RIVERSIDE DRIVE APARTMENT


This 1400 SF pre-war gut renovation is located in Morningside Heights, at an oblique street corner that deviates from the 90-degree Manhattan grid. The unusual geometry of this location resulted in an original apartment layout that was inefficient and awkward, filled with triangular-shaped closets and difficult-to-reach spaces. By strategically concentrating the geometric anomalies into one central transition space, we re-aligned the layout of the apartment to create a harmonious spatial flow, and also added almost 100 SF of functional space. We used materials and detailing to tell the story of the apartment—surfaces and spaces that are original to the prewar building were restored to their classical details, while new elements including the kitchen and transition space are detailed as modern casework pieces in supple wood. The old and new elegantly “kiss” one another in this airy and spacious home.

Photography: Naho Kubota  
General Contractor: E.L. Contracting