectural Digest. It has its own Instagram account. And it was designed by Dan Mazzarini, the former director of store design at Ralph Lauren who went on to open his own design firm, BHDM. Envisioned as a black-and-white bachelor pad with a sleek, modern kitchen, the apartment is now looking for its next owner at an ask of $995,000.
Read more about the reno
September 13, 2017

Morphosis Architects’ innovative Bloomberg Center at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island officially opens

The first building of Cornell Tech's Roosevelt Island campus officially opened on Wednesday, set to be the first net-zero university building in New York City. Known as the Emma and Georgina Bloomberg Center, named after former Mayor Michael Bloomberg who donated $100 million for the project, the four-story 160,000-square foot academic building will be the intellectual nerve center of Cornell Tech. Designed by Morphosis Architects, the building has a photovoltaic canopy and an aluminum-paneled facade.
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September 13, 2017

New renderings of 3 Hudson Boulevard revive the skyscraper’s proposed 300-foot spire

In what seems like a game of hide-and-seek, the 300-foot spire on top of the Moinian Group’s supertall at 3 Hudson Boulevard has returned to renderings, after being absent from them two weeks ago. The spire, which would make the skyscraper the tallest building in Hudson Yards at 1,350 feet tall, first made its appearance in early August, only to disappear a few weeks later. Now, as YIMBY reported, the FXFOWLE-designed building shows the spire’s return, as construction begins at the site.
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September 13, 2017

First look at the 2017 Open House New York sites!

If you love architecture and urban design from historic to contemporary, there has never been a better time to join Open House New York for a rare weekend of access to typically off limits sites. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, this year’s OHNY will take place on Saturday, October 14 and Sunday, October 15, opening up more than 200 buildings and projects across the five boroughs for tours and talks with architects, urban planners, preservationists, and city leaders. OHNY has just released a sneak preview of the program, which includes a tour of  SHoP Architects' American Copper Buildings and their iconic skybridge, a peek inside the artifacts and archival gems at the New York Transit Museum Archives, the Bridge at Cornell Tech at the university's new Roosevelt Island Campus, and the new global headquarters of West Elm.
This way for a sneak peak at what’s in store this year for OHNY
September 12, 2017

Loci Architecture took this 1878 Carroll Gardens brownstone and decked it out with wood

The Manhattan-based firm Loci Architecture took plenty of care in the renovation of this historic Carroll Gardens townhouse, which dates back to 1878. (According to the firm, the home was once occupied by the last queen of Sikkim, a northeastern state of India.) In a complete renovation and rear extension, Loci completely decked the interior out with wood--everything from salvaged pine, to Douglass Fir, to reclaimed barn timbers. Wood floors, ceiling beams, built ins, and storage space make for a warm, textural interior.
Now go see the finishes
September 11, 2017

VIDEO: Drone footage shows construction of ODA’s massive Rheingold Brewery site

Slated to be the largest influx of housing created in Bushwick ever, ODA Architect’s two projects on the old Rheingold Brewery site continue to progress. Rabsky Group’s 10 Montieth Street, a nearly 400,000-square-foot, seven-story building with 392 units, just topped out. And All Year Management’s impressive development, totaling one million square feet, at 123 Melrose Street is currently being clad. Overall, the two projects will span three full city blocks.
Watch the video
September 11, 2017

News journalist Linda Ellerbee lists her historic West Village townhouse for $10.75M

After finding this incredible townhouse at 17 Saint Luke's Place–one of 15 identical Italianate row houses built in the 1850s on land owned by the Trinity Church--in the New York Times real estate section 40+ years ago, legendary journalist Linda Ellerbee knew she had to have it, even though it was above her budget. "I bought the house 30 minutes after touring it," she told LL NYC. "It was like every movie I had ever seen growing up about what it was like to live in Greenwich Village in a brownstone." But now that her children are grown and she plans to spend most of her time in the Berkshires and Puerto Vallarta, she's decided to list the well-renovated and well-preserved home for $10.75 million.
See what's upstairs and downstairs
September 11, 2017

David Rockefeller’s 75-acre Westchester estate asks $22M

Some call it the end of an era of understated wealth. David Rockefeller, philanthropist, art collector and former CEO of Chase Manhattan bank–and the last surviving grandson of oil baron John D. Rockefeller–died in March at the age of 101. His properties have been up for sale since then, including his legendary art collection featuring works by Matisse, Cezanne, Gauguin, Seurat, and Picasso that headed for auction at Christie’s, his Upper East Side townhouse with an ask of $33 million and a retreat in Maine asking $19 million. The billionaire’s treasured Westchester estate, Hudson Pines, has just been listed at $22 million. Only 45 minutes from New York City, the property, which was home to the aforementioned art collection as well as the owner's antique carriage collection and his collection of 250,000 beetle specimens–Rockefeller was an avid entomologist–seems a world away from the bustle of daily life.
Find out more about this magical estate