Thursday, October 13, 2016

New renderings for the luxury building that will hang out over the Mercury Lounge


[EVG file photo]

Plans to build on top of the former Provident Loan Society building on the southwest corner of Houston and Essex continue to move forward.

CityRealty got the first look at the latest set of renderings for the space...


[Renderings by Rogers Partners via CityRealty]

Per CityRealty:

The Lower East Side development will rise within an existing two-story building from 1912 to become a 120-foot-tall structure with 12 stories. The building's design features an irregularly stacked structure that will cantilever on floors 8 though 12, hovering over a neighboring residential property.

And!

Rogers Partners drew design inspiration from former tenant Jasper Johns’ number series, pieces that allow the abstract and concrete qualities of the numbers to build upon one another and create an ultimate sense of structure. The design for 225 East Houston Street finds rhythm in both its bold form, unique rising mass, and distinct arrangement of windows. The new 44,000-square-foot building will host 38 residential apartments, as well as a rooftop terrace, a fitness center...


[Renderings by Rogers Partners via CityRealty]

As BoweryBoogie previously reported, building owners Elsa and Dunnie Lai have lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, and say that they are committed to restoring the original structure. Head over to BB for that background as well as some of the community opposition to such a tumor-like structure here.

After a string of random clubs and concepts through the past 20 years, the Provident Loan Society Building is currently unoccupied. The space served as a studio for Johns in the 1970s.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who comes up with these hideously ugly buildings ?

Scuba Diva said...

They come from the hive mind.

dwg said...

Looks like someone's bad dream that got crumpled up and thrown in the waste basket. Good going NYC- no planning whatsoever, anything for progress.

Anonymous said...

why both keeping the base if that's what you're going to do? it's completely mutilated.

Anonymous said...

yeah...that looks attractive/logical.

Gojira said...

Ho-leeee shit...DrBop, what were you saying in the prior Mount Sinai post about Lego buildings? I think someone overheard you...unfortunately...

I sincerely hope there is NO ONE who reads this blog who will actually stand up and defend this hideous monstrosity. It's not fresh, bold, visionary, and no neighborhood should be forced to accept this as "change" or "modernity" - it is a travesty of architecture, pure and simple, as so many of these "boundary-pushing" Young Turks are simply looking to make their international creds on the long-suffering backs of neighborhood residents; they drop their architectural scat and move on, while more and more shit just piles up above us in the form of these towering travesties of Home Sweet Home. Shameful.

Anonymous said...

It looks like the aliens have landed but they couldn't fnd a parking space,

Giovanni said...

Welcome to New York real estate's version of Tetris.

Anonymous said...

Rarely on this blog do I take exception with a architectural design simply because it does not fit the 1890 to 1920 footprint of the East Village. This however is a structure that does not distinguish itself on the pedestal of the below building it does not compliment it just squats on top out of place and cantilevered as it is looks unbalanced. The design should be scrapped and started fresh perhaps Norman Foster which has had achievement in this area can get it right.

Anonymous said...

So now it's called "hovering"?

Anonymous said...

The new part looks like it's trying to shove the older, lower part into the ground.

Anonymous said...

Jasper Johns is rolling in his grave (if he were dead that is) at the mention that his work inspired this maligned piece of packing styrofoam. The first rendering several months ago was not great but did not trigger my gag reflex.

Anonymous said...

bring back Albion dammit!!

Anonymous said...

Too bad this doesn't mean the end of The Mercury Lounge the shithole which shuts out generations of youth from seeing and playing live music with their 21+ admission policy.

Anonymous said...

I loved 'The Bank' when they played Goth, Techno and Industrial. Dancing in the vault was pretty cool.
It's a crying shame what they're doing to that building.
Could they not at least call back to the original architecture in the least bit?