5,000 Square Foot Triplex Loft & Penthouse

The owners wanted a dramatic yet comfortable home, to capitalize on a stunning view of downtown Manhattan, and to celebrate the existing building structure. The glass façades of the penthouse and courtyard provide two levels of open space that allow rain, snow, sun and skyline ‘into’ the interior.

The existing structure was contrasted with new elements. Essentially a wall and roof were added but these ‘basic’ elements were greatly exaggerated and uniquely finished. The diagonal wall rises up to bounce light off it’s silvery finish. The cedar-clad, hyperbolic-paraboloid ceiling swoops up and out catching afternoon light on its curved form. Both the roof and wall extend past the penthouse window-wall to the exterior. The window wall turns into a ribbon of skylight running between the roof and diagonal wall, casting dramatic shadow and light down the diagonal wall.

This home interacts with the environment while maintaining the privacy of a traditional house and the openness of a loft.