Landmarked 1867 Nomad Building May Recieve Blade Runner-Like Addition
Another iteration of a towering addition to a landmarked NoMad building has emerged from the 3-D visualization wizzes at Avoid Obvious. YIMBY broke the news back in March of a 20-story tower designed by the Spector Group and Think Architecture atop a charming commercial building at the northwest corner of West 27th Street and Broadway.
Both iterations of Spector Group’s design reveal a clean visual break between old and new: a restored neoclassical façade juxtaposed with a setback glassy prism rising above. The new reveal shows a more sculptural and chiseled tower rather than a Trump SoHo-like prism of clean vertical lines. It’s unclear if this proposal is still on the table and if the Spector Group remains involved.
According to the Madison Square North Historic District designation report, 1165 Broadway was built in 1867 by Danish merchant Peter Gilsey and was originally known as the Coleman House. The building was one of the first in the area to be converted into commercial use, and the small storefronts and exterior have remained largely unchanged since 1906. Gilsey also built the beautiful and imposing Gilsey House a few blocks north.
With the number of tall, modern developments planned throughout NoMad (such as this 40-story Virgin Hotel), the historic area may soon resemble a streetscape scene from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.
