Tribute to a Masterpiece
The early impetus for the concept was a catalog of sculpture by John Chamberlain, which suggested an interesting collision of vertical forms. From that initial idea, Philip Johnson + Alan Ritchie Architects (PJAR) then examined the local structures at this western gateway to New York's SoHo, a mix of 19th-century buildings and selected certain elements, such as brick and vernacular windows to use in the firm's design. Ultimately, the development abandoned the original design for The Urban Glass House due to the zoning and height restrictions, as it was not possible to build it without major sacrifices in the concept.

PJAR proposed a totally glass building drawing from and inspired by the late Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, CT . It was at the time of Mr. Johnson’s announcement that he was retiring from PJAR and it seemed that an urban version of Mr. Johnson’s Glass House would be a fitting conclusion to his vast and highly claimed body of work. After several stages of transition, what turned out to be Mr. Johnson's last residential commission, developed into a 12-story, glass-walled condominium building with 40 luxury apartments. Johnson and partner Alan Ritchie used the name “Urban” Glass House, implying a commitment to the same standards of excellence and rigorous attention to detail as Johnson's world-famous New Canaan masterpiece.

It was PJAR’s goal to create a skillfully designed and detailed building with care and attention. PJAR accomplished their goal with the assistance of a team of professionals many of whom have worked together on numerous other projects in New York. The interior designs exemplify the clarity and restraint of Mr. Johnson’s masterwork in New Canaan. The rooms are spacious with a visual flow between them that takes advantage of the views and natural light.

Building Elements
The graceful rectangular building has bold, geometric lines and a daring sense of transparency, yet at 93,000-SF it is also intimate in scale. One of the major components was the design of the exterior skin. The team spent a considerable amount of time on the proportions, detailing and color selections for the window elements and fascias. The building stands on the southeast corner of Washington and Spring Streets where a context of relatively low-lying industrial buildings allows for an abundance of natural light to flow through the 40,000-SF of curtain wall and into the residences. The façades also have a high fenestration factor and its large square windows have five panes. The thin grid of column covers and spandrel panels outlines the concrete structure beyond. The curtain wall also incorporates tall zero-sight line operable casement windows at each bay and an all glass railing system at the stepped terraces. The Urban Glass House’s careful articulation and the terraces at each of the setbacks emphasize the complexity of the cast-in-place concrete structure and offsetting of the columns. It was here that the innovative ideas of DeSimone - the structural engineers - played an important role in the design of the building.

The major issues confronting the team were the care and attention it took to construct the building next to one of the oldest buildings in New York City – the historic landmark Ear Inn - a two-story, 200-year-old timber framed structure. In addition, directly adjacent to project site on the south side is a seven-story commercial warehouse constructed in the early 1900s on a pile foundation. During the excavation and foundation phase, our team took great care with both of these other foundations when performing the required underpinning. Due to the building’s proximity to the Holland Tunnel’s vent shaft building, our preconstruction team coordinated with the Port Authority of NY and NJ regarding sheeting & shoring operations prior to excavation.