APPROVED on 12/20/2011

Individual Landmark
295 Lafayette Street

 

APPLICATION:


A Romanesque Revival style commercial building designed by Albert Wagner and built in 1885-86. Application is to construct rooftop additions.

PHOTOS OF THE APPLICATION:


Please click HERE to see a PDF of the original application that was presented to Community Board 2 on September 12th, 2011, and to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on September 20th.

Photos of the revised application that was presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on November 15th:

Photos of the further revised application that was presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on December 6th:

Photos of the final revised application that was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission on December 20th:

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APPLICATION STATUS:

Status as of December 20th, 2011: LATEST NEWS
The applicant presented the revised proposal to the Landmarks Preservation Commission at their public meeting  on Tuesday, December 20th. The configurations of the 9th & 10th floors had been changed to make the proposal less visible from the west. The Commission voted to approve the application.

Status as of December 16th, 2011:
The revised proposal will be presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday, December 20th.

Status as of December 6th, 2011:
The revised proposal was presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission at their public meeting on Tuesday, December 6th. See above for photos. The additions were redesigned in brick. Their floor heights were reduced from 12′ to 10′ and visibility was decreased from all angles. The Commission again decided not to approve the proposal, but rather asked for the following changes to be made:

1) The 9th & 10th floor additions should be reconfigured so they would be less visible from the street and “compete” less with the restored crenellations
2) The mock-up (which was accidentally constructed 4′ too tall) should be rebuilt at the correct height

The applicant will return with revisions at a later date TBD.

Status as of December 2nd, 2011:
The revised proposal will be presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission at their public meeting on Tuesday, December 6th. Public attendance is allowed but public comment is not.

Status as of November 15th, 2011:
The applicant presented the proposal to the Landmarks Preservation Commission at their public meeting on November 15th. See above for photos. Though smaller, the Commission still thought the proposed additions added too much visible bulk to the top of the building (“too tall,” “too aggressive,” “draw too much attention to themselves”). The Commission again took no action on the proposal, but rather sent the applicant back to make changes based on their comments. The applicant will return with a revised proposal at a future public meeting, date TBD.

Status as of November 10th, 2011:
The revised proposal will be presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission at their public meeting on November 15th. Public attendance is welcome but public comment will not be allowed.

Status as of October 4th, 2011:
On October 4th, the Commission commented on the application presented at their public hearing on September 20th. The following comment were made:

1) While this is being billed as one addition, it reads more as two additions because it’s split-level
2) The proposed addition is not delicate enough; it calls too much attention to itself and should blend better with the building
3) The proposed screen is an odd choice because it recalls the building’s interior elements (it was inspired by an elevator grille), and because its delicacy is lost when it’s viewed from the street (from far away, it reads more like a solid metal mass)
4) The proposed screen adds excessive bulk to the addition and might be better left off
5) The proposed addition obscures the silhouette of the crenelations against the sky, which is one of the defining features of the building
6) The proposed addition appears flat and boxy, and goes against the structural rhythm of the building, which is very vertical

The Commission did not vote on the application, but rather asked the applicant to return with revisions at a future public meeting (date TBD).

Status as of October 3rd, 2011:
The Commission will comment on the application at a public meeting on Tuesday, October 4th.

Status as of September 20th, 2011:
The application was presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission at their public hearing on September 20th. The Commission decided to postpone commenting for a few weeks until the mock-up has been constructed. Comments will be made at a public meeting, date TBD.

Status as of October 11th, 2011:
The application was presented at the Community Board 2 hearing on September 12th. See above for photos. The application will be presented next at the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s hearing on September 20th.