166 Perry St NYC ny
C Z GUEST
Flip through the "inspiration" file that every designer keeps, and at some point you will find a picture of C.Z. Guest. Debutante, showgirl (briefly), model (painted nude by Diego Rivera), socialite, gardener, intimate of artists and writers; Guest had the kind of life that seems fiction, and the perfect patrician looks to illustrate it. She wore her designer clothes with thoroughbred elegance, keeping to simple lines, rich fabrics, and soft colors to suit her cool complexion. But perhaps what drew creative types to her most was Guest's down-to-earth personality, exemplified by her recent advice to would-be gardeners visiting her web site, "The most important thing is to enjoy yourself and have a good time."
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The developers who broke the residential architecture barrier are Richard Born, Ira Drukier, and Charles Blaichman. They had the foresight to bring contemporary design to what had been a staid and moribund practice among a closed group of professionals who had hogged most of the work in New York City for decades. They changed everything by hiring Richard Meier to design their now iconic towers on West Street.
Here at 166 Perry Street Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture, founders and principals of Asymptote, have emphasized the vertical by angling their glazed panels in a downward cascade. But it really serves to prove how there is only so much you can do within the buildable envelope (straight jacket?) that is New York City zoning. It also shows how these starkly modern glass towers tend to look better in isolation than clumped together. It is the juxtaposition that makes them shine. We have long been advocates of what E.B. White called "elegant variation." New York needs to be about the mix of old and new.
At street level a perforated metal scrim will divide public and private space. The 24 loft apartments here will include 2 and 3 bedroom units plus two penthouses. Open kitchens will have custom millwork with under-cabinet drawer refrigerators. Materials will be white lacquer with Corian island counters. Room door closures will be full-height, and flooring will be solid wide plank wenge wood.