New York Yacht Club (New York City, New York)

 museum, Art Nouveau / Jugendstil (architecture), clubhouse, interesting place, historic landmark, yacht club / sailing club, Beaux-Arts (architecture)

6-story Beaux-Arts clubhouse completed in 1900. Designed by Warren & Wetmore as a clubhouse for the New York Yacht Club. The centerpiece of the clubhouse is the "Model Room", which contains a magnificent collection of full and half hull models including a scale model history of all New York Yacht Club America's Cup challenges. Its glorious design excuses the privilege of excess wealth put to the service in the pursuit of leisure.

The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. Membership in the club is by invitation only. Its officers include a Commodore, vice-commodore, rear-commodore, secretary and treasurer.

The limestone street side of the building is regarded as one of the most expressive examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in the country. It draws on a number of classic motifs, but its hallmark is the elaborate, nautical-themed bay windows.

The front plane of the facade is divided like the Classical column into regions marking the base, shaft and capital. The horizontal courses are counter-balanced by the advancing vertical emphasis of the entrance pavilion. This pavilion itself is separated into three sections representing the varying levels of the interior of the entrance hall. Behind the grill-covered fenestration in the base are housed the club's service rooms: kitchen, pantries, and cellars. The grand arched windows of the piano nobile clearly mark the principle club rooms above which rests the library. The regular pattern of the library windows extending across the building' s facade crowns the frontal plane. Set back behind the public areas are the private apartments which are set into the roof.

Raised up on a banded podium, the 4-bay front is comprised of a monumental 3-bay Ionic order which is asymmetrically balanced by the solitary bay of the imposing entrance pavilion. The three bays of columns are filled by large round-arch windows, the lower portion of which are pierced by elaborate bay windows set into a sculpted framework depicting the sterns of fancifully carved baroque sailing vessels. Garlands of seaweed and shells hang from wave-like consoles and dolphins spew into the overhanging wakes of the departing ship. The club's entrance is emphasized by a slightly advancing pavilion flanked by monumental pilasters hung with the club shield. The entrance door, surmounted by an elaborate cartouche, is lighted from above by a broad segmental-arched window overhung by a transom. The pavilion is further emphasized and flanked at the attic levels by two stanchions holding flag poles. Above the Ionic entablature, piers continue the vertical emphasis through the attic which is punctuated by trabeated openings and become free-standing above the roof line. These piers are met by a lacy pergola which joins the front plane of the facade with the plane of the mansard roof which is set back behind the 5th floor roof garden. Two stories of attic windows light the roof.

www.nyyc.org/home/
www.beyondthegildedage.com/2012/01/new-york-yacht-club....
usmodernist.org/PA/PP-1925-01.pdf