FRIENDS' Testimony:

This rowhouse is the last of four on this distinctive Carnegie Hill block to receive a rooftop addition, and FRIENDS’ Preservation Committee appreciates the effort to set it back 16 feet from Park Avenue to help minimize visibility. However, we find the proposed massing awkward and out of character with the block. A setback attic floor, similar to what the Commission approved at 1149 Park Avenue, would be more appropriate contextually (https://friends-ues.org/1149-park-avenue/), as it aligns with the historic character of the building. Additionally, elements such as the sliding doors on the fifth floor and the rooftop skylight are incongruous with the building’s scale, rhythm, and overall architectural language.

Although these rowhouses were originally designed in the neo-Grec style, they have been significantly altered since the 1880s. The proposed details including the front cornice, window stools and aprons, and especially the rear fenestration pattern and oculus, feel out of sync with the building’s architectural identity. We respectfully urge the applicant to reconsider the design with a more cohesive and simplified architectural language for both the front and rear façades — one that restores and reinforces the building’s Modern Classical character as imagined by Emery Roth in the 1920s.

LPC Hearing: October 28, 2025