For a spectacular failure like the West Village's One Seventh, what's left? Plenty! But first, some history. The four-unit building was built on an oddly-shaped lot where Seventh Avenue South meets Carmine Street, forcing the gang at Rogers Marvel Architects to go with sharp angles?"the world's first full-floor triangular residence," the boast went. One Seventh was marketed by a Balthazar maitre d' and developed by a nightclub investor who said, presumably with a straight face (this was early 2008, after all), "When I picture who is going to live here, I see an investment banker with an artist inside or an artist with a lot of money. I see the banker sitting totally naked in a chaise longue at the apex of the 45-degree angle, looking out at the cars driving down Seventh Ave., on the phone with his friends, thinking: 'How am I going to own this town tonight?'" After many lives, none of the four units sold to naked bankers, or anyone else. But now?now?there will be warm bodies in the building.
Discount clothing retailer Daffy's is launching a contest that will award one lucky winner a fully-furnished One Seventh apartment for one year. On the rental market the unit is said to be asking $7,000 per month, but for the Daffy's winner?contestants can create 30-second videos pleading for the apartment starting July 23 at select Daffy's locations?the rental bill will be just $700 per month. Daffy's will also open a pop-up shop in the building's vacant retail space. According to the Times the company will soon be advertising the apartment on Craigslist and in handwritten fliers posted around the city (the Daffy's website is currently teasing the contest). Not quite what the developer had in mind, but hey, Daffy's slogan is "clothing bargains for millionaires." Maybe those bankers can get some robes before they catch pneumonia.
· Daffy’s, Discounter of Clothes, Promotes a Rental Bargain [NYT]
· One Seventh [Official Site]
· One Seventh coverage [Curbed]
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