Project Overview

Light, air, sound, and water: environmental elements guidethe design concept for the interiors of 152 Elizabeth Street, a luxuryresidential building designed by Japanese master-builder Tadao Ando andGabellini Sheppard. Commissioned by Sumaida + Khurana, Ando and Gabellini Sheppardtransformed what once was a parking garage structure in Manhattan’s NoLitaneighborhood into a 32,000 square foot condominium building home to sevenindividually tailored residences including a spacious three-story penthouse.

In complementing Ando’s vision for his debut residential project in NewYork, Gabellini Sheppard creates a meditation on the notion of interior spaceas a carefully modulated extension of the natural world, humanizedby tactile comfort and distinguished by sensory richness.

Light & Air

Light within the residences and public areas is treatedas a tangible, material presence that shapes occupants' perception of space.The artful play of light and shadow begins in the entrance vestibule, where anaturally backlit glass water wall and softly glowing coves in the lobby signalpassage from the street into a more harmonious realm. Inside the apartments, naturallight streaming in through floor-to-ceiling windows is balanced and augmentedby a host of ambient illumination features. Translucent light veils, floatingpools of light, and perimeter light frames seamlessly integrated into thearchitecture through a variety of concealed and recessed sources can by turns evoke serenity orwakefulness, expansiveness or intimacy. Air quality and temperature aremaintained by quiet filtration and cooling systems with concealed vents andreturns. In addition, each apartment has a gallery-quality dehumidificationsystem to protect artworks in the home.

Sound & Water

Sound is also an important factor in 152Elizabeth Street's spatial perception. The building contains acousticalattenuation between rooms and floors to ensure privacy and airport-gradeexterior glass to create an acoustic cocoon of tranquility. Within eachapartment, wide-plank oak flooring and matching wood-paneled storage wallscontribute to the soft, rich acoustical quality of the space. Water, introduced in the entrance vestibule’silluminated water wall, reappears in the reflecting pool of the penthouseterrace—its cascading water walls creating a calming whitenoise feature. The sensory pleasures ofthis element serve as the design inspiration for the bathrooms as spa-likerelaxation chambers with Japanese-style soaking tubs, radiant-heat flooring,and full-height windows and skylights.

Finishes & Fixtures

Finishes andfixtures are selected to enhance the performance and comfort of everyday lifewith an emphasis on natural materials. Wide-plank oak Dinesen flooringhand-picked and harvested in Germany using sustainable forestry techniques measure16 to 20 inches wide. Honed white Bianco Sivec marble in the bathroomscontrasts with black Pietra Cardosa stone encasing the fireplace and elevatorvolumes. Artisan plaster walls surrounding the fireplace, wood wall paneling,and floating white wall and ceiling planes framed by reveals complement Ando’swalls of glass and exposed concrete. The kitchens are furnished with customcabinetry, counters made of honed Fango marble, appliances by Gaggenau, and acustom sliding countertop island.

Photography by PaulWarchol.

‍