225 East 21st Street

Inspired by the rawness and rustication of stone and brickwork and the contrast between old and new, the layering of history are all important dimensions of the design. Despite the perceived impracticality, the threshold is an important spatial concept for the offerings architect who is drawn to the tension created by the juxtaposition of opposites. Throughout, one sees the old counterpoised with the new, the rustic with the smooth, lines with curves, and the organic with the rational. Aged materials and acquired patina, change, and accident.

Anchoring one of the most flourishing and contemporaneous area streets, now a three-unit Greek Revival designed structure in Flemish bond red brick and trimmed in a brownstone, the original building was an old dental factory with a carriage house. The house was gutted to its original shell which was then remade into these one-of-a-kind lofts that are subdivided into distinct areas.

Featured on Netflix's AMAZING INTERIORS Season 1, Episode 10, the lab loft on the first floor is the ultimate and eccentric live-work space with transitional spaces between them, these being: a bridge, a moat, and a cantilevered second story. The intended design separates the basic functions of working, living, and sleeping with a two-story space, light, and water. The ground plan presents the studio office in the front and the living area in the rear. The two rooms are separated by a "drawbridge" walkway that overlooks the library. The living area looks towards a moat and a waterfall that pours from the loft above. The industrial steel stairs lead to the mezzanine level. In a loft filled with surprises, the modest second floor is perhaps the most particular. Corresponding to the water motif, the rear wall was painted in ultramarine blue and black. There are sundry unalike and special apertures noticed throughout the loft which reflect such interesting and lovely light all day long. In contrast to the original whitewash brick and timbered beams, both office and living are really metallic-colored islands, surrounded by water. The block cement kitchen island and tatami mat platforms inhabit the living space. The two-story metal cone construction that hangs off the mezzanine which extends down to the living area, contains a suspended "throne" on the ground floor and an open shower on the mezzanine. Installed on the floor are 4-foot by 8-foot mirrored acrylic sheets purchased from an industrial supply store on Canal Street. Homemade fixtures hang in the stairwell that leads down to a library. The desks in the office are fashioned from salvaged materials. The acid-etched tempered table tops are slotted into wall shelves made from beams and supported at the end by shoring posts. The Second and Third Floors are equally special, each with an open-air rooftop, working fireplace, and terrace. There you will take in enchanting highlights: original window frames, wide plank vintage knotty pine and stained oak wood flooring, an artist's important North facing shed skylight that measures 6' x 8' x 7' tall, plus plenty of alluring appeals spotted all around. North and South exposures ensure wonderful day and night light. All of the spaces, once inside, immediately feel great.
The Lofts are not ordinary.

This is a valuable opportunity to acquire a unique venerable building in the hub of New York's eldest and cherished Gramercy Park neighborhood including all the charm of the historic district without the landmark restrictions should one care to reconstruct or redevelop the building (there is additional FAR). Nowadays these rare stone buildings represent some of the most sought-after real estate in New York City, in large part because they intriguingly combine the quaintness and charm of our old city with novel staying of what can be flag shipped and established yet remain private and discrete. A matchless offer, the property cedes a distinct potential and opportunity in its transfer. The point is that the offer can suitably work for many personal and professional users. Assume sundry uses-with additional alteration and/or conversion any transformation could yield an excellent asset.

At present, the structure holds a commercial certificate of occupancy (non-conforming use-laboratory/factory/manufacturing) with a S2 building class (One to Two Family with One Store or Office). The building is situated on a prime R8-B block. It is an ideal prospect for a mixed-use opportunist as the building class and zoning allow for both commercial and residential end-use. This versatile alternative is a hot topic nowadays. The total measured space now built out on the unusually rare 22.2 ft x 98ft lot is approximately 6578 sf including outdoor spaces plus 50 feet of lower grade space. The full 7ft height cellar holds the building's mechanicals, meters, and storerooms and comes with additional square footage to take advantage of. With a maximum FAR of 4, though only built at 3.02 the allowed usable floor area is 8,712 sf. Therefore, an unused FAR of 2,173 sf could certainly add to its thought-out and promising measure. The excellent proportions and remnant design of this house as it is or coupled with the additional FAR really does allow for even more amazing interiors. Nonetheless, as intended, architecturally it says things that have never been said before in a timeless way.