Last month, construction commenced at one of our most anticipated projects, the renovation of the historic home of Swiss architect William Lescaze.
As part of the extensive research process prior to construction, project lead Alex Nizhikhovskiy studied Lescaze’s original plans, materials, correspondence, as well as construction photos to better understand the building’s nearly 150 year history.
“This modernist landmark was originally constructed as a classic NYC brownstone in the 1860s, part of the row that's still there today,” says Alex, “It was then renovated and expanded by Lescaze in the 1930s. And now, 90 years later, it is again being renovated - along with a modest addition to the roof, something which Lescaze had originally planned for, but never executed. The renovation seeks to follow in the spirit of Lescaze's own design - planned from the inside out, to meet the needs of the new owners, and using simple, durable, and standard materials to provide a modern, light, and open living experience.”
Although it has only been a few weeks since we got underway, there have been new discoveries every day; “Already through the demo process, we've uncovered some unique quirks dating back to the work in the 30s and then Lescaze's habitation,” Alex shared, “Now that that process is nearly complete, we're excited to start to prepare the home for its next iteration.”
Take a look at photos below from just before the kick-off of construction, and stay tuned for more updates on this Modernist landmark.
(photos from The Turett Collaborative)