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Poised between the dynamic SoHo and Nolita neighbourhoods, One Kenmare Square offers an
intelligent updated concept of residence in Downtown Manhattan.
The eleven-storey undulating curved
tower is a testament to harmonized form, function and geographical context,
incorporating visual elements from the buildings of Nolita to the East and the
cast iron grandeur of SoHo to the West. This is One Kenmare Square, a unique
reinterpretation of the often vaunted ‘loft’ lifestyle, the fruit of a
collaboration between entrepreneur and hotelier, André Balazs and architect
Richard Gluckman, Small in scale and elegant in design, this luxurious
residential development will please the most demanding if New Yorkers and he the
stuff of envy of everyone else unlucky enough to not live in the most exciting
city in the world.
The Lafayette Street façade is composed
of alternating banded brick, reminiscent of the old warehouses in SoHo,
alternating with an eight foot high continuous strip of windows that emphasizes
the dramatic eastern views. A vertical glass notch splits the north and
south facades, delineating the rough artisan textured, colour shifting
iridescent grey brick and glass façade in the front from the smooth silvery red
brick in the rear. This plays on rough and smooth combined with its
sweeping oscillation all work to animate visual elements from its surroundings
as well as dramatically landmarking the site as the nexus of Delancey, Lafayette
and Centre Streets. The multifaceted visuality of the building also
references the incredible cultural melting pot of its location. At the
edge of SoHo, the grand dame of bohemia, and next to Nolita and Little Italy,
the ultimate cross section of old world New York and contemporary
gentrification. One Kenmare
Square locates itself in the centre of these rapidly evolving urban
villages.
The Gluckman-designed interiors carry
through the same precepts of movement, contrast and texture. Lobby walls
and floors are clad in the textured grey Pompeii stone continued from the
outside while he exterior curve is carried through in a 12ft high wave of pale
blue resin that spans the length of the lobby. The corridors are carpeted
with all natural and undyed felted gray wool and the walls are clad with
corrugated cement boards that carry the building’s undulating curve
inside. All the 53 units available, which range from 460ft to 2,700ft in a
variety of floor plans, reflect a simple yet rich sensibility. The morning
sun washes through the oversized windows onto solid ash flooring, stained a
natural light blonde. White Carrara marble counters the backsplashes are
highlighted by the gray lacquered cabinets with translucent glass fronts.
The master bathrooms boas oversized soaking tubs and separate showers dripping
in grey Blue de Savioe marble, against white lacquered cabinets, inverting the
colour motif in the kitchen. Amenities abound, such as stainless steel
SubZero, Thermador, and Bosch appliances, a state-of-the-art fitness centre,
laminated glass windows on the Lafayette and Crosby Street facades and dramatic
views of the Williamsburg Bridge, on the East River, and the urban cityscape
beyond.
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Neither orthogonal nor white, One Kenmare Square’s sweeping façade
is an evolutionary building which goes beyond that prototypical SoHo space, the
white cube. Decidedly not just another bug, empty space, the richness,
depth and texture of the units offer an ideal backdrop against which the owner
creates his own personal space and stamps his individuality. Slotted for
completion in the fall of 2005, this first ground-up residential project for
Balazs and Gluckman with its graceful appointments, thoughtful design, and
unique yet central location make One
Kenmare Square the perfect template modern urban living.
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