Landmarks approved two-story addition for store-and-loft building after rejecting three previous designs. On November 16, 2010, Landmarks unanimously approved a revised design for a two-story addition to a six-story store-and-loft building at 33 West 19th Street in the Ladies’ Mile historic district.

The Morris Adjmi- designed project went through several iterations which Landmarks deemed too large and too visible. The owner’s initial five-story proposal featured a translucent metal mesh that covered a setback facade. A reduced three-story design followed the form of a traditional mansard roof and featured honeycomb- patterned, glazed aluminum and glass with masonry sidewalls and a terra cotta cap. Landmarks found the third proposal, which reduced the mansard design to two stories and simplified the facade, too pedestrian compared to the creativity of the previous design and still too large for the district. 7 City- Land 140 (Oct. 15, 2010). (read more…)

On its third trip to Landmarks, a scaled down, minimally visible addition fails to gain favor. On September 14, 2010, Landmarks considered for a third time a proposed rooftop addition to a six-story building at 33 West 19th Street in the Ladies’ Mile Historic District. Landmarks had rejected two previous designs due to their size and visibility. 7 CityLand 60 (May 15, 2010). The owner first proposed a five-story addition that was set back behind layers of translucent mesh. The owner returned nine months later with a three-story perforated-metal addition that followed the form of the mansard roofs common to the district.

At the September 14 hearing, architect Morris Adjmi presented a revised two-story design. The addition would only be partially visible from street level. The proposal still emulated the shape of a mansard roof and retained the previous iteration’s honeycombed glazed aluminum over glass and a terra-cotta cap. Adjmi noted that he simplified the design in response to the com missioner’s comments, but that it still served as “an abstract representation of a dormer.” The addition would be set back further from the existing building’s front facade so it would not compromise its cornice. (read more…)

Courtesy of ma.com

Revised design, reduced by three stories, followed form of mansard roofs common in Ladies’ Mile. On April 13, 2010, Landmarks considered a revised proposal for an addition to a six-story, through block building at 33 West 19th Street in the Ladies’ Mile Historic District. The original plan, considered in July 2009, proposed a five-story addition for the neo-Renaissance structure built in 1903. The initial design featured a translucent metal mesh hung in front of the addition’s set-back rain wall. The quality and creativity of the Morris Adjmi-designed addition garnered praise, but Landmarks objected to its scale and visibility and asked the applicants to return with a scaled-down proposal. 6 CityLand 108 (Aug. 15, 2009).

(read more…)

Revised design, reduced by three stories, followed form of mansard roofs common in Ladies’ Mile. On April 13, 2010, Landmarks considered a revised proposal for an addition to a six-story, through-block building at 33 West 19th Street in the Ladies’ Mile Historic District. The original plan, considered in July 2009, proposed a five-story addition for the neo-Renaissance structure built in 1903. The initial design featured a translucent metal mesh hung in front of the addition’s set-back rain wall. The quality and creativity of the Morris Adjmi-designed addition garnered praise, but Landmarks objected to its scale and visibility and asked the applicants to return with a scaled-down proposal. 6 CityLand 108 (Aug. 15, 2009).

At the April hearing, Adjmi presented the revised design, which reduced the proposal to three stories. The addition would rise 30 feet above the existing building and emulate the shape of a mansard roof, an architectural element common to the neighborhood. Adjmi said the idea came from studying the neighborhood and considering the cornice as a “starting point for something above.” He said the proposal intended to “rethink how a mansard functions” and would match the proportions of traditional mansards. The new design featured a double-skin facade, with the interior portion set back five to seven feet. The perforated metal structure would feature a terra-cotta cap and would be visible from street level on both West 19th and 20th Streets. (read more…)

Five-story addition proposed for six-story building in Ladies’ Mile. On July 21, 2009, Landmarks considered a certificate of appropriateness for a five-story addition at 33 West 19th Street in the Ladies’ Mile Historic District. Designed by architect Morris Adjmi, the addition would be built on top of a 1903 six-story neo- Renaissance store and loft building.

Adjmi’s design features a translucent woven metal mesh in front of the addition’s rain wall. The mesh would be suspended from the addition’s cornice, aligning with the existing building’s edge, while the addition’s main facade would be set back four feet. On the addition’s side wall, the mesh would take a brick pattern, and on its main facades the mesh would be layered, creating a shadow effect reminiscent of the building’s original facade. Behind the mesh, balconies at every floor would provide further depth. Adjmi characterized the proposal as “an extension of an existing building in a new language.” (read more…)