152 Elizabeth Street
New York City
Light, air, sound, and water: environmental elements guide the design concept for the interiors of 152 Elizabeth Street, home to seven individually tailored residences. The luxuriously open spaces of the residences are animated by light, humanized by tactile comfort, and distinguished by sensory richness.
Light within these residences is treated as a tangible, material presence that shapes occupants’ perception of space. The artful play of light and shadow begins in the entrance vestibule, where the naturally backlit glass water wall and the softly glowing coves in the lobby signal passage from the street into a more harmonious realm. Inside the apartments, the natural light streaming in through floor-to-ceiling windows is balanced and augmented by a host of ambient illumination features. Translucent light veils, floating pools of light, and perimeter light frames seamlessly integrated into the architecture through a variety of concealed and recessed sources evoke serenity or wakefulness, expansiveness or intimacy at the owner’s pleasure.
Sound is also an important factor in 152 Elizabeth Street’s spatial perception. The building contains acoustical attenuation between rooms and floors to ensure privacy and airport-grade exterior glass to create an acoustic cocoon of tranquility. Within each apartment, wide-plank oak flooring and matching wood-paneled storage walls contribute to the soft, rich acoustical quality of the space. Water, introduced with the entrance vestibule’s illuminated water wall, reappears in the reflecting pool of the penthouse terrace and its cascading water walls creating a white noise feature on top of this urban oasis. Water also inspired the design of the bathrooms, particularly the master bathrooms, where spa-like relaxation chambers with Japanese-style soaking tubs, radiant-heat flooring, and full-height windows and skylights speak to calm and modern simplicity.
Photography by Paul Warchol.