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Posts Tagged ‘Penthouse’

Hidden Addition: Stealth NYC Penthouse is Invisible from Streets Below

30 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

stealth-roof

Unseen above the restored cast-iron facade of this 1857 residential structure in Tribeca, a stunning modern loft extends the building’s livable space, its form responding directly to lines of sight.

roofline-view

view-from-below

Designed by WORKac and known as the Stealth Building, the addition had to work with the existing facade — to preserve its appearance, rendering it invisible became the obvious approach.

hidden-addition-from-above

roofline-view

roofline-calculation

In order to accomplish this clever act of concealment, all angles of view and shadows cast had to be accounted for. In turn, these informed the shape of the angular extension. Tracing lines of visibility across facade features of adjacent buildings, the designers derived a roof line that would work with the project goals.

interior-kitchen-space

roofline-interior

All of this naturally shaped the interior spaces as well, creating dramatic diagonal lines that carry through the various rooms.

loft-addition-space

roof-hot-top-deck

The fifth-floor pop-up features sleeping quarters, entertaining and dining spaces, as well as a secluded terrace tucked behind the pediment to provide privacy for residents. The former elevator bulkhead has been converted to contain a hut tub servicing the deck as well.

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Rotating Condo Tower: Units Take Turns as the Penthouse Suite

28 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

rotating tower design

Spinning structures is not new territory, but shifting units around vertically as well as in horizontal circles is a fresh dimension of novelty with a likewise refreshed sense of purpose – to make housing truly fair for everyone, giving each person some time at (and views from) the top.

rotating tower

future variable unit views

Every since the elevator shifted the top floors from being least to most desirable in cities, real estate prices have reflected the relative values of these spaces. With this alternative arrangement proposed by designer Shin Kuo, each unit would take turns being on top as well as facing each different direction.

future spinning skyscraper condo

A lot of engineering is required to make such a thing work, from detachable infrastructural connections to prescribed times and safety locks for rotation (please keep limbs inside your home!).

Part of what makes the solution so intriguing is that it conceives of architecture like a product of industrial design – something that can be fundamentally improved upon through rethinking even our most basic assumptions.

future residential design diagram

Still, at least one big question remains: given the upfront and ongoing costs of making this whole thing work, who will ultimately be able to live in such a structure, which presents itself with such an egalitarian purpose? It may simply be ahead of its time – if more modular modes of plug-and-play dwelling become the norm, such infrastructure may also come to be more commonplaces (and come down in cost).

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Sky-High Ski Jump Penthouse: Win a Night at Historic AirBnB

13 Mar

[ By Steph in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

ski jump penthouse 1

‘Please do not apply if you’re scared of heights,’ warns AirBnB about this private sky-high chalet located at the very top of the Holmenkollen ski jump, where some of the world’s top skiers have launched themselves onto the slopes. The fully-furnished apartment is 250 steps above the world’s first ski museum, and features the highest roof terrace in all of Oslo. Tell AirBnB why you’d like to stay here in 100 worlds or less, and you could win the chance to experience it yourself.

ski jump penthouse 9

ski jump penthouse 3

The vacation rental service is offering up a one-night stay at the Holmenkollen ski jump and as long as you’re available on March 26th or 27th, if you win, they’ll fly you in from anywhere in the world. You have until midnight on March 16th to submit your entry.

ski jump penthouse 6

ski jump penthouse 4

ski jump penthouse 7

The ski jump superstructure was first built in 1892 and hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics, where expert skiers gazed out onto the Nordic landscape before flying off the ramp in front of thousands of spectators. Since 1923, it’s also been home to a museum displaying over 4,000 years of ski history. The pinnacle, where the apartment is located, is 200 feet in the air.

sku jump penthouse 2

ski jump penthouse 8

Only pros are allowed to use the ski jump, “so don’t think you’re going to be pulling any tricks in your toboggan,” says AirBnB. But you’ll be steps away from thousands of miles of ski slopes, and if you want, you can even leave via zip-line when your trip is over. Apply here.

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[ By Steph in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

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Penthouse Mountain: Stone Villa Tops Chinese Condo Tower

13 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

mountain on condo tower

Over six years, one dedicated man has constructed his dream house, complete with boulders, trees, gardens, pools and ponds. It is the kind of luxury home you might expect expect to set into the side of an actual mountain … rather than perched atop an urban apartment building.

mountaintop penthouse on roof

The Daily Mail  reports that Chinese eccentric Zhang Lin slowly assembled this structure in Beijing despite disruptions and dangers caused to those residents below, apparently without planning permission and in defiance of zoning laws (not to mention common sense). The many tons of material required were hauled up the building, then transformed into a faux mountaintop. In turn, the industrious top-floor owner tucked his unique private penthouse retreat into the resulting rock face.

mountain rock condo sprawl

A number of residents have complained about the noise from construction, and one has experienced flooding, either from fake mountain pools and ponds above their place, broken drainage due to displaced infrastructure, or perhaps both.

mountain condo in context

Meanwhile, the penthouse – originally slated to be a small shack added to the top – has sprawled in all kinds of creative and (to those below, at least) unexpected ways. There are various outdoor decks, viewing platforms and winding paths that make their way through and around the stone mountaintop and its outgrowths of greenery.

mountain shaped carved apartment

And what comes next? Well, no one in the city has stopped the project so far, but as complaints mount from other residents, and as the weight loaded on the roof grows, one has to wonder what will happen first: government intervention or a tragic structural collapse.

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Tentacle-Like Tubular Slide Swirls Through NYC Penthouse

13 Mar

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

Penthouse Slide 1

A silvery steel tentacle swirls through four stories of a bright white renovated 19th-century penthouse in New York City. Architect David Hotson turned the modern space into a playful residence for children and adults alike with the remarkable tubular slide, a floral-printed ‘nest’ accessible by a bridge, vertical climbing surfaces and a swing dangling three stories above the ground.

Penthouse Slide 2

Penthouse Slide 3

The polished stainless steel slide starts in an attic space with a funnel-like entrance, winds down through an interior window and offers an exit on the next floor before spiraling down three more stories. A faceted white staircase offers a more conventional way to get from floor to floor, that’s no less visually stimulating.

Penthouse Slide 4

Penthouse Slide 6

The nearly all-white space is punctuated with neon furniture and artwork, playful details that break up the gallery-like expanses of walls. At the center of the space is a four-story entry hall spanned by glass bridges, bringing daylight down into the living room from the upper floors.

Penthouse Slide 5

Penthouse Slide 7

Taking advantage of a unique space never before used as a residence, Hotson pays tribute to the architectural character of the surrounding cityscape, installing windows that perfectly frame landmarks like Frank Gehry’s residential tower and the Chrysler Building.

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