Building Name
111-113 East 73rd Street
Architect
Brown, Lawford & Forbes
Year(s) Built
1962
Designation
Upper East Side Historic District
Project Information:
A modern style building designed by Brown, Lawford & Forbes and built in 1962. Application is to alter the front facade of 113 East 73rd Street.
CB8 Hearing: 10/6/14 (Approved)
LPC Hearing: 10/21/14 (No Action)
LPC Meeting: 1/12/14 (Approved)
FRIENDS' Testimony:
While the Upper East Side is perhaps best known for tree-lined streets with rows of historic townhouses and mansions, it also boasts a number of excellent modern structures. As we have testified before the Commission previously, FRIENDS believes strongly in protecting the full spectrum of architectural styles in our neighborhood.
The application for changes to 113 East 73rd Street is troubling for a number of reasons. First, the applicant was the original client for the building and thus it is unsettling that they desire such a drastic change in so little time. Additionally, the Upper East Side has a unique history of modern interventions in the midblock which should be celebrated. Important modern townhouse architecture can be found throughout the district — including the 1968 Paul Rudolph ‘Halston Apartment’ on 63rd Street, the 1956 Edward Durell Stone Building on East 64th, and William Lescaze houses on East 70thand East 74th Streets, among others.
We acknowledge the fact that the recessed entrance may present security challenges to the school, and that sometimes buildings require alterations to accommodate updated needs. That is not an adequate reason to completely change the entire façade in a new style.
Modern buildings on the Upper East Side create an interesting juxtaposition among their more traditional neighbors, and that variegated assemblage should be safeguarded. The Preservation Committee at FRIENDS strongly opposes this proposal, and requests the Commission deny the application.