Architecture And Design

January 4, 2017

Mini Metros shrinks and simplifies 220 transit systems from around the world

When D.C.-based graphic designer and transit enthusiast Peter Dovak tried his hand at creating a transportation-based app, he was taken by the clean, simple appearance of the icons he'd made for the navigation bar--small circles containing shrunken versions of metro or light rail systems. He's now designed them for 220 cities as part of his ongoing Mini Metros series, and made the colorful maps available as prints, mugs, and magnets.
Get a closer look

January 4, 2017

The Internet of Things: How our homes will know us better than we know them

By Cait Etherington

At the start of every new year, futurologists inform us of what the next 12 months might have in store. For 2017, there is widespread speculation that the Internet of Things will continue to reshape our lives and homes in profound and lasting ways. If you haven’t already familiarized yourself with the Internet of Things […]

January 4, 2017

Norman Foster’s 50 Hudson Yards will be city’s most expensive office building at $4B

By Dana Schulz

It's been less than a month since it was revealed that starchitect Norman Foster would be designing the Related Companies' and Oxford Properties Group's 50 Hudson Yards commercial tower, but the developers have already pegged the cost of the project at $3.94 billion, which will make it the city's most expensive office building, reports The Real Deal. The 985-foot tower, where BlackRock has already signed a 20-year lease for 15 floors, will surpass One Vanderbilt's projected $3.14 billion price tag and Bjarke Ingels' planned $3 billion+ High Line tower known as The Spiral, as well as One World Trade Center's current record of $3.8 billion.
Find out more

January 3, 2017

$40M Brooklyn Heights townhouse with a mayoral past is now four pricey rentals

By Michelle Cohen

After being on the market for over two years, Brooklyn’s priciest townhouse–a $40 million home at 3 Pierrepont Place–is now being offered as four rental units. 6sqft previously featured the home, known as the Low Mansion for the previous owner and businessman A.A. Low, whose son, Seth Low, became mayor of New York City in 1902. Spanning 17,500 square feet, the eight-figure townhouse boasted 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and more than 9,000 square feet of garden and outdoor space with original details galore. Though even Matt Damon toured the grand Brooklyn Heights property back in September, the house hasn't found a buyer, so the owner is now offering the mansion as four luxurious rental homes from a $4,500 one-bedroom to a 1,700-square-foot top-floor unit for $12,000 a month (h/t Curbed).
Find out more

January 3, 2017

New renderings and details for Rafael Viñoly’s 125 Greenwich Street

By Dana Schulz

Construction at Rafael Viñoly’s slender skyscraper 125 Greenwich Street has reached street level, but as CityRealty uncovered, the tower that was slated to be taller than 1,000 feet over the summer (and previously 1,400 feet), is back down to 898 feet. Though this now makes it shorter than Fumihiko Maki’s 977-foot 4 World Trade Center one block north, fresh renderings show that the 88-story condo will still offer sweeping views of the city and harbor, which are shown for the first time from interior shots.
More views and details ahead

January 2, 2017

For $525K, this 1880 Dutchess County country house has a horse barn, a wood shop and a pond

By Michelle Cohen

If you owned this Dutchess County home, you’d never need to stay in a cute country inn; the historic Hyde Park/Pleasant Valley four-bedroom house resembles a quaint B&B from its outbuildings and pond to its cozy interiors (h/t CIRCA). Currently on the market for $525,000, 45 Marshall Road is about the most textbook example of an uncomplicated country home that we've seen in a while. And it might be just the thing for next year's Christmas card photo.
Explore the simple life

Secret Russian compound on Long Island shut down after Obama-issued sanctions

A Google Earth image of the property

December 30, 2016

Secret Russian compound on Long Island shut down after Obama-issued sanctions

By Dana Schulz

News of President Obama imposing sanctions against the two Russian intelligence agencies that were allegedly involved in the DNC hacking that affected the 2016 presidential election is perhaps the biggest news in the world right now, but it hits a lot closer to home than many New Yorkers may realize. The administration expelled 35 intelligence officials from the country and ordered two intelligence compounds closed, one of which is a 49-room mansion on a 14-acre property in Glen Cove on Long Island's ritzy Gold Coast (h/t Gothamist). NBC New York reports that, although the Soviet Union purchased it in 1951 to be used as weekend home for its UN delegates, many locals were never aware of its existence as a "longtime getaway for Russian diplomats" that was "also used for Russian intelligence purposes."
The full story

December 29, 2016

City eyes Gowanus Canal as the next ‘Little Venice’

By Michelle Cohen

Rezoning and the promise of public right-of-way on the west Brooklyn Superfund canal could bring an esplanade like Williamsburg’s, a recreation area and lots of new development. The light-industrial zone wedged between pricey Park Slope and Carroll Gardens hasn't accurately been a polluted flyover zone for decades, but the fact that it now boasts a flagship Whole Foods with a rooftop farm hasn't gone unnoticed. As 6sqft reported recently, the canal-side enclave, despite the sometimes-fragrant waterway in its midst, is on a par with its neighbors as one of the city's most expensive neighborhoods. Now Crain's tells of rezoning plans and lucrative developments that could open the door for a public esplanade and waterfront amenities like those along the Hudson and the East River.
Find out more about the Gowanus rezoning plans

December 28, 2016

Doc transforms from sofa to bunk beds with one swift motion

By Rebecca Paul

Sofa beds are convenient in nature and have become the norm for multi-purpose furniture, but a large flat bed is not always the best sleeping solution for multiple guests (or tiny apartments). Enter Doc, a cleverly designed sofa from Bonbon Trading that easily transforms from a contemporary, comfy sofa into stylish bunk beds with one simple motion.
Learn more here

December 27, 2016

Molekule: The first air purifier to use nano-technology to destroy indoor pollutants

By Rebecca Paul

Spending time outdoors is a beautiful thing, however, Americans on average spend 90 percent of their time indoors. What's more is that the air we breathe inside can be five times more polluted than what's outside. Indeed, indoor air can harbor everything from pollen to pet dander and dust, to more harmful things like mold, bacteria and viruses. While plenty of air filters have been designed to catch these pollutants, none of them have the ability to eliminate them—until now. Molekule is being called the first "molecular" air purifier, and it uses nano-technology to completely eliminate airborne contaminants.
READ MORE

Historic upstate farmstead offers a dairy barn, yoga studio, and luxe main house for $2M

By Emily Nonko

This 18th century farmstead, known as Spy Hill, is historic on the outside but has been renovated with modern, luxurious finishes inside. Located upstate in Brewster, New York, it's on the market for $1.95 million, CIRCA tell us. There's the main house, decked out with fireplaces, a large outdoor terrace with a covered veranda, as well as a guest house, three-level dairy barn, workshop, yoga studio, green house and heated in-ground pool and spa, all over four acres. Talk about an impressive property.
Now take the tour

December 22, 2016

Live in one of Manhattan’s rare rooftop cabins for $4,200 a month

By Michelle Cohen

Here's another tiny, pricey top-floor studio calling itself a "penthouse" in a buzzy downtown Manhattan neighborhood. Except this particular diminutive dwelling really is one-(or maybe two- or three-) of-a-kind in the city: It’s a rooftop cabin. Curbed calls it "NYC's most unusual rental." Every so often we get a chance to marvel at these quirky homesteads perched atop otherwise ordinary apartment buildings, and we don’t know whether we’d be thrilled to bits every morning to wake up in a country cabin on a city rooftop, or if we’d be totally over it. Let’s go with thrilled to bits–and take a closer look at this unusual aerie at 15 West 28th Street, asking $4,200 in monthly rent.
It's a cabin on the roof. How cool is that?

December 19, 2016

The problem with privately owned public spaces (‘POPS’) and how we can improve them

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

The Atlantic and the New York Times recently exposed the privately owned public spaces (known as “POPS”) in the Trump Tower as being far from “public.” As both journalists demonstrated, most of the Trump Tower public spaces were either cordoned off or non-existent, most notably, the case of the missing bench. A long bench was […]

December 16, 2016

Olin reveals renderings for $30M activity-filled eco-park on Tribeca’s Pier 26

By Dana Schulz

It was announced just over a year ago that starchitect Rafael Viñoly would donate his services to the Hudson River Park Trust to design an estuarium, a science education and research center, at the base of Tribeca's Pier 26. Now, Tribeca Citizen has brought us the first set of conceptual renderings of the $30 million Pier, which don't include Viñoly's building (other than as a placeholder), but show how landscape architects OLIN will transform the 800-foot pier between North Moore and Hubert Streets into a ecological park, complete with huge lounge net areas, sports fields, expansive lawns, a river esplanade, sandy dunes, wetlands to attract birds and wildlife, and elevated tree-lined pathways that are "inspired by being in the woods," according to DNAinfo.
See all the renderings

Architecture And Design

December 16, 2016

JFK’s TWA Hotel breaks ground, gets new renderings

By Dana Schulz

The shovels were out at JFK's TWA Flight Terminal yesterday, as MCR Development and JetBlue broke ground on their project to turn Eero Saarinen‘s mid-century modern masterpiece into the high-end, 505-room TWA Hotel. According to a press release, Governor Cuomo attended the festivities, noting that the conversion "will preserve this iconic landmark while cementing JFK’s status as a crown jewel of aviation." The news also came with two renderings that show the two, six-story, crescent shaped hotel buildings that will rise on either side of the existing structure.
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December 15, 2016

Dry your plates between the buildings of Midtown with this skyline dish rack

By Dana Schulz

For many New Yorkers, the after-dinner ritual of loading up the dishwasher is pure fantasy. But while we're stuck scrubbing away in our under-sized sinks, this fun dish rack from the Whitney museum's gift shop is a nice reminder as to why we make the compromises we do. The flexible 3D model of Midtown Manhattan comes from Italian designer Luca Nichetto, who was inspired by the scene in the 2010 movie "Inception" where NYC folds into itself "like rubber."
READ MORE

December 14, 2016

Turn anything into a table or shelf in minutes using Be-elastic’s SNAP

By Rebecca Paul

NYC apartments often have irregular layouts and odd corners, and finding pre-made furniture that will fit nicely can often be a lofty task. As such, the founders of Be-elastic have designed an innovative furniture solution called SNAP to solve this problem. The SNAP assembly system is comprised of a simple snapping mechanism that allows users to design and assemble tables, stools, or shelving using whatever material they can find. The team has already experimented with a variety of items, creating tables from dart boards, vintage doors, and even bicycle wheels. But you can use your own design savvy to decide the color and number of legs your item requires.
READ MORE

New renderings from Albo Liberis offer up two visions for Brooklyn’s next skyscraping office tower

Rendering of 625 Fulton Street; image: Albo Liberis /Genesis Studios

December 14, 2016

New renderings from Albo Liberis offer up two visions for Brooklyn’s next skyscraping office tower

By Michelle Cohen

As the future Brooklyn skyline takes shape, one of the borough's largest office towers-to-be, a 36-story commercial skyscraper, is slated to rise at 625 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. Brooklyn-based Rabsky Group purchased the lot for $158 million and, as The Real Deal reports, plans are in the works to create 700,000 square feet of leasable space, for which the developer is in talks with City Planning to take advantage of a plaza bonus. Albo Liberis (see Williamsburg's William Vale Hotel) has been commissioned as the architect, and while no design has been officially revealed or finalized by Rabsky, the firm's site does offer up some insight into what is being considered for the game-changing tower.
Check out the renderings

December 13, 2016

Rare modernist pieces by Prouvé, Le Corbusier, Gaudí and more up for auction today

By Michelle Cohen

If your idea of a perfect stocking stuffer is a classic Serge Mouille three-armed ceiling light, the auction of items from the private collection of architect Lee Mindel, which begins today, is just what your gift list ordered. "Light & Aerie: The Collection of Lee F. Mindel, FAIA" includes dozens of rare modernist pieces from the architect's personal collection. Mindel is moving from his Chelsea loft in a former hat factory to a new aerie in Tribeca's rare and collectible Herzog & de Meuron-designed "Jenga tower" at 56 Leonard Street; Mindel's loft is available, too, if you've got a really big stocking to fill. Auction house Phillips is handling the sale, which includes stunning pieces ranging from art to furniture, lighting and decorative items by the likes of Jean Prouvé, Antoni Gaudí, Georges Braque, Hans J. Wegner, Ettore Sottsass, Jr. and many, many more.
Check out some of the iconic pieces headed for auction

December 13, 2016

Historic districts and landmarking: What they mean and how they could affect you

By Michelle Cohen

In New York City, where buying and selling real estate is a high-stakes endeavor, the topic of historic and landmark designation is frequently raised. There are heated discussions on the subject of listing neighborhoods or buildings on the State and National Register of Historic Places or having them designated by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. It's important to know what those organizations do and the distinctions between them. You could even be eligible for significant financial aid for your renovations if you own property in an historic district.
Find out what these designations mean, how you could benefit from them and why they're sometimes controversial.

December 13, 2016

Renderings revealed for 724-foot Lower East Side tower, final piece of controversial site

By Dana Schulz

The historically low-income, low-slung neighborhood of Two Bridges--the area along the East River, near the footings of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges where the Lower East Side meets Chinatown--has become a high-rise hotbed over the past year. Despite the controversy that the four planned projects, all upwards of 700 feet, have caused, they're moving along fairly swiftly, and The Lo-Down now has the big reveal for the final site--Starrett Group's 259 Clinton Street. Perkins Eastman Architects have designed the 724-foot, 62-story glass tower, which will have ground-floor retail and 732 apartments, 25 percent of which will be permanently affordable with a good chunk being set aside for low-income seniors.
More details and renderings ahead

December 13, 2016

Own the incredible Arts and Crafts home where Milton Glaser designed the ‘I ♥ NY’ logo

By Dana Schulz

Graphic design legend Milton Glaser's most famous works are arguably the I ♥ NY logo and the psychedelic Bob Dylan poster, both of which were created at his upstate home in Woodstock. He and wife Shirley have owned this incredible, early 20th century stone-and-glass home for more than 50 years, adding a contemporary aesthetic to its historic Arts and Crafts style and maintaining the 76+ acres of gardens and forest. It's now hit the market for $1.8 million since, according to Gothamist, the couple has reached a point "where downsizing has become the obvious choice."
READ MORE

December 12, 2016

SOM’s Kenneth Lewis on redefining the city with One WTC, Time Warner Center, and sustainability

By Jillian Blume

In 1986, Kenneth Lewis began his career architecture firm SOM as a mere junior designer. Now fast forward to present day and Lewis can be found at the front-lines of the globally recognized company serving as a partner. Over his 30-year tenure with SOM, Lewis has been in involved in the realization of game-changing developments like the Time […]

December 12, 2016

Historic 1865 Chelsea firehouse was Andy Warhol’s 1949 refuge, now renting for $33K

By Michelle Cohen

The Chelsea Firehouse at 323 West 21st Street would be an historic icon based on its origins alone, beginning in the late 19th century as an actual firehouse, built to accommodate a shiny new horse-drawn steam pumper engine (h/t Daytonian in Manhattan). The mid-Victorian era structure not only survived the ensuing decades, but in 1999, Architectural Digest featured the duplex shown here, by then one of three luxury apartments, calling it "indisputably one of a kind." In the years between, the building was home to free-spirited performers and artists, including Andy Warhol and Philip Pearlstein who sought refuge here from seedy lodgings in the East Village. The designer-renovated, uniquely-configured 4,000 square-foot duplex in this storied building is now on the rental market for $33,000.
Find out more about this iconic home

Architecture And Design

Mini Metros shrinks and simplifies 220 transit systems from around the world

The Internet of Things: How our homes will know us better than we know them

Norman Foster’s 50 Hudson Yards will be city’s most expensive office building at $4B

$40M Brooklyn Heights townhouse with a mayoral past is now four pricey rentals

New renderings and details for Rafael Viñoly’s 125 Greenwich Street

For $525K, this 1880 Dutchess County country house has a horse barn, a wood shop and a pond

Secret Russian compound on Long Island shut down after Obama-issued sanctions

City eyes Gowanus Canal as the next ‘Little Venice’

Doc transforms from sofa to bunk beds with one swift motion

Molekule: The first air purifier to use nano-technology to destroy indoor pollutants

Historic upstate farmstead offers a dairy barn, yoga studio, and luxe main house for $2M

Live in one of Manhattan’s rare rooftop cabins for $4,200 a month

The problem with privately owned public spaces (‘POPS’) and how we can improve them

Olin reveals renderings for $30M activity-filled eco-park on Tribeca’s Pier 26

JFK’s TWA Hotel breaks ground, gets new renderings

A grown-up townhouse with a Bushwick address–and a koi pond–asks $2M

Dry your plates between the buildings of Midtown with this skyline dish rack

Turn anything into a table or shelf in minutes using Be-elastic’s SNAP

New renderings from Albo Liberis offer up two visions for Brooklyn’s next skyscraping office tower

Rare modernist pieces by Prouvé, Le Corbusier, Gaudí and more up for auction today

Historic districts and landmarking: What they mean and how they could affect you

Renderings revealed for 724-foot Lower East Side tower, final piece of controversial site

Own the incredible Arts and Crafts home where Milton Glaser designed the ‘I ♥ NY’ logo

SOM’s Kenneth Lewis on redefining the city with One WTC, Time Warner Center, and sustainability

Historic 1865 Chelsea firehouse was Andy Warhol’s 1949 refuge, now renting for $33K

138 Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn

Architecture And Design

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