Overly visible addition reduced by one story to obtain approval. Paul Pariser, of Taconic Investment Partners LLC, sought Landmarks approval to revamp 401 West 14th Street, the prominent building on the northwest corner of West 14th Street and Ninth Avenue currently occupied by the Western Beef market. Taconic planned to renovate the three-story, 1923 Arts and Crafts-style building for high-end retail use after Western Beef vacates. Taconic submitted a design by Cook + Fox to replace the existing frontage with an all-glass storefront, install a metal canopy and add a two-story penthouse.

Due to the Western Beef building’s prominence on Ninth Avenue, Landmarks questioned Taconic’s original design and raised concerns over the visibility of the addition from other streets within the Gansevoort Market Historic District. Cook + Fox submitted a second design, reducing the penthouse to one story and proposing dark glazing and metal framing to further diminish its visibility. Landmarks approved the redesign, noting that the area was undergoing a transformation with modern developments mixing with the district’s historic buildings and that the addition was in keeping with these changes. (read more…)