Four-story addition opposite Duane Park sent back to drawing board. On June 10, 2008, Landmarks heard testimony on the construction of a four-story addition and penthouse to 172 Duane Street, a two-story building within the Tribeca West Historic District. Built in 1871 as a store-and-loft building, the owners extensively renovated it in 1991 prior to the historic district’s designation. The widely-praised renovation, overseen by architect Vincent Posinelli, restored the original archwindowed cast-iron facade, but demolished the building’s remaining walls. The restored facade remained as a free-standing sculptural element, with a translucent glass-brick building designed by Posinelli behind it. The property’s new owners, 172 Realty LLC, retained Posinelli to design a new four-story addition for use as a dwelling.

Posinelli’s plan for the new structure features a glass wall rising straight above the original facade, with the new building’s facade set back 15 feet. Posinelli called the glass-enclosed space “the winter garden,” saying it would contain an elevator and a tree in homage to Duane Park across the street. The glass wall would be divided by cast bronze trusses matching the original facade’s bay windows. A one-story penthouse would be set back 50 feet from the screenwall to minimize visibility. The addition would also include teak-framed windows, sidewalls with aluminum rainscreens, and an open circular stairway, which would bring light to the building’s lower levels. (read more…)