The Greenwich Street Project is a truly intriguing building, often described by critics as an “intellectual loft.” It represents a rare blend of historical heritage and cutting-edge technology, where past and future are literally fused within a single façade.
From Warehouse to Modern Loft
The project consists of an abandoned six-story warehouse that underwent extensive renovation and a state-of-the-art new glass building, skillfully combining both buildings into a single address and space.
Instead of a traditional vertical plane, the façade features a diagonal fold, creating different perspectives for each apartment. At street level, the façade is slightly concave, creating, as the architects describe, an “inviting” entrance.
For those invited in, loft apartments, a gallery, a fitness room, a spa, a cinema, a wine cellar, and a two-level penthouse are available.
A Combination of Old and New
The combination of old brick and new glass is a classic for New York City’s most expensive neighborhood, TriBeCa, and neighboring Hudson Square, but here it’s executed with rare precision: the boundary between old and new is seamless: the old brickwork adds warmth and weight, while the glass adds air and light.
The result is what makes this building so beloved in the professional community: a skillful architectural rebranding of New York’s industrial past.
In other words, I would say that if the famous High Line were a building rather than a park, it would look like the Greenwich Street Project.
The 2004 Digital Revolution
The Greenwich Street Project also made history as the first residential building designed and realized entirely using CAD/CAM digital design — from concept to finished façade. For 2004, this was a revolutionary solution, foreshadowing an approach that has become the norm today.
The project was developed by the New York-based firm Archi-Tectonics, under the direction of Winka Dubbeldam, professor and former director of the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Her work is known for its bold, experimental approach and commitment to merging aesthetics, technology, and sustainability.
