Architecture And Design

With the holiday season right around the corner we've got three things on our minds, booze, gifts and of course design. This new book, "The Architecture of the Shot," from author Paul Knorr and architectural planner Melissa Wood, speaks to all three. In keeping with the authors' expertise, this clever piece of literature includes 75 blueprints detailing the creation of "the perfect shot from the bottom up," as if they were each a mini building.
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Architecture And Design

October 29, 2015

POLL: Would You Like to See the MTA Use This Modern Subway Map?

Yesterday, 6sqft brought you this modern subway map redesign by Tommi Moilanen. His version keeps the current map’s basic structure, but infuses it with a bit of Massimo Vignelli‘s famous graphic style. Geographically and systemically accurate, Moilanen’s map also uses thick and thin lines to represent express and local service; tints skipped stops a lighter shade; more clearly […]

October 28, 2015

Surreal Estate: NYC Listings That Are Scary, Hairy, and Totally Hideous

By Michelle Cohen

As if New York City home prices, monthly rents and apartment sizes weren’t scary enough. Between the horrors of Airbnb, overpriced dorm-style “co-living,” super-expensive micro-apartments, and Donald Trump, it’s hard to imagine we'd need Halloween to scare ourselves silly. But scare we do. Because of listings like these that know no season. Because sometimes real estate gets a little too real. From spookily dilapidated to eerily obscure to downright hideous, 6sqft has rounded up some of the most horrifying listings out there.
Be very afraid

October 28, 2015

VIDEO: Ride the Elevator Up to the Marriott Marquis’ Secret 55th Floor

By Diane Pham

The Marriott Marquis may not have the illustrious, storied past of NYC's landmarked hotels like The Plaza or the Algonquin, but that doesn't mean it doesn't keep its fair share of secrets. As you probably know, the Times Square locale is famous for its spectacular high-tech Schindler Miconic 10 elevators which zip passengers up and down the building while offering incredible views over the hotel's massive atrium lobby below. While the building is said to be just 48 floors tall, rumor has it there's actually a secret 55th floor that no regular person has been to before. Could it be true? One intrepid guest of the Marriott was daring enough to find out.
check it out here

October 28, 2015

Woodwork and Greenery Abound at This Upstate Stone House by BNO Design

This beautiful home located in Yorktown Heights in Westchester County, New York, is situated on acres of sprawling greenery. The immaculate interior was created by BNO Design and boasts a myriad of truly unique architectural details. From the intricate wood staircase, complete with ornate storage compartments, to upholstered linen walls and impressively large windows, this home is chock full of taste and elegance.
Take a tour around

Architecture And Design

October 28, 2015

Two New Handel-Designed Towers to Sail Onto the Greenpoint Landing Waterfront

Yesterday it was announced that Brookfield Property Partners is making their first Brooklyn venture by purchasing a majority stake in two Greenpoint Landing development sites for $59.7 million. While better known for their commercial ventures, Brookfield will begin construction early next year on 775 market-rate apartments on two waterfront parcels. The towers should be finished sometime in 2019 at the total cost of $600 million as part of the first phases of the of the 22-acre master plan which is being designed by Handel Architects. Plans filed with the Department of Buildings for Brookfield's sites call for a 30-story, 372-unit rental building at 37 Blue Slip and a larger 39-story, 401-unit tower at 41 Blue Slip. A cul-de-sac will separate the slab-shaped towers, which will open onto a waterfront esplanade designed by James Corner Field Operations.
More renderings right this way

October 27, 2015

East Village Micro-Loft Is Jam-Packed With Storage to Maximize Functionality and Efficiency

Living in a small New York City apartment is hard enough, but also using that same space for work comes with an additional layer of challenges. The owner of this 500-square-foot East Village studio had been pushing the limits of what his space could accommodate since purchasing the apartment back in 1999 before the real estate boom. With his growing collection of office supplies, gadgets, toys and art pieces, the apartment was in serious need of some organization. Thankfully with meticulous planning from the design team at Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture, the disorganized home was transformed into a highly organized and efficient living space with no clutter in sight.
Check out this amazing apartment

October 27, 2015

REVEALED: Interior Renderings of Norman Foster’s Skinny Seagram-Neighboring Condo Tower

By Diane Pham

Norman Foster is a master when it comes to contextual thoughtfulness, and his latest creation slated to rise next door to Mies van der Rohe's iconic Seagram Building is one to be admired. Called One Hundred East Fifty Third Street (it takes its name from its address), the 63-story tower has just released a new set of interior renderings to Dezeen which show what the world's richest will be snapping up when units hit the market next week.
Have a closer look inside

65-Story Condo Tower Designed by CetraRuddy to Rise in the Downtown Skyline

Renderings of the tower at 900 feet, courtesy of CityRealty

October 27, 2015

65-Story Condo Tower Designed by CetraRuddy to Rise in the Downtown Skyline

Last week it was announced that the long vacant Financial District lot at 45 Broad Street would be redeveloped into a 65-story condominium tower through a partnership between Madison Equities and the Pizzarotti Group. According to The Real Deal, "The buyers closed on the purchase of the land for $86 million and secured a $75 million acquisition loan." While it is not yet clear what the project’s exact size and number of units will be, given the lofty ceiling heights of today's high-end condo developments, 65 stories could yield a tower of up to 900 feet.
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This $8M Tribeca Loft Is a Real Eye-Opener

By Michelle Cohen

Though you might wish you left them closed. As the listing says, this full-floor condominium at 408 Greenwich Street is indeed a quintessential Tribeca loft–over 3,500 square feet of space, two bedrooms, a private key-locked elevator, ten-foot floor-to-ceiling arched windows looking out over beautiful Greenwich and Hubert Streets...they're all there. "The moment that you step inside you are surrounded by pure opulence." That's the part that makes this home a little more unique. Is it $8 million unique (it's also available as a rental for $26.5K/month)? You decide. "Hit one button for your programmable lighting system and let the experience begin."
Hit it, Maestro

October 26, 2015

Check Out the Views From 1,438 Feet in the Air at 111 West 57th Street

Last week, 6sqft brought you an up close and personal look at 111 West 57th Street's exterior facade mock-up, and now Property Markets Group (PMG), who is co-developing the super-tower with JDS Development Group, posted a nifty interactive panorama of the building's out-of-this-world views. Rising from the heart of Billionaires' Row (New York's very own Mount Olympus and preferred residence of our anonymous overlords), the building is 80 stories and 1,438 feet high and is nearly perfectly on axis to Central Park–an egotistical perk that Extell's Central Park Tower and Macklowe/CIM Group's 432 Park aren't granted despite having higher apartments.
This way for the views

INTERVIEW: Lowline Creator James Ramsey Discusses the Challenges of Building an Underground Park

James Ramsey (right) with co-founder Dan Barasch (left)

October 26, 2015

INTERVIEW: Lowline Creator James Ramsey Discusses the Challenges of Building an Underground Park

By Diane Pham

The hottest destination in the Lower East Side is not a bar, but rather a cutting edge installation hidden inside a vacant warehouse at 140 Essex Street. Just over a week ago, partners James Ramsey and Dan Barasch launched the Lowline Lab, a high-tech, miniaturized precursor to the city’s first underground park. James is the co-founder (alongside Dan) of the park, which will occupy a 40,000-square-foot abandoned trolley terminal below Delancey Street; and creator of the technology that will fill it—a remote skylight system that redirects light underground thorough a maze of optic tubes and diffuses it over a canopy to produce a subterranean environment where plants can grow and flourish (phew!). 6sqft recently took a private tour of the Lowline Lab alongside James, and he gave us some insight into the science, as well how he and Dan are approaching the challenges that come with bringing a park below ground to life. We of course asked all those questions you've been wondering about, like: Who's paying for this whole thing? And what about the rats?
Read our interview with James here

October 26, 2015

First Peek at Alchemy Properties’ 26-Story NOMA Condominium

Here's our first peek at Alchemy Properties' upcoming mixed-use condominium development NOMA. Slated to rise 26 stories/316 feet from a 7,000-square-foot corner lot at 846-850 Sixth Avenue, the building will be the first ground-up condominium development in NoMad west of Fifth Avenue. With demolition just wrapping up on a single-story strip of retail stores, excavation will soon begin for a FXFowle-designed mixed-use tower that is slated to house 52 condo apartments and 13,000 square feet of retail space on its first two floors. Zoning diagrams filed at the Department of Buildings indicate the form of the tower will be composed of variously scaled and skewed interlocking volumes. Units with eastern exposures will have balconies.
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October 26, 2015

Cards Against Urbanity Are Rude, Crude and Help Us Learn About Urban Planning

From counting city trees and reporting potholes to voting on the design of a playground or hotel, individuals today have more opportunities to influence the state of their local community than ever before. Dedicated to supporting community participation, the folks from GreaterPlaces and DoTankDC created Cards Against Urbanity, a unique and fun method for furthering this form of city planning. Cards Against Urbanity is very similar to the games it was modeled after, including Cards Against Humanity and Apples to Apples; however, the content for this game cleverly integrates language and ideas specifically for today's architect and urban planner. While the original set was produced in part as a fun alternative for discussing some of the less entertaining aspects of city planning, the project that launched over a year ago has now led to some interesting next steps.
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October 26, 2015

Turn Your Old iPhone Into an Elegant Desktop Lamp

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Industrial designer Ivan Zhurba came out with a brilliant idea to tackle the planned obsolescence of iPhones. His "iPhone Lamp" is an elegant luminaire for the desk or bedside table that gives new use to Apple's retired smart phones. The lamp follows the tech giant's sleek, clean lines, so you don't have to worry whether it'll fit in with your interior; just throw it into a modern upstate home or a teensy Upper West Side studio and enjoy the light.
Learn more about this brilliant hacked lamp

Atlantic Yards’ B2 Tower Employing Anti-Nausea Technology From NASA

B2 Tower photo © Field Condition

October 26, 2015

Atlantic Yards’ B2 Tower Employing Anti-Nausea Technology From NASA

"A new technology, designed to tame forces that could separate an astronaut’s eyeball from her retina, may also keep the one percent from throwing up," says The Real Deal. They're talking about a fluid harmonic disruptor, a device used during space takeoffs to protect astronauts from violent vibrations, which will be employed by structural engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti at Forest City Ratner’s B2 BKLYN, the 32-story modular tower at Pacific Park that could definitely succumb to queasy-making swaying and vibrations. The firm will put six water-filled pipes on the roof of the building, making up 0.5 percent of its total mass; then the disruptor will alter how the fluid, and therefore the building, reacts to wind and other vibrations.
More details ahead

October 26, 2015

Live in a Landmarked Fairytale Castle With Round Rooms and a Storied Past for $10M

By Michelle Cohen

Such is the state of real estate in New York City that there is no shortage of homes of every size and stripe upon which you could drop $10 million. And though the ask may seem relatively ambitious for a single-story residence, this particular listing at 455 Central Park West doesn't need to reach far for the adjectives required to command such an outlay (Just for starters: It looks like a fairytale castle). And while the Manhattan Valley location may be a little "far uptown" for some late-to-the party folks, its village-y vibe is getting lots of love of late, and, really, Central Park West is Central Park West. Between the amazing architecture and fascinating–if somewhat macabre–history as the former New York City Cancer Hospital, 2,360 square feet of space including two enormous circular opposite wings, private courtyards, and a peerless menu of building amenities including a pool, spa and drive-up entry courtyard, very few boxes remain unchecked in this unquestionably unique four-bedroom condominium.
Take a look a...round

October 25, 2015

Claire-Anne O’Brien Designs Chunky Woolen Stools to Cozy Up With This Autumn

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Using traditional textile techniques such as weaving, knotting and basketry, London-based textile designer Claire-Anne O’Brien creates beautiful "Knit Stools" that are perfect for cuddling up at home. The creative designer specializes in the construction of 3D textiles, which she applies to both interior furniture and decoration. Made using an ash base and topped with super soft lambswool upholstery, these stools are just the item we'd like to get our hands on this autumn.
Learn more about this tactile stools

October 23, 2015

Tribeca’s Historic Skybridge Listing Officially Hits the Market for $50M

Last month, 6sqft found out about the amazing pair of Tribeca listings that includes one of Manhattan's last skybridges, and shortly thereafter we were teased with a floorplan of the property, which spans 9 Jay Street and 67 Hudson #3AB. It was said to be a pocket listing, but today the Wall Street Journal noticed the official public listing, which has the three-story townhouse and one-bedroom apartment set at a combined price of $50 million. What's more surprising than the price being $20 million over initial estimates is the interior photos. Because of the quirky skybridge one would have assumed that the homes were historic, funky, or a combination of both, but they're in fact completely bare and stark.
Check out all the photos

October 23, 2015

A Closer Look at How XOCO 325’s Oh-So-Cool Melting Facade Was Created

Earlier, we gave you a look at DDG's rough-cut, bluestone facade at 12 Warren Street in Tribeca, and now, just a few blocks north within the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District, the team has de-shrouded the skeletal exterior of their upcoming condominium XOCO 325. Rising from a through-block site at 325 West Broadway, the 48,000 square foot development will house 21 light-filled residences upon its completion early next year. DDG picked up the site for $38.5 million in 2012, and in typical fashion, souped up the design with organic and environmentally inspired elements that charmed the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
more this way

October 23, 2015

DDG’s Bluestone Beauty at 12 Warren Street Finally Shows Some Skin

Fully-integrated design and build firm DDG has raised the curtain on their highly anticipated condo development 12 Warren Street. Designed by their in-house architect Peter Guthrie, its facade of roughly-hewn Pennsylvania bluestone is meant to evoke the natural uneven stacking of the material. In what must have taken quite the effort to detail, variously dimensioned slabs, ranging from standard-sized bricks to large lintel blocks, protrude from the exterior at varying depths. While more commonly seen underfoot as sidewalk pavement, here the brittle stone's soothing tone softens the building's ogreish form, whose still-shrouded cliff-like top will incorporate a wild display of projecting volumes and terraces. As simply stated by architecture critic Carter Horsely, "DDG continues its elegant campaign to make New Yorkers lust after bluestone rather than brownstone."
Find out more details about the development

October 22, 2015

Historic Charlie Parker Townhouse in Alphabet City Hits the Market for $9M

From 1950 to 1954 jazz legend Charlie "Bird" Parker, along with his common-law wife Chan Richardson, lived in the garden-floor apartment at this townhouse at 151 Avenue B in Alphabet City. It was here, at the height of his career, that Parker and his family would share Sunday dinners at a dining table shaped like a G clef, but according to his stepdaughter Kim Parker, the saxophonist liked to keep work and personal life separate, so only classical music was played in the house. In honor of the music great, Avenue B between 7th and 10th Streets was renamed Charlie Parker Place in 1992, and the historic 1849 Gothic Revival house was landmarked in 1999. And now you can own a piece of this history, as the Post reports that the home and its five apartments has hit the market for $9.25 million.
Learn more about the Charlie Parker Residence

October 22, 2015

New, Cheaper Design for WTC Performing Arts Center to Be Revealed Soon