A passion for historically significant buildings often provides occasions to turn a mere retrofit prospect into a wholly reimagined icon befitting the original landmark. In a city like New York, where the existing building stock is plentiful, the possibilities of reinventing landmark buildings are endless. This process can create considerable value, too—often, it unlocks unexpected opportunities as the team explores local laws, the fates of the buildings and prior owners, as well as the quirks of the architecture itself. A few examples help highlight the ways to create value from our most valuable neighbors.
One of the best case studies is the historic Barbizon, a former women’s hotel for the likes of Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly and Liza Minelli turned into luxury residences. In converting the 700-room, 210,000-square-foot hotel on the edge of Manhattan’s Upper East Side historic district—a hybrid of Italianate and Gothic styles listed on the National Register of Historic Place—the architects at New York-based CetraRuddy revamped the floor plan to uncover more square footage than originally anticipated. In particular, the new design relocated the building’s core of elevators and stairs, as well as some mechanical services, expanding net sellable area by about 20,000 square feet, a hefty windfall for the project developers. The luxurious gracious pre-war-style apartments include galleries, libraries, eat-in kitchens and an interior design scheme using a palette of exquisite materials from around the world that added additional value.
In another project about 3-miles downtown, the old Hugh O’Neill retail building gained square footage in a very different way: By restoring the building’s original and iconic golden domes, the developer ELAD Group, New York, gained the right to add more floor area to the 1887, cast-iron structure. The original, beehive-style domes atop cylindrical towers had been removed in 1917, drastically altering the historic design by Mortimer C. Merritt, and CetraRuddy found the precedent and presented the plan to the local Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). As part of a conversion to condominium apartments, the design meticulously recreated the iconic domes while adding two new, setback floors that could not be seen from the street. The LPC review committee unanimously approved. A towering construction crane lifted and set the replacement domes in place, almost instantly transforming the highly articulated, bright-white Corinthian column and pilaster façades to their original grandeur. Inside, residents enjoy 49 loft-style homes with 12- to 15-foot-high ceilings.
In other building projects, developers can add floors above the roof or on upper stories simply through careful zoning analysis or by creating a design that is historically in tune with the surroundings. For a renovation of 498 West End Avenue in Manhattan, for example, CetraRuddy presented a plan to the LPC for adding not one, but two new floors atop the building. Designed to extend the building’s historic lines and complemented by a meticulous façade restoration, the 4,000-square-foot addition was approved.
Congenial Approach, Radical Value
These historic retrofit projects make good case studies, yet there are others worth examining. A recent example by JDS Development Group, New York, and New York-based Property Markets Group—Walker Tower, which opened last year—seizes upon the Roaring Twenties decorative style, Art Deco, as deployed by Ralph Walker, who was hailed by The New York Times as the “architect of the century” (and later by Frank Lloyd Wright as “the only other honest architect in America”).
Savvy leadership by the development team and insight from the architects contributed to how this old telephone switching building in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood became appealing, high-end residences. Working with the design team led by CetraRuddy, the developers doubled down: These could be among the most desirable condominiums in a fast-moving, competitive marketplace, fetching top dollar values per square foot. First off, Walker Tower rises high above its surroundings with stunning 360-degree city views. Second, JDS Development Group considered the property’s architectural lineage a huge benefit—but also one requiring a serious commitment to preserving a historical legacy. Third, though they required a painstaking restoration, the Art Deco ornamentation and elaborate brick façade now radiate with museum-quality detail.
Opportunities presented by the building’s layout, not just the original architect’s name and glorious ornament, sealed the deal. Floor-to-ceiling dimensions are exceptionally high at about 14 feet in most units, versus the 9 feet often promoted by new multifamily buildings as a “luxury feature”. The thick compound walls and floors make the interiors quiet and can carry live loads up to 120 pounds per square foot, as opposed to the 40 pounds typical of some contemporary construction techniques. The framing is constructed of concrete-encased, heavy steel measuring up to 2-feet thick in some locations while newer structures tend to employ a lightweight concrete slab and column design or an even lighter steel frame. Although these newer approaches arguably offer environmental benefits, they are no match for the sustainability of upcycling an existing, exceptionally massive structure for residential or hospitality use.
Furthermore, by closely analyzing Walker Tower’s footprint and corresponding local codes and zoning rules, the architects discovered ways to modify the historic building’s profile. The design subtly distinguishes the addition from the original building, respecting Walker’s vertical emphasis and highlighting the original tower. One observer called it “an elegant solution other developers should look to.”
PHOTOS: DAVID SUNDBERG/ESTO