Pavarini McGovern recently completed the Barbizon/63 project, which consisted of converting and renovating a former 700-room women’s Barbizon Hotel (and subsequently 306-room luxury hotel) building into luxury condominiums. The structure - originally designed by Murgastroyed & Ogden in 1926 - is a distinctive 23-story, brick and sandstone tower with an eclectic blend of Italian Renaissance, Gothic and Moorish styles located on the southeast corner of Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street on the upper east side of Manhattan.
In 2002, developer BPG Properties Ltd. (BPG) acquired the 306-room Melrose Hotel and undertook extensive renovations. As the hotel market suffered, and in an effort to capitalize on the booming New York City residential market, BPG decided in 2004 to convert the building into a luxury condominium to maximize their investment. The overall project goal for the Cetra/Ruddy Architects-led design team was to transform the building into a high-end luxury building mimicking the grand pre-war residences of Park and Fifth Avenues.
One major challenge for our project team included performing the construction work around 14 Long Term Hotel Residents (LTHRs), many of whom declined an offer from the developer to vacate their units. The project team relocated most of LTHRs to apartments on the fourth floor. These residents remained in the building for the duration of the construction process, vacating their rooms only for window upgrades and the installation of the new HVAC system. The team maintained all the required means of egress and utilities during construction for the LTHRs and the Equinox Gym located on the first, second and basement levels.
The building’s occupied spaces remained functional with HVAC and electricity throughout the core demolition and construction phases. The exterior scope included re-pointing the brick façade, and a full window enlargement program that created elegant floor-to-ceiling views using French casement windows more than six feet high. By far, the most innovative aspect of Barbizon/63 is its use of cutting-edge technology. Using open standards networking and open communication protocols, the IT consultant converged the network and the building management system onto a single IP network. Every unit in the building has been wired to connect to the network, which manages the voice and data communications, digital video surveillance, lighting, HVAC, security card access and home automation. In addition, apartment owners can enjoy amenities including voiceover-IP, wired and wireless broadband access, e-concierge services, and customized home automation. For more information on the state-of-the-art network, please refer to www.realcomm.com.
According to the US Department of the Interior’s National Park Service, the Barbizon, which is included on the National Register of Historic Places, presented a residential alternative for young women leaving the traditional family home and moving to New York City seeking professional opportunities during the economic expansion of the 1920s: “The Barbizon provided a refuge for many of these women, and its owners sought to create an environment that reinforced the values of the families from which the women had come. Codes of conduct and dress were enforced, rules included no men allowed above the lobby floor, and prospective tenants needed three letters of recommendation for consideration as a resident. Despite these apparent constraints, the Barbizon later hosted many social, intellectual and athletic activities and, and in recent years attracted a variety of famous tenants, including entertainers Ali McGraw, Grace Kelly, Candice Bergen and Liza Minnelli. The Barbizon was also active in promoting women's organizations, providing meeting space to groups such as the National Junior League, the Arts Council of New York, and the Wellesley College Club.“ |
