The 196 Orchard residences are imbued with the contrasts that distinguish the Lower East Side neighborhood it calls home. Sharing a city block with the famed Katz's Deli, 196 Orchard brings refined living to an area steeped in cultural history and emblematic of New York City’s immigrant experience. Birth place of the Katz’s Corned Beef sandwich, Yonah Schimmel's knishes, Russ & Daughters smoked fish and Manischewitz matzos and home to waves of immigrants over many decades, the Lower East Side has become a mecca for alternative art dealers, indie fashion retailers and some of the best boutique restaurants in town. It attracts visitors and residents from all over the world drawn to its distinctly old school New York character and its new globe trotting sophistication. The goal was to marry the grit of this neighborhood's bootstrapping and distinctly New York character to a refined modernism reflective of it’s new vitality. The design is a study in contrasts, beginning with the facade. INC developed a muscular simplicity for the exterior character of the building, reminiscent of the workshops and manufacturing structures that once dominated the LES. Yet, this facade has been rendered in a deeply luxurious combination of handcrafted black and real bronze glazed brick, imported for the first time from Spain. Windows with the vertical proportions of the artists studios, dotted throughout the area, were provided. The interiors combine super refined elements like black lacquer millwork, white glass surfaces, Nero Marquino Marble with concrete ceilings, figured woods and acid etched limestone. This rich combination of the rough and the refined reflects the contemporary character of a neighborhood, with a tradition of constant change, that has developed its own distinct personality in a city of big personalities.
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