This Penthouse is located in one of New York City's landmark buildings with a wraparound terrace at a height where one can see the Washington Square Arch, the Hudson River, and the majestic view of Empire State Building.

Inspired by the site and the views of New York Icons, the main floor of the apartment is basically one open area with a continuous limestone floor, inviting the city elements to become part of this new landscape. All existing walls and fixtures were removed and the original structure of beams and columns were exposed and brought forth. Treating the structure like an "archeological site", few water and waste pipes were found in the center of the space. Celebrating these elements by having them cleaned and displayed in a showcase of metal and glass they became a central architectural element of the space.

The design of the apartment is organized around a simple composition of planes and volumes. A pear-wood volume in the living room accommodates the stereo system, while a cantilevered plane in the dining area is used as a serving counter. The ceiling is a sculpted plane containing the central air conditioning ducts and the structural beams.

The staircase connects the living area to the private, bedroom/library suite above. It is a two part composition of planes and volumes which begins with a volumetric composition in stone and then transforms to a series of cantilevered cherry-wood planes supported by stainless steel folded brackets.

The client's desire for a quiet, contemplative, and monastic environment and his love for books are reflected throughout the apartment but specially in the library space. In the library, book cases of maple-wood pivot to open and close-off the room. These pivoting planes also reveal and conceal client's collection of rare and valuable books.