Who said the credit crunch would stem the flow of design driven condo development? Here we take a look at Neil Denari's HL23 where the message is as clear as glass: architecture marches on, at least near Manhattan's much anticipated High Line Park anyway. Architect Neil Denari has conceived a form that bends and folds into its tight surroundings. The challenge is a 40 foot wide lot near Tenth Avenue which is partly covered by the High Line. The condo will rise up on one side and then slightly cantilever over the old elevated railway bed. Glass will reveal structural crossbeams that look almost like tiebacks holding everything together against gravity. The condo will include nine floor-through apartments ranging in size from about 1,900 square
feet to 2,600 square feet. The penthouse duplex unit will have 3,700 square feet and
a terrace. A ground floor duplex will also be available. After the jump a closer look at this striking new form of park front living, and how it boxes in Lindy Roy's High Line 519 condo right next door.
The conversion of the 5-story building at 15 Union Square West into 36 condominium apartments has revealed an 1870 cast iron facade that had been hidden for decades under a cheap 50's brick cover. The developers of the condo are adding seven stories and wrapping a glass curtain wall around the newly revealed cast iron arches. It will make for a unique kind of picture frame over New York's past while updating the site to a modern use more suited to the demand for shiny new homes in downtown Manhattan. There will be a mix of 2 and 3 bedroom units. Upper floors will be set back with outdoor space. Ceiling heights on the lower floors with the original arches preserved will be 16 feet. Many apartments will have fireplaces. Below the fold - an interior view.
