The Landmarks Preservation Commission gave a big thumbs up yesterday to the plan from developer Knightsbridge Properties for a twin set of duplex penthouses, set to rise atop 361 Broadway. Architect Shigeru Ban flew in from Tokyo for the presentation to the commissioners, arriving with suitcase in hand and ready to describe in detail how his design developed. He drew upon the horizontality of the 1882 building, evident in the heavy entablatures that separate the original six stories. Taking further inspiration from the diminishing heights of the upper floors, Ban and partner Dean Maltz ultimately arrived at their penthouse design, meant to float atop the columns of cast iron.
After the presentation, commissioners declared the plan "breathtaking" and "magical." But the adjectives didn't end there. Another piled on the praise, calling it "lyrical, beautiful and rigorous." Around the table they went, all agreeing that this was Architecture with a Capital A, and a model to be used by other architects with plans to add on to Tribeca's historic treasures. Despite the outpouring of Landmarks love, some minor tweaks were recommended: The Franklin canopy height should be adjusted and the very visible blank party wall, termed "pedestrian," will be re-examined. That list of little changes will be handled at the staff level, with no need for Ban and his creative team to come back for another round of show and tell. When one commissioner declared, "We can trust he won't screw up his own project," his cohorts agreed, and then voted unanimously to approve the application.
· Property Profile - 361 Broadway [Knightsbridge Properties]
· Shigeru Ban Has Big Penthouse Plans for Tribeca Landmark [Curbed]
· 361 Broadway coverage [Curbed]
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