Sohorealestatefan

Sky Line Competition

sohorealestatefan — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:55:58 +0000

Trump SoHo will not be the only skyscraper in the SoHo area for long. Gary Barnett, owner of Extell Developments has announced his future plans for the Charlton SoHo, a 34 story Hotel.
Charlton SoHo is still in the midst of zoning agreements. The Process proved to be a difficult one for Trump SoHo as well. Trump SoHo has topped off a few weeks ago signaling the end of zoning disputes. Will Charlton be able to bypass SoHo’s strict requirements as well?

Trump Soho Garde Robe

sohorealestatefan — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:10:59 +0000

Being built at the corner of Spring and Varick in Soho is the Trump Soho Hotel Condominium. “Trump Soho Hotel Condominium” – a bit of a mouthful, but every word here is significant.

“Trump” - A word associated with: doing things on a big scale, wealth and success, real estate, and New York. Trump Soho reflects this image to the hilt by being one of the largest and most upscale hotels in the area, and smack in the middle of Soho, which is a classic New York address no matter where you come from.

“Soho” – The exterior of Trump Soho is characterized by architecture based on the large frame cast iron buildings for which Soho is world famous. Inside, the posh design of public areas and living spaces really puts in you in the lap of Soho-inspired luxury.

“Hotel Condominium”- Each suite is for use as a condominium when the owner is in town, and as a hotel room when the owner is away. This arrangement adds some unique features to the hotel amenities.

One of the most interesting is the Garde Robe service. Garde Robe is a valet service that stores clothing and other personal property for owners and frequent guests, eliminating the need to travel with copious amounts of luggage. Before arriving, guests can select items from their wardrobe to be made ready for their visit. In fact, a photograph of each item is uploaded to a “Cyber Closet” so guests can choose their wardrobe online or over the phone. Being able to select different items comes in handy when considering New York’s frying summers and freezing winters.

When the guest/owner is not in town, items are stored in a high tech, climate controlled storage facility. Clothing is dry-cleaned for the next visit, and can also be shipped by the service for use elsewhere on the planet.

I hope that the people who run Garde Robe have a large storage facility. It’s not unusual to see people in Soho loaded down with designer shopping bags struggling along the sidewalk. Virtually every popular designer in the world has a store in Soho. That means that Trump Soho guests will do lots of shopping, and need lots of space for their ever-increasing wardrobe.

Soho’s Cast Iron Character

sohorealestatefan — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:05:25 +0000

Until the mid 1840s, most of the building facings in the Soho district used stone and brick, with an outer layer of bronze to create architectural accents. But a multitude of cast iron foundries in the area made this tough yet pliable material readily available. Architects and craftsmen alike found that cast iron was ideal for facing and used it to change the look and function of many structures that today give Soho much of its character. The Industrial Revolution affected many aspects of life in New York, and building design was no exception. Inexpensive cast iron facings could be prefabricated in ornamental molds according to specification and used interchangeably. Cast iron could also be mounted on older buildings to improve a property’s appeal. The metal served the aesthetic standards of the time quite readily. It could be cast in molds using complex and modern patterns. It could also be painted to look like the stone used in more expensive construction.

Cast iron was also important in creating the large-framed spaces associated with famous Soho buidlings. It could be used to create large, ornate window frames, high ceilings, and support columns with a smaller footprint. As a result, rooms became larger, which led to their use first for light industry and then as the artists’ lofts that created Soho’s current, avant-garde personality.

The era of cast iron construction ended at the turn of the century with the advent of steel as a construction material. Cast iron was also found to significantly weaken during rapid expansion and contraction, for example, during a fire and the subsequent use of water to extinguish it.

Today, Soho is home to the majority of surviving cast iron structures in the world. This architechtural history is partially to credit for saving Soho from being paved over during the early1960s as part of the Lower Manhattan Expressway project. Notable favorites are 71 and 72 Greene Street, the Roosevelt Building, and the Little Singer Building.

Trump Soho, New York City

sohorealestatefan — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:02:57 +0000

The Trump Soho Hotel Condominium at the corner of Spring and Varick is Soho done in the Trump style – large, framed glass curtain walls on an unprecedented scale. Due for completion in the Spring of 2009, the 46 story building will house 400 dwelling units and a range of upscale service facilities.

Trump Soho’s façade pays homage to classic Soho buildings through its use of glass curtain walls composed of double sided mirrors. The design provides incomparable views of Soho – and Gotham itself, as you ascend. The top floors provide a 360 degree view of the entire city.

The building carries an impressive pedigree. In addition to the cache of being one of “The Donald’s” properties, Trump Soho’s other partners include the Bayrock Group and Tamir Sapir. The architect firm for the project is Handel Architects, which has also done the Ritz Carlton, Millenium Tower, 505 Greenwich Street, and 255 Hudson Street. Construction supervision is being provided by Trump’s children, Donald Trump, Jr. and Ivanka Trump, as well as Sean Yazbeck, the winner of season five of The Apprentice.

Being a hotel condinium, interiors are finished more-or-less uniformly. The rooms are fully furnished and outfitted to provide acoustic privacy, and were designed by David Rockwell. Features include partial marble flooring, Fendi Casa furnishings, and Egyptian cotton bedding. Bathrooms are fitted with custom-designed bronze fixtures, marble counter tops, custom sinks, and separate bathtubs and glass-enclosed showers. You get a bathrobe, too.

Prices start at $1.2 million. Layouts consist mainly of studio and one-bedroom units. Five penthouse units will also be included as well as a deluxe presidential suite.

Trump Soho will have facilities open to the public including including the Quattro Gastronomia Italiana restaurant and a garden, two story guest lounge, library and bar. Nearby attractions include the New York City Fire Museum, the Ear Inn, and Soho Square.

The Little Singer Building, Soho, New York City

sohorealestatefan — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:23:00 +0000

It’s called the Little Singer Building because of the much larger 47 story Singer Tower in the financial district. After construction in the mid 1900s, the Little Singer Building at 561 Broadway became one of the yardsticks by which other classic Soho buildings would be judged.

The original Little Singer Building contained offices and manufacturing areas for the Singer Manufacturing Company, the world famous sewing machine maker. It was designed by Ernest Flagg, who also designed the Singer Tower, which was temporarily the world’s tallest building.

The Little Singer Building is perhaps the best example of the Soho cast iron era. The twelve story structure uses large glass panes, red-colored terra-cotta panels, and wrought-iron balconies mounted on a steel skeleton frame. Very wide windows and ornately designed balconies – which are different on every floor – take us back to turn-of-the-century industrial Soho.

And, of course, the cast iron handiwork is almost without peer. Crowning the building’s recessed central bay is an arch of beautiful craftsmanship, echoed by a similar arch over the second floor. The attic floor is framed by a handsome roof cornice supported by unique curved iron brackets. The L–shaped building also has a narrower facade at 88 Prince Street which mimics the design of the Broadway façade.

The Little Singer Building still houses several offices, but is also home to approximately 15 artist spaces. It was restored in the mid 1980s to its former glory and remains one of Soho’s most well known architectural attractions.

Tenants of the Little Singer Building can readily visit some of the outstanding nearby eateries such as Zoe, Penang, Fanelli’s Café, and Balthazar. The Mercer Hotel is basically across the street. Going shopping? You’ll definitely have your hands full. From Kate’s Paperie to Victoria’s Secret, Guess, Prada, and Ann Taylor (all within a two minutes’ walk), the area around the Little Singer Building will keep you busy for as long as you can stand it.

40 Mercer Street, Soho, New York City

sohorealestatefan — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:49:32 +0000

Soho’s Mercer Street is one of the area’s classics, with cobblestone roads and world famous cast iron building fronts. But Mercer’s latest addition may be one of the finest examples in the world of bridging the gap between architectural legacy and cutting edge design.

40 Mercer Street is a residential building designed by “starchitect” Jean Nouvel. It is a truly unique building characterized by huge glass panes which are “the largest sheets … ever used on a residential product” according the property’s website (www.40mercersoho.com – how many buildings have their own website?). Tenants of the upper floors can raise and lower the panes (not manually, of course) to enjoy the atmosphere of Soho without leaving their living room. The building’s frame employs colored beams and columns that successfully remind us of 40 Mercer’s cast iron neighbors.

The result is a modern look that yet somehow hearkens back to Soho’s origins as an industrial area. The large framing spaces that once created workplaces for sweatshops and craftsmen have been combined with color and function to create one of the city’s most awe-inspiring residential masterpieces.

Nearby attractions include the Mercer Hotel; fashion boutiques such as Marc Jacobs, Prada, and Chanel; the Artist’s Space Gallery and the Children’s Museum of the Arts; and famous food-related attractions like the Gourmet Garage, Balthazar, Cendrillon, and Downtown Cipriani. For architecture fans, there is the nearby Haughwout Building, another excellent example of the cast iron era.

Sound interesting? It’ll cost you a bit to hobnob with the rich and famous that inhabit the building. Daniel Radcliffe, of Harry Potter fame (i.e., the guy who played Harry Potter), spent $4.3 million on a 40 Mercer apartment. And if Herimone comes by to visit, she can go downstairs to the Vivienne Tam store on the retail floor. The building is mostly sold out but recent listings include a two bedroom for almost $7 million and a 2.5 bedroom for a little over $8 million.