Monday, 2 May 2016
The NYPL's Rose Main Reading Room Dazzles, Even Mid-Renovation
For nearly two years now, the New York Public Library's Rose Main Reading Room and Bill Blass Catalog Room have been closed as they undergo a modest, but important, transformation. In fact, when those rooms reopen to the public in the fall, it's unlikely that the general public will even notice that much has changed.
But the public certainly knows the story behind the renovation: In the spring of 2014, one of the plaster rosettes that adorns the majestic ceiling of the Rose Main Reading Room came loose and fell more than 50 feet to the ground. After that incident, the NYPL conducted a thorough structural investigation of the rest of the ceiling; while much of it was found to be in good shape, they decided to move ahead with a restoration regardless. "Once you're putting scaffolding like this on" it just made sense to fix the little things that needed fixing, according to Iris Weinshall, the NYPL's chief operating officer.
Now, the library is getting close to completing the project: the Bill Blass Catalog Room is just about finished, with its lovely ceiling mural replaced as of last week; work on the Rose Main Reading Room, meanwhile, is coming along. Weinshall anticipates that the two rooms will be open to the public again by early fall, well in advance of the original 2017 completion date. (Though she acknowledges that "some people would say [work] didn’t move quick enough.") Curbed recently had the opportunity to climb the scaffolding in both rooms to see what's happening—read on for more details about the renovations (and, of course, photos of that gorgeous ceiling).
Even though work is close to being completed, the Rose Main Reading Room is still very much a construction zone: its dark wood tables and brass lamps are currently sheathed, and floor-to-ceiling scaffolding (which is called the "dancefloor") has been erected all around the room, putting workers within arm's reach of the iconic ceiling. Although the renovation initially was meant to just be of the room's canopy, it quickly ballooned.
At the outset, the NYPL discovered asbestos in the ceiling, which had to be removed before any work could continue. Soon after, they decided to fix not just the damaged rosettes, but also the parts of the ceiling that had chipped or cracked over the years; work on the Blass room followed after that, as did the decision to clean all of the brass chandeliers that hang over the space. "You know how when you remodel your house, you start with a little project, and then it gets bigger and bigger?" Weinshall says. "That's how I would liken this project."
To facilitate the construction work, the NYPL collaborated with EverGreene Architectural Arts, who had also worked on the restoration of the Rose Main Reading Room in the 1980s, and Tishman Construction, which is the project manager for the whole shebang. EverGreene worked on implementing many of the decorative details, including replicating murals and re-casting the rosettes and other plaster ornamentation.
More than 40 feet above the Rose Main Reading Room, its distinctive ceiling gets some loving updates. Photo by Max Touhey for Curbed.
And here's a fun, possibly little-known fact about the Rose Main Reading Room: It's not just the ornamentation that's made of plaster; the entire ceiling is made from the substance, with many sections painted to look like wood or gilded with gold leaf. So renovating the ceiling isn't quite as easy as simply buffing a bit of wood—but the NYPL got lucky in that very little of the ceiling needed to be replaced. "We originally thought all of the rosettes were going to have to be redone," says Weinshall. "If that was the case, it would have been [completed in] 2017 and we would have been looking at a much larger bill."
The Bill Blass Catalog room presented its own set of challenges, namely the fact that the mural on its ceiling (which was inspired by the same celestial one in the Rose Main Reading Room) was not in the best shape. "When we went up and looked at it, it had this brown paint over it," Weinshall says. "And we said to ourselves, 'Really? We're spending $12 million on this project?'" Since they were already in the process of restoring the two rooms, the NYPL decided to go ahead and replace that mural too.
EverGreene once again came to the rescue by helping the library re-create the existing mural, and then bringing the canvas it was painted on back to the library in two pieces. Those two halves were affixed to the ceiling of the Blass room, and now it looks as good as new.
The ceiling of the Bill Blass Catalog Room mid-renovation. Photo by Max Touhey for Curbed.
As construction enters its final phase, the NYPL is conscious of the fact that this is perhaps its most scrutinized revamp of the past few decades—maybe even moreso than its plans to redo the stacks, which has generated its own fair share of controversy. But aside from the NYPL's lions, Patience and Fortitude, the Rose Main Reading Room is the most iconic symbol of the library, and one it's determined to protect. "This is part of the history of the city of New York, and we're very mindful that we're the stewards of this great building, and this great room," says Weinshall.
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/5/2/11540886/new-york-public-library-rose-main-reading-room-construction
IFC Theater Could Leave Greenwich Village If Planned Expansion Is Rejected
The center wants to add as many as six new theaters
The IFC Center has threatened to leave its Greenwich Village home if it doesn't get the required zoning variance for a planned expansion, Crain's reports. The indie movie theater is set to undertake a $10 million expansion that will see the addition of six theaters to its existing space, but it needs an approval from the Board of Standards and Appeals to move forward.
The point of contention is the vacant lot behind their building at 323 Sixth Avenue. About 16 percent of that lot is currently zoned for residential, and some local residents want it to remain that way. Representatives for the theater argue that they can't build to their full potential without the zoning being changed.
Currently the Center has five theaters, and it wants to expand its space by 20,000 square feet and create enough room to seat 948 people. The theater's planned expansion has been propelled by increasing demand with the Center having to turn away as many as 4,500 people due to sold out shows, according to Crain's.
The expansion plan has already received the approval of the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. The Center will have to renew its lease soon, and the owners could walk away from the space if they don't get the go ahead from the BSA.
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/5/2/11568376/ifc-theater-greenwich-village-leave-space-renovation
6 Lovely Renovated Homes For Sale In New York City
Check out a few of New York City's best remodeled homes for sale
In a market as competitive as New York's, it's important to keep up appearances. Historic and just-plain-old buildings permeate the city, and while some of their details are worth saving, others are okay to let go. Here, we've rounded up six of the best renovated homes for sale right now. From a stunning Prospect Park West townhouse to an Upper West Side floor-through, these thoughtful renovations are worth celebrating (and whipping out the checkbook for.)
↑ This five-bedroom townhouse in the Carnegie Hill part of the Upper East Side was built in the late 19th century, and its renovation has now restored many of its original details including marble mantle fireplaces and moldings. Some of the other standout features in this four-story home include a garden/patio area, soaring ceilings that, in the parlor floor, reach up to 14.5 feet high, and sawn blonde oak hardwood flooring.
↑ This recently renovated Bedford-Stuyvesant townhouse can fit three families what with its owner's triplex unit on the lower floors and a second and third apartment above that that could be rented out as separate units. The house was built in 1899, and some of the original features that still remain intact include the red brick facade with large windows, and the staircase in the house that's now been spruced up with decorative reclaimed wood walls, Moroccan tile and industrial lighting. All together the house spans 4,387 square feet and features seven bedrooms and five bathrooms.
↑ One of the standout features in this Lenox Hill townhouse is a south facing garden patio that spans 950 square feet and comes equipped with a grill and private sitting areas. The five-bedroom townhouse, which was originally built in 1901, recently underwent a renovation that helped preserve some of the best features of the house including floor-to-ceiling windows, and antique wood paneling in the library. The five-story townhouse also comes with a formal dining room, a gourmet chef's kitchen, and a gas fireplace.
↑ Built around the turn of the century, the Boerum Hill townhouse at 214 Wyckoff Street underwent a "stunning high-end renovation" that co-mingles historical details with modern amenities. The townhouse's kitchen has been updated with all of the bells and whistles—Sub-Zero, Viking, and Bosch appliances; a Carrera marble countertop—and the bathrooms underwent similar upgrades with Waterworks fixtures and marble tub surrounds. The townhouse is on the market for $2.995 million. [StreetEasy]
↑ The listing for the two-bedroom, two-bathroom floor-through at 104 West 87th Street says it "boasts the elegant details one expects from a home of this era," while still incorporating modern touches. The recently renovated apartment incorporates classic 10.5-foot ceilings, crown moldings, and original oak shutters alongside more modern conveniences like an updated kitchen with a breakfast bar and plenty of storage in the bedrooms. The apartment is asking $1.35 million. [StreetEasy]
↑ Although it's been owned by the same family for a century, the townhouse at 104 Prospect Park West certainly doesn't look like it. Fresh off of a "architecturally curated custom renovation" that, presumably, pre-empted its listing, the property is the Platonic ideal of a Brooklyn townhouse; on-trend lighting and finishes like subway tile meet historic details like wainscoting, parquet wood floors, pocket doors and stained glass. The townhouse, sitting on a massive lot adjacent from Prospect Park, is asking $11 million.
- All Renovation Week coverage [Curbed]
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/5/2/11567696/new-york-city-homes-for-sale-renovations
An Interior Designer’s Gut Renovation Transforms a Dated Chelsea Co-op
Interior designer Tamara Eaton is no stranger to big renovation projects: As the driving force behind her eponymous design firm, she's worked on a number of high-profile developments, including staging the model units at CetraRuddy's latest Hell's Kitchen condos, and crafting the interiors of New York homes as varied as a modern Southampton cabin or a completely revamped Park Slope townhouse. But none of those compared to her biggest project to date: the gut-renovation of her Chelsea condo.
Eaton bought the apartment in 2013 after seeing a listing for the apartment on, of all places, Curbed. The apartment was described at the time as "frighteningly colorful," and the listings photos don't disappoint, with every single room painted a different color (salmon, bright green, and so on). Meanwhile, the kitchen was small and cramped—there was a mini-fridge and a tiny stove—and the entryway featured a home office built into a tiny little nook. It was, to put it mildly, a bad use of space.
But the bones were there, and the building, a lovely Art Deco co-op built in 1931, was a rarity in the neighborhood. Eaton was sold, even if it meant ripping everything out and starting from scratch—which is exactly what she did. "The whole apartment was a gut," Eaton explains. "The only thing we kept were the floors—they were in decent condition, and there’s something about old floors that just feels so beautiful."
What resulted from the months-long renovation was a complete transformation of the apartment. Gone are the oddly-colored walls, the too-small kitchen appliances, and the dark beams on the ceiling; in their place is a bright, clean apartment that's totally in line with what Eaton calls her "modern eclectic" aesthetic. "What’s really important is mixing highs and lows," Eaton says, and she carries that ethos throughout the entire space. Pieces from mass-market retailers like West Elm and Ikea are situated alongside priceless antiques (like Eaton's coffee table, a Josef Frank piece that once belonged to her grandmother), souvenirs from Eaton's travels, and custom items.
When I find something that I love I might not know where it’s going to go.
And thanks to her day job, Eaton not only has an extensive knowledge of vendors whose work she knows she loves ("Because I’m always designing things, it’s just part of my typical process," she explains), but also a large collection of items that she's picked up over the years that could have worked in her space. "I buy everything when I find it, and I love it," Eaton explains. "When I find something that I love I might not know where it’s going to go. It could go in a client’s apartment, or in my apartment, or in a model apartment later on. But when I see, I buy."
Eaton staged the dining room of her apartment to maximize her view of the Empire State Building. Photo by Max Touhey for Curbed.
The revamp wasn't without its challenges, chief among them the size of the apartment: it's a one-bedroom that measures only 850 square feet, by Eaton's estimation, which led her to come up with a number of space-saving solutions—hidden storage space in the kitchen and bathroom, for example, or creating an oversized medicine cabinet behind a full-length mirror next to the bedroom's walk-in closet. "Storage was key for this whole place," Eaton explains. "And everything has to be closed storage, because I don't like clutter."
But another challenge was simply the fact of doing work in a New York City apartment. First, Eaton had to get the proper approvals to make the reno work happen—a process that was hampered by "bad logistics" early on—and then, the work itself needed to be executed. "You can’t throw a lot of guys in here to work—they’re all on top of each other," Eaton explains. All told, it took about eight months before the apartment was habitable.
The most difficult part of the renovation was changing up the kitchen, which had a narrow one-wall layout when the couple purchased the apartment. Because of the building's restrictions on building wet-over-dry—adding plumbing over a room that wouldn't have any, in this case in the downstairs neighbor's apartment—Eaton couldn't change the layout of the room too much. Instead, she decided to add an island that juts into the living room, which creates both additional space as well as a chic divider between the living and dining areas. She also put a full-sized refrigerator in a space that was previously occupied by a cabinet. "There were a lot of iterations of furniture plans and cabinetry layouts to make sure it felt comfortable and big enough," she notes. "It’s still tight, but the kitchen doubled in size."
But despite the logistical challenges, Eaton says that the renovation was ultimately beneficial—not just because of the end result, but also because it was the first project on which she oversaw the entire thing, from ripping out the walls to the minute decor details. "It could’ve ended up that I was biting off more than I could chew," she says. "But I work so hard and am so devoted to what I do that it never felt like too much."
And even though she's tackled larger projects before, working on something that was so personal—and where Eaton had the final say on everything, rather than collaborating with a client or an architect—was both exhilarating and intimidating. "Putting all the pieces together wasn’t that tough, and this is a much smaller scope than most of my projects," she explains. "[But] a lot of the process was finding my own voice without a client. It let me get to know myself, and made me very secure in decisions I make. It sounds almost arrogant to say it, but now I know I know what I’m doing! I’m not scared to take on projects anymore that are a little outside of my comfort zone, because I know I can get them done."
- House Calls archive [Curbed]
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/5/2/11505276/home-tour-tamara-eaton-chelsea-new-york
Study: Hudson Yards Will Generate Billions in Revenue for NYC
The megaproject will also bring over 55,000 jobs to the neighborhood
The Hudson Yards megaproject will contribute close to $19 billion to the city's economy when it's complete, Crain's reports, based on a study commissioned by developers Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group.
Once the 28-acre project wraps up construction in 2025, it will account for 2.5 percent of the city's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a report put together by consulting firm, Appleseed, has revealed.
In addition, the development will generate nearly $500 million in annual taxes, and create over 55,000 jobs.
"This 'city within a city' will generate significant tax benefits, contribute greatly to the city's GDP, create tens of thousands of jobs, and deliver much needed class A office space to ensure we remain globally competitive," Stephen Ross, the chairman of Related Companies said in a press release.
There's some added benefit to the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) as well. The agency will receive close to $1.8 billion revenue during the construction and just over $89 million annually once the project is complete.
The construction period will also see the creation of over 7,000 full-time jobs.
The Hudson Yards megaproject stretches from 30th Street to 34th Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues and 30th Street to 33rd Street between Eleventh and Twelfth Avenues. When complete, Hudson Yards will have about 4,000 apartments, over 100 shops and restaurants, a 750-seat public school, 14-acres of public open space, and 10.4 million rentable square feet of office space.
- When complete, Hudson Yards will contribute $18.9 billion to the city—more than Iceland's GDP [Crain's]
- All the Hudson Yards Coverage [Curbed]
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/5/2/11565382/hudson-yards-generate-billions-nyc-economy-jobs