Kaufman's Flatiron to Rise Behind Meier's OPP
The upscale modern makeover of the park-end of Prospect Heights that began with the Richard Meier-designed On Prospect Park will continue with the construction of a 10-story triangular wedge of a building designed by Gene Kaufman on the site of an old laundromat on the corner of Underhill and St. John’s Place. Plans for the…
The upscale modern makeover of the park-end of Prospect Heights that began with the Richard Meier-designed On Prospect Park will continue with the construction of a 10-story triangular wedge of a building designed by Gene Kaufman on the site of an old laundromat on the corner of Underhill and St. John’s Place. Plans for the structure (which is technically an alteration not a new building) have been approved for over a year but work won’t begin in earnest until the Fall. Here’s the blurb from Kaufman’s website:
This triangular lot was actually so small that new development was prohibited, but through a complicated process, approval was obtained to enlarge an existing laundromat to ten stories for residential use and the full floor area allowed by zoning. The core was set against the inner wall, with one unit per floor in the base and duplexes comprising two full floors in the tower of the setback upper floors to take full advantage of the two long street facades. The metal panel clad apartments and the brick service core provide an exterior reading of the plan and a dialogue between closely nested elements on a vestigial slice of land.
It would certainly be interesting to know more about the “complicated process” by which approval was obtained. More renderings on the jump. GMAP P*Shark DOB
this is gross. like all of those metal-sided “luxury” condos in williamsburg, only in an all brick and brownstone lo-rise neighborhood (barring OPP). i live right across the street from this and am rather appalled.
are humans actually going to live in that thing.
i can’t believe the monstrosities being built all over the city…. very dubai-ish.
the reason architects do renderings without context is because it takes a long time to model and render the context and/or place the model in a photo
Thou art right. Otters get thee hence!
Thing is, you all applaude these two buildings in this area but cry about teh Ratner delvelopment. Get real. Thee is no difference except you want snobs want to keep oters from your hood (e.g. the people who will attend Nets games and concerts). So bugger off and shut up. You saw this coming and you shoudl just zip it.
Kind of sad. Prospect Heights has become worse than Park SLope. Atleast there isn;t all this new yuppie building going on in Park SLope. Prospect Heights is dead. It is just another enclave of rich. All you psuedo hipsters should wake up.
Monica – do you have a financial interest in this site or do you just tend to get overexcited about things in general .
I’ve been wondering for several years now how long it would be before the garage lot across from Sepia would be developed. The diagonal sawtooth lot with chainlink sidewalk is too small for another building. Those existing buildings need a required setback on their back sides.
I’m not at all enamored with the tower on Underhill across from smellycat bodega. Mishmash of vericals with no coherence. Only good thing is it looks like the first floor will be commercial/retail.
There are 2 large apt buildings on that stretch of underhill that are predominantly rent controlled so don’t hold your breath for them to “gentrify”.
This looks great super modern so close to the park can’t wait for the first open house. If it is the same person who worked on the project on Clermont Ave “Das Haus” it will look fantastic!
Good luck