Steven Harris Architects LLP was asked to renovate a huge penthouse of a converted 1930s office building in TriBeCa, New York, for a family with three teenagers. Pure freedom of budget constraints along with the 2 levels of 743 square meter residence left a lot of space for creativity, surely making this project an architect’s playground. Such an example and a favorite are the stairs made of ¾-inch-thick steel plates wrapped in leather that appear to float in space. Harris’s team replaced the existing 70 double-hung windows with single-panel tilt-and-turn versions, and used glass in dividers and doors where-ever possible.
Harris’s work is often distinguished by clarity and light, by the use of glass, by the maximization of views and bold solutions. The most frequently used areas of the apartment – kitchen, master bedroom, rooftop gym, even the laundry room – have the best views, including those of Manhattan and Brooklyn, and many of the city’s significant landmarks.
The double-height living area on the lower floor boasts an 18-foot high window with the view of the Woolworth Building. The room gained its height by necessity because adding the rooftop pavilion took the condominium conversion over its allowable floor area ratio. The team solved this problem by cutting off part of the lower-level ceiling, thus creating the double-height living area.
