This project entailed the total renovation of challenging space at the top of Manhattan’s Master Building, a 27-story, mixed use, art deco tower designed by Harvey Wiley Corbett. Designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The residential portion of the building was originally a hotel, comprised of small units with mere warming pantries for kitchens. BFA’s renovation combined two idiosyncratic units in the building’s spire to create an open, flowing, 735 sf one-bedroom residence. One of the original bathrooms was sacrificed to make space for a new, fully equipped kitchen screened from the living room by a partial height wall. Large glass doors open onto terraces that nearly double the apartment’s living area. The material palette is utterly minimal, with a blue-gray terrazzo floor that was poured throughout to unify the space.