Lesson in luxury: Herzog & de Meuron’s design for Ian Schrager’s 160 Leroy

It appears like there’s no way to foil Ian Schrager’s midas touch. The hotelier/developer's name is hotly associated with a host of grand properties including New York City’s Edition Hotel; an impending outpost for his Public Hotel brand on the Lower East Side's 215 Chrystie Street, which also boasts a residential tower; another hotel project in Brooklyn; and rumours of much more. He sure knows how to keep busy.

This week, the property mogul officially unveiled 160 Leroy Street – a curvaceous, organically formed residential development designed by Herzog & de Meuron, which will bring a gleam to Manhattan’s West Village. Featuring custom furniture offerings by the French designer Christian Liaigre and custom lighting by the British designer Arnold Chan, the elegant building is an icon in the making.

Situated along the Hudson River, the property is allegedly one of the last chances for buyers to own a waterfront home in Manhattan. Thanks to its unique form, each of the building’s 49 individually treated residences, ranging from two to five bedrooms, possess incredible panoramic views. Each apartment's 11 or 13 ft ceilings afford a spacious quality, which is in turned amplified by the faceted floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap the entire exterior.

‘The only thing that mattered to me was to turn a residential apartment into a real home,’ says Schrager. ‘I sought to capture the details of life in the details of the architecture.’

To this, an abundance of wall space offers art collectors the chance to actually hang their acquisitions. The apartments also feature an array of different facilities; some have two kitchens, including a larder housing Miele appliances that can be closed off when entertaining, while others still have private outdoor terraces and wood burning fireplaces to complete the feeling of living in a free-standing home.

Outside of the apartments, Herzog & de Meuron’s design is just as captivating. A beautifully landscaped drive-in courtyard sets a quiet rhythm to the building, which continues through the lobby’s vitrine-like glass walls and up its fluted mahogany panels. Next to the lobby, a 70 ft pool and whirlpool spa, and fitness center equipped with a yoga studio, sauna, steam and private massage room, offer just the right amount of amenities that city dwellers could ask for.

‘We chose amenities that enhanced living. We didn't want to overdo it and offer amenities that were not useful. We especially did not want to get roped into the amenity arms race going on today,’ Schrager says.

It’s certainly a triple hat trick for the Schrager/Herzog & de Meuron partnership; Herzog & de Meuron not only collaborated on Schrager’s 40 Bond property, but designed his 215 Chrystie Street building as well.

Although the building is generally understated, there’s no hiding the extravagance of 160 Leroy’s full-floor penthouse. Measuring in at 12,000 interior sq ft and 7,500 exterior sq ft, the six-bedroom space comes with its own private rooftop pool and is accessible by private elevator. The apartments start at a cool $2.5 million, but the existential tag? Priceless.

INFORMATION

Prices range from $2.5 million for one-bedroom apartments to over $25 million for a five-bedroom. Public sales are now available. For more information, visit the 160 Leroy Street website

ADDRESS

160 Leroy Sales & Design Gallery
435 Hudson Street at Leroy Street
New York, NY 10014

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