A pixelated facade mediates between scales in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood; a mix of warehouses, historic buildings, and contemporary condos.

CHALLENGE The Tribeca landmark district has evolved continuously over the years. First a center of textile manufacturing, it has become an area of artists warehouses, and is now a neighborhood of contemporary residences. The challenge of this project was to introduce a new condominium building that offered state-of-the-art living environments while mediating between the area’s disparate scales and building types.

INNOVATION V33 unifies the historically varying building-fronts within a ‘pixelated’ facade; a pattern in translucent and untreated stone—making this the first time the material was used as a building skin. The facade encloses 7 urban villas: shifting double-height volumes that cantilever over a rear garden to offer expansive living environments in the heart of the city.

IMPACT The pixelated facade takes a creative approach to mediating the shifting cornice heights, materialities, and fenestration patterns on the surrounding block, resulting in a distinctive new building that meets Landmarks Preservation Commissions stringent regulations. The varying opacities of the stone fill the interiors with a diffuse light during the day, and overnight, the facade takes on a warm ambient glow from within, enhancing the experience of the street-scape. Within the building’s 7 ‘villas’; triplexes, duplexes, and full-floor lofts with double-height ceilings scooping across open plans, fluid connections to vast outdoor cantilevers differentiate programs rather than enclose rooms, and provide natural shading and double-height glass planes. The duplex Penthouse features multiple roof decks with a pool and exterior stairs between levels.