SOHO TOWNHOUSE
New York, NY
This six-story Greek Revival former Con Ed substation, built in 1892, was converted to a studio and home for a movie director and his family, following its most recent use as the Max Protetch Gallery. Uniquely, the substation consisted of two large stacked spaces, each over 25 feet high and 100 feet long, and a mechanical penthouse. The raw and powerful quality of the original building - brick walls, steel beams, and terracotta vaults - were retained and celebrated, while the transformation added floors, mezzanines, windows, stairs, an elevator, and an indoor pool, that utilized the new architecture to create a rich narrative for the transformation of the building, by creating a subtle aesthetic dialogue between new and old, while forging a singular architectural expression and unity.
A formidable new stair became a fundamental design component - an open stair that continuously ascends through the entire structure, connecting the project’s three sectional strata: 1. the lower level entry, office, and pool, 2. the central portion with the main living space, library, kitchen, dining area, and mezzanine with the master bedroom suite, and 3. the penthouse with bedrooms, a living space and music room, leading directly onto a planted terrace, open to the sky and the Manhattan cityscape. The stair is a space unto itself, changing on each level to accommodate different conditions, and presenting a carefully considered vista upon arrival at each landing. The stair is further unified by a continuously exposed new mechanical infrastructure behind glass, that reveals the inner workings of the building and serves as a six story tall light fixture. New windows, an open plan, and skylights ensure that throughout the day all spaces are rendered with natural light.
The Soho Townhouse has been used for numerous film and photo projects, including an entire season of the TV show, Mr. Robot, and the video location for Halo by Beyoncé.
Project by Asfour Guzy Architects.
Press:
New York TImes
Elle Décor Italy