1 Broadway, Penthouse addition, Digital rendering
1 BROADWAY
A Penthouse Addition
Martin / Baxi Architects
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An existing landmarked building, No. 1 Broadway—adjacent to Battery Park and (at the time) in the shadow of the World Trade Center—gets a new penthouse. The mechanical enclosure on the roof is emptied and its windows removed, leaving a shell to be preserved as a historical “ruin” with no fixed program. This “ruin” is wrapped in a glass screen, behind which a new, warped shell of monocoque construction emerges, connected to the building’s elevators and stairs by a curved tube that becomes a utility core as it enters the “ruin.” The “ruin” is thus brought back to life through a combination of a new skin and a tubular umbilical cord. The glass enclosure forms a visual gradient, becoming more transparent as it passes in front to reveal the structure behind, and more reflective as it extends beyond accept the new shell. Hard on the outside and soft on the inside, this shell offers its users a spectacular panoramic view. Unfortunately, plans for constructing this view were interrupted by the events of 9/11.
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> MORE INFORMATION: available on request by Email.
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1 Broadway, Penthouse addition, Digital renderings