Architect Andrew Franz has done a great job transforming a 19th century soap factory in Tribeca, New York, into a unique loft apartment. Andrew Franz drew inspiration from the natural world, aiming to create something that felt outdoors, while maintaining as much of the original structure as possible. The very goal for this project was to create the feeling of being outdoors when inside the walls. “The top floor and roof of an 1884 warehouse are reconceived as a warm and welcoming residence with open entertaining areas and a fluid connection to the outdoors. The residence is transformed by a relocated mezzanine where a sunken interior court with a retractable glass roof connects to the planted green roof garden above. This gesture of subtracting volume from the interior brings the outdoors into the primary living zones. Embracing the building’s industrial past, a visual discourse between new and old is devised through insertions of modern materials along with restored or reclaimed materials”, stated the architect in charge. The result is a home which cleverly combines modern clean lines and open space with rustic wooden columns and raw brick walls. In short: the perfect marriage of old and new.
Photos: Albert Vecerka/Esto
