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52 Wooster Street
52 Wooster Street
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Other Projects by Arpad Baksa Architect, P.C.
52 Wooster Street
Type
This
project is a new building in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District of
New York City. The challenge of this project is two-fold. First,
being one of the rare vacant lots in the district, this project’s site
also sits at the corner of the block. As a result, our proposed design
stems from a careful look at the historic precedent in the neighborhood
of buildings that occupy corner sites that would ultimately be approved
by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Secondly, due to the city’s
local zoning laws, this building would require a special permit from
City Planning to allow the proposed residential use, even though the
neighborhood has seen heavy waves of gentrification over the last 25
years and residences are now commonplace along with many ultra-luxury
penthouses atop the historic cast-iron buildings. Both
of the adjacent buildings, along with a great majority of the buildings
in the district, have street facades that are 85 feet high. In an
effort to preserve the continuity of the district’s architectural
fabric, our building would also be 85 feet high. In addition, we would
take several cues from the historic corner buildings and work to
incorporate them into our building in a modern way. After
evaluating the historic buildings carefully, our design develops the
following conditions: 1- tri-partied façade—storefront level with a
defined course at the head, repetitive intermediate levels, and a
defined cornice; 2- primary and secondary facades use the metal and
masonry materials in a specific proportion; 3- the fenestration of the
metal façade incorporates large windows while the masonry façade uses
smaller windows. Our
design interprets the historic conditions listed above in the following
ways: 1- the façade retains the tri-partied proportion of the
surrounding buildings but using a modern material and formal vocabulary
to define the architectural elements—ornaments have been eliminated and
sleek preformed metal panels are used instead of cast-iron, but the
storefront level, intermediate levels, and cornice are still
defined; 2- the metal façade vs. masonry façade proportions found in
the historic corner buildings are maintained to preserve the fabric of
the neighborhood—the metal primary façade is along Broome Street and
returns two bays onto Wooster, and the masonry façade is along Wooster
with an articulated end bay; 3- the metal façade uses
floor-to-ceiling windows while the masonry façade uses conventional
double-hung windows. While
taking into account all of these concerns, it is also our intent to
interpret the historic fabric and avoid copying the existing
architecture verbatim. We analyzed the historic building construction
techniques and façade compositions and came up with an undulating glass
design for the primary metal facades that will reveal the deeper
character of the architecture while maintaining the continuity of the
historic fabric. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows step in and out on
each floor to reveal a layering phenomenon that is apparent in the
historic buildings—metal on top of the brick with glass in between. In
this way our design is indicative of modern times while paying homage
to the historic fabric of the neighborhood. One
retail unit is proposed (1600sf) and five residential condos (1800 sf
each). In addition, there is a private stair in the top floor
apartment to a private rooftop terrace. There is an inner court to
allow all 6 floors to be built and still comply with the city’s zoning
codes. In the inner court, each apartment has a balcony overlooking
the interior court that extends down the entire block. The interior
finishes are high-end, modern, and clean, and they complement the
modernist articulation of the building’s exterior.
project is a new building in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District of
New York City. The challenge of this project is two-fold. First,
being one of the rare vacant lots in the district, this project’s site
also sits at the corner of the block. As a result, our proposed design
stems from a careful look at the historic precedent in the neighborhood
of buildings that occupy corner sites that would ultimately be approved
by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Secondly, due to the city’s
local zoning laws, this building would require a special permit from
City Planning to allow the proposed residential use, even though the
neighborhood has seen heavy waves of gentrification over the last 25
years and residences are now commonplace along with many ultra-luxury
penthouses atop the historic cast-iron buildings. Both
of the adjacent buildings, along with a great majority of the buildings
in the district, have street facades that are 85 feet high. In an
effort to preserve the continuity of the district’s architectural
fabric, our building would also be 85 feet high. In addition, we would
take several cues from the historic corner buildings and work to
incorporate them into our building in a modern way. After
evaluating the historic buildings carefully, our design develops the
following conditions: 1- tri-partied façade—storefront level with a
defined course at the head, repetitive intermediate levels, and a
defined cornice; 2- primary and secondary facades use the metal and
masonry materials in a specific proportion; 3- the fenestration of the
metal façade incorporates large windows while the masonry façade uses
smaller windows. Our
design interprets the historic conditions listed above in the following
ways: 1- the façade retains the tri-partied proportion of the
surrounding buildings but using a modern material and formal vocabulary
to define the architectural elements—ornaments have been eliminated and
sleek preformed metal panels are used instead of cast-iron, but the
storefront level, intermediate levels, and cornice are still
defined; 2- the metal façade vs. masonry façade proportions found in
the historic corner buildings are maintained to preserve the fabric of
the neighborhood—the metal primary façade is along Broome Street and
returns two bays onto Wooster, and the masonry façade is along Wooster
with an articulated end bay; 3- the metal façade uses
floor-to-ceiling windows while the masonry façade uses conventional
double-hung windows. While
taking into account all of these concerns, it is also our intent to
interpret the historic fabric and avoid copying the existing
architecture verbatim. We analyzed the historic building construction
techniques and façade compositions and came up with an undulating glass
design for the primary metal facades that will reveal the deeper
character of the architecture while maintaining the continuity of the
historic fabric. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows step in and out on
each floor to reveal a layering phenomenon that is apparent in the
historic buildings—metal on top of the brick with glass in between. In
this way our design is indicative of modern times while paying homage
to the historic fabric of the neighborhood. One
retail unit is proposed (1600sf) and five residential condos (1800 sf
each). In addition, there is a private stair in the top floor
apartment to a private rooftop terrace. There is an inner court to
allow all 6 floors to be built and still comply with the city’s zoning
codes. In the inner court, each apartment has a balcony overlooking
the interior court that extends down the entire block. The interior
finishes are high-end, modern, and clean, and they complement the
modernist articulation of the building’s exterior.
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