Made to Measure
NEW YORK ARCHITECTURE FIRM MKCA REIMAGINES AN INDUSTRIAL LOFT WITH BOLD INTERVENTIONS THAT HELP FACILITATE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES
In New York, converting an obsolete industrial building into a residence is nothing new. Artists began doing so at the end of the Second World War, when industry moved outside of the city and opened up more economically viable (though raw) options for living. Nearly 80 years later, the challenge remains the same: how to transform facilities designed for large-scale production and storage into far more livable homes.
When tasked with the recent renovation of an especially oversized — at 10 metres wide — Nomad lot, local firm Michael K Chen Architecture (MKCA) introduced a series of det structural strategies aimed at breaking up the space and creating be ter flow. “It was so broad and deep that important areas like the kitchen were located far from windows, and the proportions of the main living space were too large for conventional seating,” says firm principal Michael Chen. The solution: installing a curvaceous wall — finished in grapefruit pink–limewashed plaster — that not only allows for a continued sense of openness but also delineates sub-regions or eddies within and outside this core element. The clients are consummate entertainers, hosting everything from crat aternoons to large parties. Accounting for flexibility and diferent uses was also key from the outset.
The expressively hued and textured feature wraps around otherwise cumbersome load-bearing ceiling beams and helps to contain discreet alcoves like a coat closet. It also conceals pocketing doors that partition of a portion of the living room to create a hideaway ofice or guest bedroom; a grouping of multi-sided upholstered volumes from Poliform creates a sofa island for window or TV gazing in the main living space. A .-metre-long built-in “spine” of black-stained white oak and perforated metal runs the depth of the apartment, from living room to kitchen-adjacent lounge, and serves as sideboard, media console and additional storage; it also camouflages the radiator and air conditioning unit, bringing a sense of intimacy to the seating area without encroaching on too much floor space.
Located on the other side of the pink central volume, a fully equipped kitchen incorporates a 4.5-metre stainless-steel and marbled Phoenix onyx island and an oversized heat-tempered steel ventilation hood with integrated lighting. “We were contending with the same challenges of scale and dimension in this area, but it’s also a space that’s almost entirely without natural light, except for a fire escape door on the side,” Chen says. “The materials are about leaning into that moody dimness, and also about breaking up a gigantic volume into working and hangout zones.”
A careful contrast of forms and materials throughout the space conveys an eclectic yet succinct array of textures. No less impressive, the bathroom features intricately patinated metal-pa terned wallpaper and a yellow tile–clad tub. “We love colour and materiality and we’re always looking for mixes and juxtapositions that are exciting and interesting without being overwhelming,” Chen says. “In our spaces, we are always ater a kind of ease and gentleness, where the design decisions give someone a clear sense of where they can be, where they can se tle, where they can work and where they can socialize.”