555 WEST END AVENUE

Old Becomes New Again

By AP Connolly

555 West End Avenue is a masterwork of architecture that stands out even among its rarefied pre-war neighbors. Built in 1908 as a private school, the red-brick, Collegiate Gothic-style edifice sports limestone trim, quoin window surrounds, crenelated turrets, and other touches that lend the building a majesty at once bespoke and whimsical.

“This is a rare condominium offering in a perfect Upper West Side location. It’s surrounded by classic architecture, beautiful parks, and culture,” said Cathy Taub, Senior Global Real Estate Advisor and Associate Broker for Sotheby’s International Realty (handling all sales with Compass Development).

GRACE & FUNCTIONALITY
Built by acclaimed architect William A. Boring, 555 West End Avenue is a recognizable landmark in the Riverside-West End Historic District with perfect details and incredible interior architecture defined by soaring 12- to 20-foot ceilings and towering transom windows. Tamarkin Co. has restored and transformed the building to create a collection of homes with the grace and functionality of classic Upper West Side residences paired with the scale desired in Downtown lofts.

The condominium features no more than two residences per floor, and the homes are spacious, warm, and inviting, with grand entry foyers, walk-in pantries, eat-in-kitchens, and abundant natural light. The former school’s unique features made for a perfect condo redevelopment, which has been transformed into 13 spacious units. A stately sidewalk moat lends an equal degree of privacy and separation from the sidewalk.

True to Tamarkin Co.’s signature aesthetic, the interiors combine beautiful materials with modern conveniences in a refined palette, which creates consistency and tranquility. Expansive kitchens are adorned with solid white oak cabinetry designed by Tamarkin Co. and handcrafted by Christopher Peacock, honed Pietra Cardosa stone floors, polished Arabescato marble slab countertops and backsplashes, and Wolf, Sub-Zero and Miele appliances. Hand-selected Calacatta Gold marble slabs, custom white oak vanities by Christopher Peacock, and Lefroy Brooks fixtures adorn the master bathrooms.

THE RESIDENCES
Each home at 555 West End Avenue has a unique layout, including sprawling flats, townhomes with private entrances on West End Avenue, and specialized residences born from quintessential spaces found in a historic private school. Stunning in its scale and luminosity, The Solarium Penthouse, a three bedroom residence crafted out of the school’s former gymnasium, boasts a remarkable great room with a soaring barrel-vaulted ceiling that rises 20 feet, a massive skylight, and a floor-to-ceiling wall of windows that opens onto a private south-facing terrace. Additionally, the school’s former library has been transformed into a spectacular five-bedroom duplex residence called The Library that is without equal on the Upper West Side. The residence features an open-plan great room and kitchen that stretches 42 feet in length and boasts towering windows and 18.5-foot-tall ceilings.

LUXE FEATURES
In addition to restoring and reimagining existing interior space, the conversion has introduced luxuriant features where there were none before, including an around-the-clock attended lobby finished in travertine, Calacatta Crema marble, white oak, and brushed bronze; a fitness center that looks out onto the rear courtyard; and an oak-wainscoted rec room with a bar, billiards, darts, and a large-screen TV.

“Discerning buyers want historic architecture but without compromising contemporary conveniences, and 555 West End Avenue offers that complete package. These homes are truly special, as Tamarkin Co. envisioned them,” said Alexa Lambert of Stribling Marketing Associates.

Pricing starts at $7.9 million for a four-bedroom residence, with The Library available for $10.5 million, and The Solarium Penthouse for $18 million.

For more information on 555 West End Avenue, visit 555westendave.com.