SoHo Restoration

The renovation of the 1st and basement levels of this central SoHo building’s façade had to choose which part of its history should be memorialized: the building started off as a single-family Federal-style house; after the area went through a red-light district phase, the building was enlarged in all directions including forward to the street line incorporating an elevator between the old and the new facades – the façade that is now visible above the 1st floor. The storefront that was part of that mid-19th c. enlargement was further modified in the 1920’s. Ultimately, we chose (and the landmarks Preservation Commission approved) to restore the storefront and stair as they appeared in the 1920’s, largely following the initial commercial configuration but with some style and material choices that we know were made later (such as the use of glass block and steel frames).