25 Bond Street

The bold architectural design of 25 Bond Street reflects the changing composition of an historic New York City neighborhood. While the industrial strength language remains faithful to the character of the surrounding buildings, the asymmetrical layering of the façade signals a contemporary transformation of this language.

The façade of the building employs two types of stone that create a double-layered screen wall of varying widths and irregular separations. The stone is in front of a bronze and glass wall with regularly spaced, floor to ceiling sliding sections, which run the full width of the building. The degree of openness of the stone screen wall was carefully studied to be similar to the cast iron neighbors and the depth of the facade calibrated to the typical depth of the most distinctive buildings of the area. The façade was also detailed to enjoy the rich materials and craft at a close in scale as evidenced by the bush hammered finish and pinwheel jointing of the stone, the raw bronze finish of the window wall and the cast glass of the entry canopy. The rear of the building opens up to a tight urban block interior and then to another street by way of an alley. That accidental façade, viewed through the alley, was designed with the same themes and as a corollary to the more formal front. The intention of the design was to be muscular yet graceful and distinctive.

The project was unusual as a multifamily dwelling because it was designed and built for its owners. Seven individuals banded together with a developer to purchase the property and erect the building. The result was a building that was conceived as a big house, with generous common spaces. It was important to the owners and developer that the design of the façade would make a significant contribution to the urban landscape.