38-42 West 18th Street (New York City, New York)

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A residential building complex consisting of a 16-story modern building and two shorter 19th-century structures. The 6-story original building at 42 West 18th Street was completed in 1908. Designed by George A. Crawley as a store-and-loft building for Henry Phipps interests, it extends through the block to 17th Street, where the facade is composed of buff-colored brick. The 18th Street facade is white terra-cotta, with a single large arched bay reaching from the 1st to 5th floor. Here, the ground floor has large granite pilasters with cast-iron capitals flanking a modern glass-and-metal storefront. The 5th floor is capped by a bracketed and crenelated terra-cotta cornice. The 6th-floor has three windows and a corbelled and pedimented parapet. The 5th-floor windows fit the curve of the arch. The West 17th facade is treated simply in buff-colored brick; the 1st through 5th floors are slightly recessed below a single flat arch. The 2nd through 5th floors have a band of five windows at each floor. Brick spandrels with recessed panels are placed between each floor. A flat arch with brick voussoirs forms the lintel over the 5th- floor window band. Over the 5th floor is a simple metal cornice. The 6th floor has brick mullions between the end windows and the center groupings. The ground floor is occupied by Leisure Pro divers emporium.

The 4-story building at 40 West 18th originally completed in 1858 as a 3-story house. In 1885, it was altered for use as a stable; at that time there were several on the block. The building was extended forward and given its current facade, designed by John R. Hutchinson, in 1898. Shortly thereafter, it was converted to commercial use, with tenants including a dressmaker and china decorator. It was converted to apartments sometime in the mid-1900s. The facade deteriorated through the late 1900s until being renovated as part of the new residential project, beginning in 2014. Above the ground floor it has an ornate 3-bay iron facade which features 2-story Ionic pilasters. Flanking brick piers beginning at the 2nd floor rise to the roof line. The two Ionic pilasters span the 2nd and 3rd floors and serve to separate the three window bays, and support the frieze over the 3rd floor on top of which is a simple metal cornice. At the 4th floor, two Doric-order pilasters support the metal cornice, which conforms to the facade outline. The ground floor is occupied by Adorama camera store.

The 16-story new construction building at 38 West 18th replaced a parking lot. It spans through the block to 17th Street. Designed by Morris Adjmi, and completed in 2017, it has a wider facade on 17th Street. It has an interesting combination of a standard building box followed by a layer for the windows, another layer for a metal frame, and then a metal mesh that simulates brickwork. It has six center windows, with single-window end bays. The center bays are grouped together under a single wide, shallow arch at the 2nd and 13th floors. The top floors have six evenly-spaced windows, and the roof line features a projecting glass cornice.

Separating the two building masses is a 3-story area in the center. The 18th Street facade is clad in buff-colored brick. It is four bays wide, with a grid of dark-tinted windows set against beveled surrounds.

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