77 Bleecker Street, 829

For the true urbanite, a downtown “studiolo” offers radical opposites: theatricality and serenity, storage and streamlined living, hermetic isolation and a dynamic sense of belonging to the city. The space was designed in 2003 by visionary architect and educator Diane Lewis RA (1951-2017) for an art curator and critic who told her he wanted a cross between Mies van der Rohe and Barbarella. This apartment is a dream for those with collections to archive and display who nonetheless need a minimal, pristine environment in which to think, relax and entertain. Boasting at its zenith a 17-1/2 foot ceiling, the magnificent double volume duplex loft accommodates a library foyer and bath on the ground floor and bedroom with a walk in closet and half bath above: neither story compromises between capacious ceiling height and a sense of intimacy and comfort.

The main double-volume room with its cathedral ceiling sees a wall-length cabinet, built for art storage by the legendary fabricators Milgo Bufkin (producers of sculptures for legendary artists seen in museums around the world). This cabinet, inspired by the Sir John Soane Museum in London, can easily be retrofitted to meet multiple storage requirements. The kitchen, equipped with a GE Trivection oven and two GE pull-out fridge doors and Miele dishwasher and hub, is topped with a sleek expanse of white Corian. When entertaining, the kitchen can become the hub of the room; otherwise, it recedes gracefully into other cabinetry, reading in entirely neutral terms, to leave thoughts, dreams and conversations free to wander of their own accord. Amply lit by newly installed dimmable LED flood fixtures, the apartment is decorated in shades of white that bring out subtle contrasts of metal, wood and plaster. With a gorgeous, ethereal poured epoxy floor, this is a white cube that invites the imagination to soar.

Bleecker Court is a pet-friendly co-op with a 24-hour doorman/concierge, two landscaped garden courtyards, a live-in super, laundry room down the hall, and storage and a bike room (available with a waitlist). The building is located on the coveted blocks of Bleecker Street and Mercer Streets in the Noho/Greenwich Village area, steps away from fabulous world-class dining, shopping and nightlife, as well as gourmet food markets, Washington Square Park, NYU, and major subway lines, including the B/D/F/M, N/R, and 6 trains.