It’s rare to find an historic apartment building in TriBeCa that hasn’t yet been topped off by a modern penthouse – in this Lower Manhattan neighbourhood where space is at a premium, a bird’s eye view will reveal a five-storey ‘townhouse in the sky’; an extension with folded metal roof by WorkAc, hidden from sight from passers-by on Reade St; and even a penthouse with retractable glass walls by Praemium Imperiale-prize winner Shigeru Ban.
Tour a reimagined Tribeca penthouse
But all penthouses are not born equal, and the two-storey, 3,800 sq ft structure installed in 2006 onto a historic cast-iron building was just not up to scratch. Despite having 360-degree views, it was dark and almost entirely cut off from its 3,400 sq ft exterior terrace, causing it to remain unoccupied for more than ten years.
‘When it was purchased by the current owners, we set out to maximise the connection between the interior and exterior,’ explains Miriam Peterson and Nathan Rich of Peterson Rich Office, a Brooklyn-based architecture and design practice whose projects span the Shepherd Arts Center in Detroit, and the Pruzan Art Center at Wesleyan University.
‘We started by expanding the window and door openings to their maximum possible size,’ they explain. ‘We added glass panels by SkyFrame along the western terrace that slide into the walls, opening dramatic views of the Hudson River and lower Manhattan and allowing for a continuous spatial connection between the interior and the terrace.’
The large terrace is now home to an outdoor kitchen, allowing the new owners to make full use of their sky garden. Planted with hydrangea and lush greenery, it’s large enough for a pair of sunloungers, plus an outdoor lounge with views of One World Trade Center.
Inside, the layout has been opened up to maximize natural light throughout, while the wide Dinesen white oak floorboards add an extra sense of space. Now bright and airy, the penthouse forms the perfect backdrop for the owners’ collection of artworks and furniture, including a chandelier by Michael Anastassiades, prints from Andy Warhol’s 1975 Ladies and Gentlemen series, and ‘Womb’ chair by Eero Saarinen.
At the heart of the home is a dramatic staircase that creates a strong connection between the two levels of the penthouse. ‘Working with a range of artisans and builders, we designed a distinctive curvilinear stair finished in concrete microtopping,’ explain the architects. ‘Its commanding presence anchors the open spaces, serving as a point of orientation when moving across the open layout of this home.’
Staying on a high, the practice is now working on a public rooftop observatory for Pioneer Works. Recalling a past when celestial observation was a social event and not just for specialists, the project will include a grand exterior stair connecting the Pioneer Works garden to the domed observatory and a roof terrace with views across New York Harbor.
-
Beloved British screenwriter Dennis Potter inspires an exhibition with a difference at Studio VoltaireHilary Lloyd's multi-faceted exhibition at Studio Voltaire considers Dennis Potter's life and work, from much-loved TV classics to power inequalities
-
Insert here: London Design Festival gets intimate with insertable designAt London Design Festival, Heirloom Studio showcases 36 objects – some life-saving, some pleasure-giving, all made to go inside the body
-
Postcard from Helsinki Design Week 2025Helsinki Design Week turns 20 this year. Celebrating two decades of design, core themes of this year revolve around happiness and optimism: here are design critic Hugo Macdonald's ten highlights
-
Meet Studio Zewde, the Harlem practice that's creating landscapes 'rooted in cultural narratives, ecology and memory'Ahead of a string of prestigious project openings, we check in with firm founder Sara Zewde
-
The best of California desert architecture, from midcentury gems to mirrored dwellingsWhile architecture has long employed strategies to cool buildings in arid environments, California desert architecture developed its own distinct identity –giving rise, notably, to a wave of iconic midcentury designs
-
A restored Eichler home is a peerless piece of West Coast midcentury modernismWe explore an Eichler home, and Californian developer Joseph Eichler’s legacy of design, as a fine example of his progressive house-building programme hits the market
-
We'd happily move into this super-stylish New York architecture officeMichael K Chen’s newly expanded Midtown workspace is a calling card for his intuitive style and inclusive approach
-
How LA's Terremoto brings 'historic architecture into its next era through revitalising the landscapes around them'Terremoto, the Los Angeles and San Francisco collective landscape architecture studio, shakes up the industry through openness and design passion
-
Inside the Waldorf Astoria's dazzling restoration, from cigar smoke to snowy owlsHow a team of architects from SOM and a group of art conservators brought New York's grand dame back to her original Art Deco splendor
-
Inside a Donald Wexler house so magical, its owner bought it twiceSo transfixed was Daniel Patrick Giles, founder of fragrance brand Perfumehead, he's even created a special scent devoted to it
-
The Pagani Residences is the latest ultra-luxe automotive apartment tower to reach MiamiRising up above Miami, branded apartment buildings are having a renaissance, as everyone from hypercar builders to crystal makers seeks to have a towering structure bearing their name
