As if there weren't quite enough already, architect Gene Kaufman will be bringing three new buildings to the city, and as much as we don't want to admit it, at least one of them isn't that bad. Two of the three incoming buildings will occupy adjacent sites on East 131st and East 132nd streets in East Harlem. The six-story building coming to 51 East 131st Street between Madison and Park avenues will have 12 apartmentstwo per floorand a cellar-level gym. The adjacent seven-story building at 48 East 132nd Street (at right) will have 19 apartments.
According to Kaufman, the goal of the buildings' design was to "[evoke] Harlem's rich cultural and architectural heritage," which apparently means jazz. They'll bring a "jazz-inflected energya cool 'vibe,' a contemporary way of livingthat is both true to Harlem's rich past and indicative of its exciting future." So, the building poised for East 131st Street looks like it has an abstract trumpet extending up its centera little too literal of an interpretation there, but otherwise surprisingly inoffensive. There are no renders yet for 51 East 131st Street, but according to a rep the buildings will be "very similar." The buildings are being developed by 1916 Partners LLC.
The prolific architect is also bringing a rather industrial-looking building to the corner of Bogart Street and Johnson Avenue in East Williamsburg. The six-story concrete structure at 100 Bogart Street will have 50 to 60 artist studios and work spaces, reports DNAinfo. The building's concrete exterior was inspired by the new David Zwirner Gallery in Chelsea, and coincidentally blends into its surrounding neighborhood seamlessly. Kaufman says the concrete facade was an attempt not to be "tone-deaf" to the surrounding neighborhood, but sometimes it might be better to harmonize, eh?
· Artist Studio Development to Echo East Williamsburg's Industrial Past [DNAinfo]
· Gene Kauffman Architect [official]
· All Gene Kaufman coverage [Curbed]
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