New York design firm Studio Sofield faced the challenge of transforming a former office space into luxury residences, as co-founder William Sofield explained.
A significant obstacle was the building’s triangular geometry; dividing a space merely 1.8 meters (6 feet) wide at its narrowest point into multi-million-dollar luxury apartments presented a unique architectural challenge.
However, the distinctive triangular form—along with its historic legacy, architectural ingenuity, and sheer novelty—remains the defining feature.
“We did not seek to alter the elements that make the building so special and cherished by New Yorkers,” said Thomas Brodsky, partner at the Brodsky Organization, in an interview with the BBC.
“The resulting layouts, proportions, and views were inherently dictated by the existing architecture, rather than the conventional approach of planning a structure from the ground up.”
Originally conceived to resemble a classic Greek column, the structure’s exterior of limestone, brick, and terra-cotta is adorned with ornamentation such as lion heads, wreaths, eagles, and faces.
Beyer Blinder Belle, the lead developer for the exterior restoration, collaborated with a specialized manufacturer in California to replicate and restore thousands of facade terra-cotta pieces, reinstalling each one manually.
The building’s over 1,000 windows also required replacement; dating back to the 1970s, they were excessively heavy, difficult to operate, and lacked energy efficiency.
The newly installed windows are sufficiently thick to block the surrounding streets’ bustling noise, providing a rare silence typically absent in New York City apartments.