Soon to be shining from 515 West 18th Street in West Chelsea is Heatherwick Studio’s latest project, Lantern House, developed by Related Companies. The studio has been busy in that part of town – recently completing the Vessel and Pier 55 nearby, but this project is their first residential project in NYC.
Joining many starchitect-designed blocks flanking the High Line, Lantern House features two towers – one 10 storeys, the other 21 storeys – connected by a sculptural glass lobby. Instead of looking into the future, the façade is a contemporary take on historical styles seen in in the neighbourhood, with textured grids of bay windows and hand-laid antiqued grey brickwork with industrial metal detailing.
It was the surrounding maritime warehouses that really inspired the architects: ‘The design came from looking at the city’s existing buildings and thinking about which ones you might want to live in, not just look at. It seemed to us that practical, crafted, human-scale details such as shades, mullions, and window sills might have a role to play again in making homes feel comfortable and inviting,’ says Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studio.
The name ‘Lantern House’ came from the reinterpretation of the modern bay window, designed this time from the inside out and forming a striking lantern shape. ‘Our design for Lantern House, with its distinctive new bay windows, emerged from this thinking and from wondering what could make the interior experience as special as possible for residents
‘These special three-dimensionally-sculpted windows will allow the building’s residents to have light-filled interiors plus exciting new panoramic views and new visual connections to the city beyond,’ says Heatherwick.
The design of the one- to four-bedroom residences that each feature 10 foot high ceilings, responds to the openess of the bay windows, with their many window seats designed for spending time with the skyline. For more immersion into the city, many residences feature private setback terraces. And if you’re wondering, sales of the 181 condominiums will launch in January 2020. §
