Located at the northeast corner of 79th Street and 3rd Avenue – 201 East 79th street spans the full block between 79th street and 80th Street. Originally built in 1963, this postwar high rise reaches 21 floors and offers 167 units as well as resident amenities, including a ground floor garden with retail on the ground floor. Rogers Partners is working with building owners to modernize and enhance the building’s façade, garden, and shared spaces.
Many postwar brick buildings are clad in white glazed brick, a common aesthetic of the era, particularly in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Due to water infiltration and freeze/thaw cycles, building facades are deteriorating, and repairing the existing brick is costly and onerous/endless. Replacing the façade with an insulated, porcelain rainscreen with custom tile design will alleviate this issue and transform the building’s exterior in both performance and aesthetics. Because the face of most porcelain tile is printed to look like stone or other natural material, Rogers Partners developed a pixelated design that resembles Indiana Limestone from a distance, a classic New York City building material, but reveals ½” square pixels up close. Using a 2012 New York City Zoning provision to add exterior wall thickness beyond the property line in exchange for thermal insulation improvements, the recladding will allow the building to meet the 2030 energy code.
A new storefront replaces the existing ground floor retail, lending a more unified appearance to signage while also providing spatial identity for each business.
The previously underutilized garden on the ground floor is being redesigned to provide an amenity that better suites residents’ needs. While offering a lush respite from the city, the garden’s current layout lacks functionality and sufficient seating space. To accommodate diverse uses, the space is organized in three distinct seating areas: an intimate outdoor living room, café seating, and a group gathering space. Integrated throughout, a variety of seating elements offer something for every resident, including large stones to add an element of play for the family-oriented building. Raised planters help to both retain the existing garden’s lush qualities and provide structure to the three programs. Ranging in height to accommodate program and spatial needs, shorter planters allow for seating along the edges and taller planters provide screening and adequate soil volume for small trees.
Location: New York, NY | Completion: 2020 (est.) | Size: 167 Units, 21 Floors | Client: Confidential
