Union Square Loft

New York, New York

Completed 2019

Design Team
Max Worrell, Jejon Yeung, Yunchao Le

Collaborators
Interiors: Jean Lin (Colony)
Lighting Designer: Lighting Workshop
Mechanical Engineer: Charles G Michel Engineering, PC
Structural Engineer: Craft Engineering Studio
Contractor: Bednarz Construction

This historic 3,000-square-foot loft occupies the entire floor of a triangular Renaissance Revival-style building overlooking Union Square. Inspired by the interplay of fundamental geometries and volumes, a series of interventions open the space, amplify daylight, and create layers of material warmth, texture, and pattern.

Upon entry, the form of a custom metal screen/bookcase evokes the surrounding street geometries, while a curved soffit introduces circular elements that punctuate the plan. Wide-plank white oak floorboards establish a uniform base that connects living zones; running perpendicular to the street, subtle angle shifts in the planks echo the dynamic disruption of Broadway.

The renovation frees the apartment’s 14 northwest-facing windows from obstruction, creating a true open-loft experience.

Cylindrical volumes house the powder room and primary bathroom, echoing the preserved original columns. In the powder room, curved doors open onto a freestanding white sink surrounded by sage ceramic tiles and a single slab of forest green marble underfoot. In the primary bathroom, a circular shower is clad in white ceramic tiles and paired with a marble bench and floor. This volumetric and material play continues within the primary bedroom, where two volumes define the space: one crafted from hand-troweled plaster and the other from paneled white oak.

Photographs
Brooke Holm