This manufacturing building is the smallest on a three-block-long row of storage warehouses, built along New York’s the East River in the 19th century to answer a need that is no longer relevant. These buildings have been abandoned for decades or used for random occupancies such as storage and art shows. With approval from the Board of Standards and Appeals underway, a handful of these structures are being converted into residential loft-type condominiums.

The scope of work for this building encompasses a gut renovation and conversion of the existing building, and the addition of a penthouse floor that takes advantage of the provisions of the New York Multiple Dwelling Law, with regards to the conversion of manufacturing buildings in residential zones.

The existing brick and timber building will be entirely stripped, and interiors will be subdivided into spacious lofts. The layouts of apartments emphasize long axial views framing windows or distant objects. This approach, combined with an open plan and simple finish materials, gives the lofts a sense of spaciousness and light. The original columns are retained as a foil for the modern vocabulary of the addition atop the building.

The addition is a light gage metal frame clad with wooden panels and large expanses of glass