In the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District three stories of an existing 5 stories brick and cast-iron loft building were destroyed by a fire in the 1960?s. The surviving two-stories building had lost all of its architectural detail except for the ground floor cast iron columns which seemed to stand in defiance.
As most of the existing building was damaged well beyond repair, the columns preservation was pivotal in the Landmarks Preservation Commission?s decision to allow for new construction on this site. Their design and the restoration of a connecting granite plinth became the keystone of the buildings storefront and the primary organizing element of the facade.
The allowed built area required us to place a six stories modern structure, or, as requested by the client, 80? of glass curtain wall, atop the 20? high slender, ornate, structurally improbable columns. It was clear this must somehow be achieved with an intervention that would be at once irreverent and respectful.
The design strategy of the new building had to look both ?backward and forward?, allowing the old to be known but perceived in an entirely new way in order to set the stage for the new structure. In the end, as it often happens, the identification of the problem offered the design opportunity, the opening where the basic client?s requirements could be pushed and the project identity could be developed.
A glass band or clerestory window became the linking element at the place in the fade between the existing fabric and the new building. The new glass and metal six-storey residential structure is floating above the cast iron colonnade proudly displaying its new look, pinned in place by the pressure applied by the new extended brick demising walls. The residential structure above the cast iron base juxtaposes two glazing planes, the first one being the operable set of windows, recessed deeply within the structure as typical in the cast-iron buildings, the second one being the contrasting bay window.
The introduction of a curved curtain wall glazing system is the leap to the present, not without having roots in the in several examples of cast iron architecture, it also generally refers to the depth of the cast-iron facades and fire escapes layering.
The curved glass wall is a reactive layer which can be inhabited and simultaneously connects and separates the street from the privacy of the residential interiors, they also augment the space and offer 180 degrees views.
The bay window, the deep recesses and the curved roofline are at once familiar, reminiscent of surrounding historical buildings and at the same time the new experience, the recessed slabs delineate the loft units like ?maisonnettes? in the sky.
In order to make the diminutive structure stand out near its large neighbs and in order to make the small loft units feel like lofts, TRA, in partnership with Landmarks, had to reinterpret the zoning and obtain several DOB reconsiderations: the ceiling height of the lower floors is higher than allowed, the rear yard is 5' smaller than required, (we could argue that the 40 Mercer side yard will be there as long as our building will last), the bay-windows qualify as balconies and do not count as square footage, the front setback has been waived.
TRA provided full architectural services, including the building interior design.
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