Within close proximity to NYC art galleries and acclaimed Highline park, Turett Collaborative Architects transformed this 4-story, multi-unit townhouse into a 5-story, single family residence with an exclusive open floor plan.

Townhouse architecture, often defined by a narrow width, demands a very smart use of space.  Only 18 foot wide, this transformation was no exception.  The challenge was amplified by a commitment to create space suited for potential art collectors who value living near west Chelsea’s famed art galleries

A two story rear extension featuring a 20′-0″ high wall of glass was the design anchor for this gut renovation.

The glass rear wall allows unobstructed views into the rear garden from both the kitchen at ground level and the second floor living room. The patio area becomes a extension interior living space. It artistically frames an urban landscape that rises above the patio and changes as day becomes night, and the winter white change to spring and summer greens and autumn gols and reds..

Horizontal bands windows at the 4th, 5th, and Penthouse floors help to bring natural light into the stair hallways making what would otherwise be a tight space appear open and airy.  The stair culminates in a penthouse which is pulled away from the front and rear facades to provide landscaped terraces with panoramic views of the midtown skyline to the north as well as  Highline  and Hudson River  views to the west.

The new front facade, rendered in dark grey, norman style brick, features an array of punched  masonry openings that contain contemporary casement windows.  The brick facade rises  60 feet and terminates in a simple, modern interpretation of a cornice. At the ground floor, one enters through a custom designed steel fence and gate whose design is carried out thematically in the home’s ornamental metalwork. The  window guards at the ground floor as well as the the main staircase guardrail are iterations of this design which add a sense of cohesion throughout the house.

The narrow 18′-0″ lot necessitated strategic and efficient planning.   Vertical circulation is accomplished via a centrally located single run stair and elevator with a hallway landing serving both. At the three private living floors above the living room level,  bathrooms, closets, and vertical chases “fill in” around the circulation core allowing for large full width rooms facing both north and south exposures.

Turett Collaborative Architects collaborated closely with the developer, Magnum Real Estate, and real estate broker, Leonard Steinberg of Douglass Elliman, to envision a modern town home with large open floor plates and an efficient use of the lot’s limited width. Turett Collaborative Architects is a leader in townhouse renovation throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, NYC.

Residential     /     Chelsea, New York, NY     /     6500 Square Feet     /     Completed Winter 2014