[H/T Gizmodo]
Now the firm is facing one of its biggest challenges yet: representing developer Edward Minskoff in his effort to lease up his new 400,000-square-foot development at 51 Astor Place in the East Village. The building, which opened in May, has yet to sign a single tenant.
Throughout his career, De Maria cultivated a somewhat reclusive personality as far as the media was concerned. He seldom gave interviews and disliked being photographed. He also avoided participating in museum shows when he could, preferring to create his installations outdoors or at unconventional urban locations.
As a result, his work was not widely exhibited in the U.S. and he never became a household name. But critics championed his work, finding his large-scale installations to be conceptual and intellectually complex, while at the same time accessible to the general public.
According to a 1919 Board of Appeals resolution, the “four-story fireproof transformer building” would accommodate a switchboard room, static air chambers, blower room and rotary foundations on the first floor; rotaries, transformer, and booster compensator on the second floor; a battery room on the third floor; and a high tension room and blower and exhaust chambers on the fourth floor. Three people would work on the first floor and two on the second.
421 East 6th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City was built in 1919 as a transformer substation for the New York Edison Co., and was designed by William W. Whitehill in the Neo-classical style. It converted DC current into AC. The bulding was converted to a multi-use commercial structure in 1963, and has been owned by artist Walter De Maria since 1980.
Dazzling views and two large private terraces (265 and 886 sq ft) flank both sides of the living/dining room of this unique and luxurious furnished 2 bedroom with office or 3 bedroom penthouse. The key lock elevator opens into the loft thereby ensuring one's privacy and north and south facing floor to ceiling windows on both sides of the loft grace every room with open city views.
The entertaining space has a large living room with a wood burning fireplace, separate dining room and a pretty top of the line windowed kitchen with breakfast bar. On the east end of the loft is the master bedroom which has a large windowed marble spa bath en-suite with soaking tub and separate shower .The office or small 3rd bedroom is across the hall and the spacious 2nd bedroom with en-suite bath is on the other side of the loft near the guest bath. A laundry room, highend finishes, central AC and a rare feeling of space, light and privacy complete this unique, approximately 2700 sq ft, home in the East Village. A gourmet market, major transportation and convenient shopping are steps away. Available September, furnished only and flex lease term. Doorman: M-F 8:30am - 4:30pm
