00:12I think modernism is a reaction somehow to classic architecture.
00:23Modernism tries to see architecture to the bare minimums,
00:27to the function, to the structure.
00:32I think it is a conclusion of the way that architecture and that our ways of living have evolved.
00:41So having such an historical backdrop, which we can permeate with modernist design,
00:48I think it feels natural because our perception of aesthetics have evolved.
01:00I'm Crina Agirescu-Rogard, I'm an architect, I'm an interior designer based in New York City.
01:09We are here in the penthouse of the Stunt Urban, a historic New York landmark,
01:14situated on Central Park West, on the Upper West Side.
01:20It was one of the first luxury apartment buildings of New York.
01:43The building was built by the architect Robert Timothy Lyons in 1906.
01:51When you look from across the park, it's one of the most incredible architecture
01:55buildings that you can spot.
01:57It is characterized by its cupola.
02:00And it brings over European architecture into the early turning of the century.
02:07The architecture of the building is Beaux-Arts in the Second Empire French
02:12and has a heavy influence from the Rosemans and his ways of urbanizing Paris.
02:23I was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania.
02:28Then I moved to Milan, where I studied architecture.
02:32And then moved to Paris.
02:40I tried to bring a bit of all the cultures into my practice.
02:46Some of the best projects are those that actually have a classic backdrop
02:51and where you manage to bring over a new contemporary, very modernist,
02:56interior architecture and design element.
02:59This was the case of the penthouse of the St. Urbans,
03:02where the bones of the apartment are definitely classical and inspired by
03:08Beaux-Arts architecture, and where the clients wanted to infuse,
03:13used to live with relaxed European styles.
03:16So this is part of the philosophy of the project.
03:20Classic backdrop with modern, bold design elements.
03:28Basically, everything here is custom.
03:31Every color was meticulously chosen.
03:34Every single shape has been well-dimensioned in plan.
03:47I was always inspired by Carlos Carpa's work.
03:52And I think it is incredible the way that he draws from geometry.
03:56I think that the precision, the architectural lines that we find in Carlos Carpa's work
04:01are somehow present in this project.
04:04Starting with the circular shapes, the layering of brutalist materials
04:08and less prestigious veneers, the study of light, many windows throughout the apartment.
04:14It is incredible to see the flow of light from outside on the park side
04:19to the living room and continuing to the outdoor terraces.
04:22There are a variety of windows and viewpoints throughout the apartment.
04:28Each of them different, each of them conceived in a different time.
04:33For example, the windows of the cupola and the windows facing Central Park
04:36were created at different moments from the facing the outdoor garden.
04:42This is an important layering of different eras and different design elements.
04:48Passing from a circular window to a nearly industrial window in the terrace.
04:57This allows you to have the best views in town
05:00and in the meantime play with the structure that was pre-existing in the apartment.
05:06Lyons, besides being an architect, studied structure on Gothic churches
05:11and he loves how structure can become an aesthetic into the interiors of an apartment.
05:19Because we're in the penthouse, the space occupied by the Hansard,
05:23you can actually see the structure in the interior of the apartment.
05:27It is incredible how the structure brings this industrial feeling to the penthouse.
05:39And I love the fact that you can see part of the roof structures through the windows.
05:44The copper of the mansard roof is actually popping in the views.
05:57The dining room is actually facing this floating garden
06:00that is located on the 12th floor of the St. Urbans.
06:05And you can see the transparency that articulates between the spaces.
06:09The garden, the dining area and further in the living room.
06:12We try to keep this cohesiveness in between the spaces by connecting material.
06:18I think the sensation of calm that you feel is actually given
06:22by the fact that every nuance, every material, every texture
06:27has been carefully chosen to be combined with the rest.
06:31So the eye unconsciously sees and perceives this.
06:35The dining table is done in collaboration with artist Mr. Liz Copkins.
06:39There's quite a variety of colors and textures and patterns here
06:44starting from the Lopper's tools to the resin,
06:47the mesh that we can see coming through the resin surface,
06:52cashmere velvet, dotted count hide,
06:55and not to forget parchment lamp.
07:00There are some elements that actually break the spatiality of this big open space.
07:06One of the two kitchen islands is one of these elements
07:08that actually facilitates the transition between the cooking,
07:12the kitchen area, the sit-down bar area, and the living room.
07:17You can even see the visual connection that is created between the kitchen
07:21and the library in the Tourette Dome.
07:37This is the library. This is the Tourette.
07:40Above us, you have the cupola, and this space was designed as a scholar's library.
07:47For this environment, we created and envisioned quite a few pieces of design,
07:54starting from the table that is meant to center the circular environment
07:59by opposing its organic shape.
08:02The legs are done in plywood and fiberglass.
08:06The top is resin.
08:08You will notice our brutalist chairs.
08:11The colors are bold and are made to be opposing to the Howard Meiser Pistrow chair.
08:17An equally interesting conceptual design.
08:21Howard himself plays with the definition of design.
08:26The structure is aleatory.
08:28It combines minimal building elements into actually an incredible piece of design.
08:33His work has a strong narrative.
08:37This is the house of George Shaphan, the mastermind behind so many of AMC's movies and films.
08:46The clients make a big use of this space for writing, for reading,
08:52and actually the Pistrow chair by Howard Meiser.
08:56The frame actually indicates a cursive moment to me.
08:59It reminds me of the act of writing.
09:04Above us, in the Tourette, you have a casual office space.
09:09It's where Josh sits and reads and gets his ideas.
09:22The Santa Urbans, it was built to resemble a palace.
09:26It's actually like a vertical palace.
09:28So we take the European architectural style of a palace
09:31and we try to bring it vertical so that you can have better views.
09:35And, of course, the first thing that you can notice looking out of the windows is Central Park.
09:40And you can observe the changing of the seasons throughout the year.
09:45This room has a very strong architectural presence.
09:49The boiseries, the way the windows are framed, actually recreate this very powerful architectural moment.
09:58The height of the room as well is so important.
10:01This space that breezes and actually brings the architectural forms inside.
10:09I love the transparency that is created between the spaces.
10:13This circular shape that is reminiscent of the windows that actually allows light to go through the cupola from the
10:20office space to the library underneath.
10:34This space is situated on the second floor of the apartment while having views towards the Manhattan skyline and on
10:44the other side towards the living room below.
10:50This room was originally designed for Josh's daughter, Claire.
10:54She no longer lives in the space, but this was carefully designed for her tastes.
11:00Now it's used as a guest room and whenever Claire comes to visit.
11:06This is one of the many interesting reading moments throughout the house.
11:13I gradually felt that this room needed a vibrant element in opposition to the rest of the spaces which are
11:20mostly painted in calming whites.
11:23So I think this brings this coziness.
11:27I love the transition between a dark space like the corridor and this very bright, very vibrant Pompeii and nearly
11:35red.
11:36The chandelier was also custom designed for the space.
11:40This is definitely one of my favorite parts in the environment.
11:53I think the beginning of architecture is space planning.
11:57We always start from studying the flow, the circulations, the plan, how elements are spatially distributed, how light goes in
12:07and then layering with textures, materials, colors.
12:11And of course, the touch of my practice is bringing in these very bold, conceptual design elements.
12:20The brief of the client was maximizing seating areas, transforming this area into an ample, relaxing moment.
12:33They wanted a layout that could allow them to entertain and to have family gatherings.
12:42We introduced a diagonal axis to the layout because we needed to increase the size of the sofa.
12:50You will notice as well the custom-built Joel Sheffield inspired credenza.
12:56It is a piece that was intended to be placed diagonally.
13:01I love the simplicity of the shapes, the primordial forms, and also the superposition of different materials into the same
13:09elements.
13:09It brings the geometry into a collectible design.
13:14The essence of collectible design is that it is meant to be produced in very limited series.
13:20It's often editions of five or like unique pieces.
13:24So it's not a mass-produced design.
13:27There are pieces that are done seasonally with a high craft equation to them and that are meant to be
13:33seen as nearly as art.
13:40I think modernist brings a new language to classical architecture, but we will always have the classic backdrop of classicists
13:48in our city.
13:49This was the case of the penthouse of the St. Urbans, where the bones of the apartment are definitely classical
13:56and inspired by Beaux-Arts architecture.
14:05This is part of the philosophy of the project.
14:08A classic backdrop with modern, bold design elements.
14:19Aター Zen Short
14:195th年
14:214th年
14:2115min
14:2215min
14:2220
14:22January
14:222049
Comments