So it seems like the lousy condos replacing Clinton Hill's eccentric Broken Angel house aren't quite as lousy as they could be. The conversion of the Queen Anne-style townhouse at 4 Downing Street is being led by developer Alex Barrett of Barrett Design, who was formerly a preservation specialist at the historically-minded Beyer Blinder Belle. Barrett told Brownstoner that he's made an effort to gesture to the site's history with a few art objects throughout the renovated building.
The artifacts from Broken Angel, like two sculpted faces that still adorn the stairs from Arthur Wood's day and a found terra cotta decoration that has been added to a condo's living room wall, are spattered throughout the new development. Whether the artifacts will for future dwellers serve to commemorate what occupied the site prior to their multi-million dollar condo, or act as an aesthetic inconveniencewell, who knows.
Barrett told Brownstoner that the supplanting of found objects reflects his "desire to pay tribute to the artistic history of the building without being directly referential." The building will also have guard rails made of found metal objects. For more views from inside the building, head over to Brownstoner.
· Look Inside the Condos at Clinton Hill's Former Broken Angel ['Stoner]
· Condos Replacing Broken Angel House Are a Real Bummer [Curbed]
· All 4 Downing Street coverage [Curbed]