$19.5M Tribeca townhouse of late designer Thierry Despont sells after three years
Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman
The Tribeca townhouse of late French architect Thierry Despont, best known for renovating New York City landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Carlyle Hotel, has finally sold after three years on the market. The five-bedroom townhouse at 182 Franklin Street entered contract with an asking price of 19.5 million, according to CityRealty. Despont, who died in August at the age of 75, listed the property in 2021 for $25 million.
Despont purchased the home for $750,000 in 1995 and converted it into a 10,000-square-foot single-family home. Constructed in 1915, the property includes four bedrooms, four full baths, and two half-baths.
When the home first hit the market, Rueben Schatz, the Douglas Elliman agent with the listing, told The Real Deal Despont was selling the townhouse after two decades simply because it was a “good time to sell” on the market. In February 2023, the price was reduced by 5.5 million and Despont even offered his design services as part of the deal.
Entry to the home is through a foyer leading to a staircase and elevator that connects to all five floors.
The residence’s main suite spans across the entire third floor and includes a marble bath, sauna, dressing room, and abundant closet space. The other three bedrooms are located throughout the home and are described as “very private,” each equipped with a kitchenette and bath.
A dining room, which served as a billiards room, features plaid wallpaper and an adjacent eat-in kitchen with chrome accents on the fourth floor.
Considered the “crown jewel” of the residence, the great room is situated at penthouse level and spans the entire footprint of the building, featuring soaring 15-foot ceilings. The property includes air rights to build a sixth floor, for those interested in adding another level to the building.
Other features include two wine cellars, a basement with laundry, and three gas fireplaces.
Thierry Despont rose to fame following his work on the 1986 renovation of the Statue of Liberty’s torch, crown, and stairways in celebration of the landmark’s centennial. The architect later designed homes for Bill Gates and Calvin Klein, and worked on other ambitious projects, such as the conversation of the historic Battery Maritime Building in the Financial District and the interior design of 220 Central Park South, according to Crain’s.
The architect’s 34-acre Southampton estate, where he passed this summer, was re-listed on the market for $19,500,000 last October, down from its original $23,499,999 asking price, according to the New York Post. The property features a six-bedroom main house converted from a barn, an open patio courtyard with a fountain, a pool house, an infinity pool, and much more.
[Listing details: 182 Franklin Street at CityRealty]
[At Douglas Elliman by Rueben Schatz, Michael Lorber, Alexander Boriskin, and Cameron Begg]
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