The House at 15 Central Park West (New York City, New York)

 condominiums, high-rise, 2008_construction, postmodern (architecture)

220-foot, 19-story Postmodern/New Classical residential building completed in 2008. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects with SLCE Architects for Zeckendorf Development, 15 Central Park West consists of two separate limestone buildings joined by a small, 1-story connecting wing across an open courtyard -- the 37-story Tower and this building, the 19-story House.

The building is considered by some to be one of New York's most prestigious residential addresses. The location, described as "the most expensive site in Manhattan," (worth $401 million in 2004) comprises an entire, albeit small, city block on Central Park West, formerly occupied by the somewhat dilapidated Mayflower Hotel (a 1926 Neo-Renaissance building designed by the architect Emery Roth) and a vacant lot.

The House, unlike the Tower, is symmetrical, spanning 11 bays on Central Park West with a central, double-height entrance. Set in an arched molding with beveled edges, it has glass-and-metal double-doors below a rounded, grey canvas canopy. Above the canopy there is a glass pane matching the curve of the arch, with the same pattern of iron grille as on the doors. The entrance is flanked by a pair of wall-mounted, iron-and-glass light fixtures with the same grille pattern. The bay to either side has a black metal door at the ground floor, in a stone molding. The next three bays on the ground floor have paired windows, and the end bays have single-windows, with stone moldings.

At the upper floors the middle bay has four windows, the next bay to either side has three, the next bay has paired single-windows, the next one has paired narrow double-windows, the next has paired single-windows, and the end bays has three windows. All of the windows above the ground floor have short upper transom panes. A band course sets off the 4th floor, and there are very shallow stone balconies with glass-and-metal railings on the 5th floor, at the end bays and across the three middle bays. Beginning at the 5th floor, these bays have white metal spandrels with ribbed patterns replacing the limestone, and the four 3-window bays change to tripartite windows with metal framing. At the 11th floor the two bays around the center bay revert back to three separate windows, and the end bays change to paired double-windows. Another band course sets off the 12th floor, where the two bays flanking the center bay have balconies and change back to tripartite windows on the 12th-14th floors. There is a full-facade setback above the 14th floor, lined with a glass-and-metal railing.

Across the 15th & 16th floors there are a total of 16 double-windows, with the middle ones and the three at each end grouped closer together. The five outer bays on each side have stone moldings and ribbed metal spandrels between the two floors - except for at the 2nd bay from each end, where there a small, shallow balconies. A much wider balcony spans the six center bays at the 16th floor, and the 15th-floor terrace is divided into four parts by projecting stone sidewalls. Above another setback, the 17th floor has four double-window bays in the center, with a dividing wall at each end. To either side of these are two bays of tripartite windows, and projecting end sections with three bays (a tripartite window flanked by double-windows). These projecting end sections are topped by balconies setting back to the rest of the facade at the 18th floor. This floor has five center bays, with three large single-windows flanked by double-windows. To either side is a double-window bay set apart from the rest, and then three outer bays of double-windows. There is a final shallow setback to the 19th floor, which has taller windows. There are three in the center section that projects slightly forward, flanked by four narrower bays of double-windows, and projecting end sections with enormous tripartite windows. Two mechanical penthouses on the roof are also clad in limestone.

The north and south facades have five bays of tripartite windows, and an extra bay of double-windows (tripartite windows on the north facade) on the west end that terminates at the 11th floor. There are two secondary entrances at the ground floor, with black metal doors in molded surrounds. The five bays shift slightly in location at the 12th-14th floors, above which there are setbacks above the 16th & 18th floors as well.

The west facade overlooking the courtyard has 3-bay wings at the ends that project and then set back above the 11th floor, with glass-and-metal railings. The upper floors display a wide variety of fenestration, with bays of single-, double-, and tripartite windows in various locations.

15centralparkw.com/

archive.org/details/houseofoutrageou0000gros


www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzVyf0hTjW8&ab_channel=Vani...