Architecture
Modern Architecture
Design Surprises Amaze in an Eye-Popping Manhattan Penthouse
Mathematics meets fun in a most unusual 7,000-square-foot space topping a landmark New York City building
Skyhouse is an aptly named skyscraper penthouse in lower Manhattan. The residence was designed by David Hotson, who inserted four floors into the previously unoccupied hipped roof space starting on the 21st floor of a landmark building near City Hall Park. The interior design was handled by interior designer Ghislaine Viñas, who inserted colorful furnishings, floral accents, and playful fixtures into the otherwise monochromatic spaces.
Hotson gave me a tour of the recently completed project, showing me the Skyhouse's details, many of them hidden, and explained the ideas behind this intricate project. This tour moves from the entry and living area to the top-floor attic and back down again. Photos don't do the design justice, but they call attention to the many delights the residents and their guests can enjoy.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A mathematically minded couple
Location: New York City
Size: 7,000 square feet
That's interesting: A slide. A rock-climbing column. Lots of unexpected windows and openings.
Hotson gave me a tour of the recently completed project, showing me the Skyhouse's details, many of them hidden, and explained the ideas behind this intricate project. This tour moves from the entry and living area to the top-floor attic and back down again. Photos don't do the design justice, but they call attention to the many delights the residents and their guests can enjoy.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A mathematically minded couple
Location: New York City
Size: 7,000 square feet
That's interesting: A slide. A rock-climbing column. Lots of unexpected windows and openings.
Since the apartment occupies the top of the building all by itself, the elevator delivers people directly into it. A small space with faceted white walls and a skylight hints at the complexities that await. A left turn, a few steps up a short stretch of ramp, and one arrives at a tall space next to the stair.
The space is defined by white surfaces (angled walls and ceilings), exposed structural steel, polished metal bands, glass guardrails and bridges, and light coming from unseen windows. It is confusing yet also exhilarating.
The space is defined by white surfaces (angled walls and ceilings), exposed structural steel, polished metal bands, glass guardrails and bridges, and light coming from unseen windows. It is confusing yet also exhilarating.
What makes the design even more remarkable is that this is the building the Skyhouse occupies. The granite, brick and terra-cotta building dates to 1895, though it was modern for its time, being that it was one of the first steel-frame skyscrapers in Manhattan. The first floor of the Skyhouse is the one with the large arched windows; much of the project is fit above this tall space, in the steep hip roof above it. From this view it's worth noting the windows in the roof: arched dormers and smaller circular openings above those.
Hotson took advantage of every dormer and circular opening as a source of light. This view up to the attic from near the entry shows one of the dormers, made visible by a glass floor that helps to bring its light beyond just one room.
After the left turn into the apartment, you are on an axis with one of the large arched windows facing west, toward the 100-year-old Woolworth Building and the World Trade Center site beyond. This view draws you past the tall space next to the stair and into the living area.
But no sort of comfort level is attained, as right next to the window is this dark aperture. What is it? An Anish Kapoor sculpture? Actually it's the end of the slide, but we'll go through the rest of the project first. (Note the sculpture on the mezzanine above the slide, however.)
But no sort of comfort level is attained, as right next to the window is this dark aperture. What is it? An Anish Kapoor sculpture? Actually it's the end of the slide, but we'll go through the rest of the project first. (Note the sculpture on the mezzanine above the slide, however.)
Basically the Skyhouse is a long rectangle with a full-height living room on one end and stacked bedrooms on the other end; in between are the kitchen, bathrooms, more bedrooms and other spaces. While the slide circuits through the bedroom spaces on the south, the living room on the north is marked by a swing and a rock-climbing column.
Green and orange footholds are attached to the 40-foot steel column, making their way from the lowest level to the pyramidal space that is tucked into one corner of the hip roof. About halfway up is a seating area that can be glimpsed as the white surfaces protruding into the space above the steel beams.
To head up to the seating area, we need to backtrack to the stairs. Stepping off at the mezzanine, we take in a view toward the living room from the position of the sculpture above the end of the slide (seen in the fifth photo). From this point we can move along the glass guardrail to a study and a seating area overlooking the living room, but to get to the seating area we saw from below, we need to head up one more floor.
Now we've arrived at the seating area that sits within the large vertical space of the living room. A glass floor lets us look down to that level, while the arched dormer window (third photo) looks toward the Chrysler Building.
Here is a view of the same seating area from the fourth-floor attic space, the pyramid atop the living room. The attic is separated from the lower levels at the ends by canted panes of glass, providing safety but also an unencumbered view of below.
As you probably noticed, the finishes of the built-in seating (designed by Ghislaine Viñas, who handled the interior design) are at odds with the white surfaces and painted steel. But the contrast works, because the finishes and other splashes of color throughout are just that — small moments that punctuate different parts of the Skyhouse.
Another interesting aspect is the way the white surfaces reflect the colors, such that it's hard to find any walls or ceilings devoid of color.
As you probably noticed, the finishes of the built-in seating (designed by Ghislaine Viñas, who handled the interior design) are at odds with the white surfaces and painted steel. But the contrast works, because the finishes and other splashes of color throughout are just that — small moments that punctuate different parts of the Skyhouse.
Another interesting aspect is the way the white surfaces reflect the colors, such that it's hard to find any walls or ceilings devoid of color.
A glass floor on the attic level gives a glimpse down to the space beside the stair; a glass bridge one level down crosses the space. This is one of the most disorienting parts of the Skyhouse, one that really embodies Hotson's intention to shape space rather than create sculptural objects, as many architects strive to do these days.
Much of the design took place after the interior was demolished and the shell was three-dimensionally scanned to create a computer model. Hotson carried out much of the design within the computer environment, aligned with the client's embracing of mathematical complexity (one of the clients sent Hotson his dissertation for inspiration). With such complex interactions of surface, void, structure and light, it's easy to see how a computer would need to be involved.
Much of the design took place after the interior was demolished and the shell was three-dimensionally scanned to create a computer model. Hotson carried out much of the design within the computer environment, aligned with the client's embracing of mathematical complexity (one of the clients sent Hotson his dissertation for inspiration). With such complex interactions of surface, void, structure and light, it's easy to see how a computer would need to be involved.
The slide starts in the attic at the end opposite the living room. A similar angled piece of glass separates the attic from the guest bedroom one level down.
The mouth of the slide and the piece of glass are actually independent of each other (the former does not rest on the latter), so the slide can move without damaging the glass.
The slide runs in two sections; the first is from this attic space down one level to a hallway by the guest bedroom. You then can continue down the second leg to the exit near the dining room we saw earlier.
The mouth of the slide and the piece of glass are actually independent of each other (the former does not rest on the latter), so the slide can move without damaging the glass.
The slide runs in two sections; the first is from this attic space down one level to a hallway by the guest bedroom. You then can continue down the second leg to the exit near the dining room we saw earlier.
Here is a view from the glass bridge (its glass guardrail is just visible in the bottom-right corner) that connects the stair and the guest bedroom. The steel at the top of the hipped roof is visible in the top opening, and the slide is visible in two more, as it makes its way from the attic to the guest bedroom to our right.
Like the apartment, the stainless steel tube of the slide has occasional openings; here we can see one in the larger opening at the left.
Like the apartment, the stainless steel tube of the slide has occasional openings; here we can see one in the larger opening at the left.
In the guest bedroom the slide is an undeniable presence, snaking its way down over the bed. A brightly colored mural covers the wall behind the bed and is reflected in the surfaces of the slide. The reflections accentuate the segmented construction of the slide (it was fabricated in Germany and put together onsite before the walls were built). This condition accentuates the movement of the slide and of the people inside.
The last leg of the slide curls its way down over the couch in the small family room.
To the right of us is a TV, and beyond is the master bedroom, which sits below the guest bedroom. The tightly coiled slide makes quite a statement in this space, but note how its gentle slope near the bottom lets people slow down before they exit by the dining room. Amazingly, this stretch of slide is supported at two points: the wall at the exit and a small flange two stories up by the guest bedroom.
Hotson found inspiration in the slides of German artist Carsten Höller; his show at the Tate Modern in 2006 was actually followed by a large slide inserted into New York's New Museum in 2011. As executed, the slide is as much art as play.
To the right of us is a TV, and beyond is the master bedroom, which sits below the guest bedroom. The tightly coiled slide makes quite a statement in this space, but note how its gentle slope near the bottom lets people slow down before they exit by the dining room. Amazingly, this stretch of slide is supported at two points: the wall at the exit and a small flange two stories up by the guest bedroom.
Hotson found inspiration in the slides of German artist Carsten Höller; his show at the Tate Modern in 2006 was actually followed by a large slide inserted into New York's New Museum in 2011. As executed, the slide is as much art as play.
It's worth looking around the apartment again to see some of the unique details beyond the slide, stair and living room. Here is one of the dormer windows that happens to perfectly frame the Woolworth Building to the west.
A glass pane below the window helps to bring light to the lower levels while also providing safety. This is the window we are looking up at in the third photo.
In other parts of the house, triangular glass panes fill the gaps between the walls and steeply sloped hip roof. These room dividers become opaque with the flick of a switch, so light can be "borrowed" at some times and privacy can be ensured the rest of the time.
A glass pane below the window helps to bring light to the lower levels while also providing safety. This is the window we are looking up at in the third photo.
In other parts of the house, triangular glass panes fill the gaps between the walls and steeply sloped hip roof. These room dividers become opaque with the flick of a switch, so light can be "borrowed" at some times and privacy can be ensured the rest of the time.
At one of the other dormer windows is a bathroom. A couple of interesting things are happening here: First, the sink is in the gap between the dormer and the canted inside wall; this detail occurs in all the bathrooms (even when the walls are vertical) because of the shape of the walls.
Second, the mirror and medicine cabinet are set into a piece of frosted glass within the arched opening. The latter admits light and maintains privacy, but as the photo on the right side here shows, opening the mirror provides a view of the building (designed by Frank Gehry) to the east.
Second, the mirror and medicine cabinet are set into a piece of frosted glass within the arched opening. The latter admits light and maintains privacy, but as the photo on the right side here shows, opening the mirror provides a view of the building (designed by Frank Gehry) to the east.
The last detail is an aperture within the shower next to the sink in the previous photo. One can take a shower and look at a distant view of the Chrysler Building (given the photo, you'll have to trust me on that). This view is through an opening in the wall aligned with the dormer by the seating area above the living room (ninth photo).
This detail illustrates how Hotson shaped the spaces on the interior based on external factors (light, views) as well as the needs of each space. Views like the one of the Chrysler Building in the shower orient people to the city even from deep within the floor plan.
Walls are not solid; they are punctured and pleated to create interactions across space. Yes, the design is complex, but there is a logic to it that results in a never-ending series of surprises.
See more photos of this house
This detail illustrates how Hotson shaped the spaces on the interior based on external factors (light, views) as well as the needs of each space. Views like the one of the Chrysler Building in the shower orient people to the city even from deep within the floor plan.
Walls are not solid; they are punctured and pleated to create interactions across space. Yes, the design is complex, but there is a logic to it that results in a never-ending series of surprises.
See more photos of this house
But the Skyhouse is much more than something playful inserted into an old building. As we'll see, it's a spatially complex and rich space that should reward the residents and their guests for many years to come.