Two modern wooden booths with patterned upholstery and hanging white pendant lights in a spacious, open office with light wood floors and high ceilings. Spacious modern office with hardwood floors, glass-walled meeting rooms, large windows, exposed white ductwork, and wooden slat partitions; bright with natural and artificial lighting. A modern, empty office space with carpeted flooring, wooden accent wall, and large glass partition overlooking another spacious room with wooden floors and hanging pendant lights. Ceiling has geometric panels and recessed lighting. Modern empty office space with large floor-to-ceiling glass walls and doors, separating individual rooms. The area has white walls, a tiled ceiling, and carpeted floors, with visible windows letting in natural light. Modern office interior with light wood slats, marble columns, neutral colors, built-in cabinets, a central kitchen island, and large windows providing natural light along a spacious hallway. Modern kitchen and seating area with a long island, built-in bench with patterned upholstery, wood floors, vertical lighted wall panels, pendant lamps, and large windows. The space has a minimalist, contemporary design. Modern kitchen with a large white island, three round pendant lights with yellow shades, wood slat walls, and a minimalist backsplash. The space is well-lit and features a sleek, contemporary design. Modern dining area with long communal tables and bar stools, smaller tables with chairs, large windows, indoor plants, and wooden ceiling with hanging globe lights, filled with natural light. A modern rooftop terrace with large windows, brick walls, lush garden beds, and two old water towers in the background under a partly cloudy sky. Street view of a city with tall buildings, storefronts with green awnings, cars parked along the sidewalk, and a clear blue sky above. Shadows from the buildings are cast onto the street.

37 East 18th Street

Project Type

CommercialInteriorsPreservation

Completion

2026

Location

Flatiron District, NYC

Client

Zar Property

Situated on the eastern edge of the Ladies Mile Historic District of Manhattan, the rebirth of the 19th century Ely Building at 37 East 18th Street as a boutique commercial office building will add to the district’s longstanding tradition of innovation and creativity.

BKSK was engaged to renovate and vertically enlarge the existing commercial building, preserving the ground-floor retail while introducing new opportunities for full-floor office spaces on the upper floors. The building will feature a refreshed entrance, differentiating the office lobby entry from the retail storefront with a modern entry bay, sensitive marquee, modern lighting, and signage. The attended lobby serves as a transitional space—with a warm, welcoming, and elevated feel, with a thoughtful blend of architectural textures of wood panels and plaster detailing, and a bold, memorable portal leading to the elevators.

BKSK’s Interior design for the upper floors reflects the building’s location between 3 major urban green spaces, inspiring a park-like setting with opportunities for garden elements to be woven through the pre-built floors. The layout is designed as a path through a park, with circulation flowing around a central open workspace—highlighted by material changes in the flooring. Custom built-in moments are crafted using vertical oak wood slats, creating semi-private flexible seating areas that help define and enrich the space with a variety of work spaces.

The project’s rooftop addition is an extension of the vertical park metaphor, featuring a shared amenity garden conservatory room leading to a newly tiered landscaped roof terrace. The rooftop additions including a large elevator vertical extension and the ground floor modifications were approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in April 2025.

COLLABORATORS
Construction Manager: Taurino Management; MEP Engineer: All City Engineering; Roof Landscape Designer: Tier II 

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