THE CAST IRON HOUSE
By Daniel J. Bollinger | Photography by Ty Cole
The Cast Iron House situated at 67 Franklin Street can be found on the northeastern border of Tribeca right on Broadway. It is a boutique offering of 13 three-to-five bedroom condos all of which are duplexes. Built in 1881 and landmarked, Knightsbridge Properties Corp. has completely restored the façade to its splendor. Over 4000 pieces were shipped to a foundry in Alabama to be recast and restored to their original design complete with unique detail. Shigeru Ban, a Japanese architect who won the 2014 Pritzker prize has done a fantastic job designing these residences and successfully incorporating the design aspect of the interplay of light and air in the Cast Iron House Residences. He custom designed many of the details within the spaces including all of the cabinet pulls and door handles.
LIVING LARGE
All of the units have double height ceilings in the living room ranging from 17-to-25 feet. With double six foot wide windows the amount of light penetrating the common areas is unparalleled. The top windows are motorized. Across from the living room is the kitchen. The kitchen is a beautiful example of Shigeru’s modern minimalism. It is an open kitchen with all integrated cabinets of Shigeru Bans’ custom white matte lacquer finish and includes a full length kitchen island of Calcatta Lincoln slab marble and countertops. A Kohler white double kitchen sink has the smart divide feature with two separate bowls. Behind all of this classic minimalist white custom cabinetry are the finest modern integrated Gaggenau appliances except for the U-Line under counter wine refrigerator. Dornbracht faucet and InSinkErator garbage disposal are also features of the kitchen. The flow of these apartments is seamless with milled cabinets throughout the space. What helps with the flow is Shigeru’s use of some curved walls within the spaces and on the staircases.
BEAUTIFUL DETAILS
You see the full use of this “curve” theme in the bathrooms. Custom Shigeru Ban designed Corian vanities with integrated sinks are in the powder room, secondary, and master baths. These vanities have a beautiful curve in their design that stands out. Matching curve features are on the Corian encased tubs Shigeru has nicknamed “race track tubs” because they resemble the oval character of a racetrack. Another curve design element is in the wet room. The rain shower head has an outdoor shower fixture design. Flowing up from the fixtures it has a nice oval curve. Other features of the master bath include floor to ceiling Bianco Dolomiti marble walls and floor with a custom frameless glass enclosed wet room with Dornbracht polished chrome fixtures throughout. There is a full-length mirror with recessed medicine cabinets. The full-length mirror is the length of the entire width of the bathroom. The bathroom is oversized, and this mirror opens up space even more. The bathroom boasts Spoon XL freestanding tubs by Agape as well.
All of the residences are very private. Elevators open directly to apartments. The proportions of all rooms are oversized. The master bedroom is huge and has a walk-in closet/dressing room. This is an excellent example of the “new design” prevalent in the development frenzy NYC is experiencing. The amount of light, the design and flow of these units, and the 21st-century technology including a Lutron lighting system throughout showcase the thoughtfulness of design that Shigeru Ban has brought to the Cast Iron House. There are 8000 square feet of amenities including bike storage, resident’s lounge, children’s playroom, and the fitness center. Additional amenities include a hydrotherapy spa, sauna and steam room, a treatment room, and a dance/yoga studio. Knightsbridge Properties Corp. showed great honor and integrity to such a historic building and delivered something of the utmost quality.
Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group has the exclusive and for more information, visit castironhouse.com.
