Friday, May 17, 2013

480 Park Avenue: Before and After

The Entrance Hall of an apartment at
480 Park Avenue, New York City,
after improvements by John Tackett Design
and furnishings by Bunny Williams.
During my tenure at Parish-Hadley during the 1980s, there were many dozens of projects decorated by Bunny Williams where we worked as a team and I supplied the architectural services.  Such was the case for this project after we had each gone out on our own.

The old padding of the wall-to-wall carpet
that had previously covered the terrazzo
floor in the Entrance Hall.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.
John Tackett Design has the greatest appreciation for interior designers who understand and value good architecture, and there is no one today that excels in that category more than Bunny Williams.  She understands that a total package of good design requires more in her profession than just selling things.

The Living Room 'Before' improvements
at 480 Park Avenue, New York City.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.
There was a construction boom in Manhattan during the second half of the 1920s with high-rise residential buildings making up the bulk of the activity.  Since profits could be higher in luxury construction, real estate investors sank their money into apartments and apartment-hotels that contributed to the trend that turned Manhattan into an enclave for the rich.  Park Avenue, with the railroad tracks sunk out of sight, became a prime area for these apartment buildings as new technology allowed relief from the vibration of the trains.

The Living Room 'After' renovation by
John Tackett Design
and furnishing by Bunny Williams.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.
Real estate developer Sam Minskoff had completed several projects with Emery Roth before commissioning him to design the luxury building at 480 Park Avenue.  Constructed 1928 to 1929 with an exterior skin of buff brick and limestone with cast terra-cotta ornament, the building is a prime example of the Renaissance Revival style so popular at the time.  The upper floors step back to allow light and air in addition to creating opportunities for terraces high above Park Avenue as well as East 58th Street.  Wood-burning fireplaces and relatively high ceilings were also featured.  The water tower is concealed in the form of a small but picturesque palazzo.  Although the larger apartments contain rooms for live-in staff, maid and butler services were originally available to all tenants, and meals could be taken in an elegant restaurant for the tenants.

Architect's rendering of 480 Park Avenue.
Image from MANSIONS IN THE CLOUDS.
480 Park Avenue is a nineteen-story building with original apartment sizes ranging from three to thirteen rooms in both simplex and duplex plans.  Lucrative rental income from the ground floor and first floor allow relatively low maintenance rates for the apartments, now a co-operative building.

Another view of the Living Room 'After' improvements
by John Tackett Design
and furnishings by Bunny Williams.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.
For a Florida-based couple with two young daughters, the apartment at the southeast corner with two terraces, three bedrooms, and two maid's rooms that could be combined to create a guest room fit the bill.  But little had changed in terms of decoration in more than thirty years.

The original Dining Room was the largest room
in the apartment, but it was featureless
other than a pair of French doors to a small terrace.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.
Limited investigation by the owners before purchase revealed wood floors in bad shape under the old wall-to-wall carpet.  The Entrance Hall and Foyer (not shown in these photographs) had not been checked, however, and imagine the surprise when I pulled back a corner to reveal the terrazzo floor inlaid with a classic design with brass strips.  There was some damage around the perimeter where the "tackless" strips had been nailed into the floor, but that was repaired by a craftsman brought out of retirement by the general contractor for the project, Ron Metell

A bookcase cabinet that holds a TV
was added to the original dining room along
with pine paneling to create a Library.
Architectural detailing by John Tackett Design,
furnishings by Bunny Williams.
Photo by Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.


The long blank wall of the original dining room
is shown 'in progress' as the paneling by
John Tackett Design is being installed.
Fabrication by Craz Woodworking Associates, Inc.
Photo by Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.


That same view of the original dining room
'After'.  Architectural detailing by John Tackett
Design.  Furnishings by Bunny Williams.
Photo by Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.
Most of the architectural improvements by John Tackett Design are not really evident in these photos published in the February, 1994, issue of Architectural Digest magazine.  An exception is the transformation of the original dining room, the largest room in the apartment.  The new out-of-town owners were looking forward to sampling the New York City restaurants when they visited and did not need a formal dining room, so this space was reinvented as a cozy Library with the addition of custom made pine paneling, expertly fabricated to my design by Peter Craz.  The true beauty of the wood and the excellent execution of the millwork are not fully evident in the photos, I must add.

The Master Bedroom 'Before'.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.
The Master Bedroom 'After'.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.
While all the bedrooms received improvements such as air-conditioning that allowed the window units to be removed, all the bathrooms were given a complete make-over (not shown in the published photographs).

The third bedroom 'Before'.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.


The third bedroom 'After'.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.
In the third bedroom, a pair of bookcases that had flanked a niche for the bed were removed, but the pair flanking the door (from the Entrance Hall) were retained and given some detailing.

In addition to the combining of staff rooms to create a Guest Room and bathroom, the old servant's hall was completely renovated to serve as a Breakfast Room (not shown in the published photographs) for the family and finished with custom glass-door cabinetry in the style of a 1920s pantry.  Also, improvements were made to update the kitchen.

To read more about the work of the building's original architect, see MANSIONS IN THE CLOUDS: THE SKYSCRAPER PALAZZI OF EMERY ROTH by Steven Ruttenbaum.  The archives of the firm were donated to Columbia University's Avery Library and the holdings of the files for this building may be viewed there by appointment.

To see more of the wonderful interior design by Bunny Williams, her charming store Treillage, Ltd., and her inspiring lines of furniture and home furnishings at Bunny Williams Home, click on her website bunnywilliams.com.

More examples of my work featured on earlier blog posts by be seen by clicking on John Tackett Design Portfolio under LABELS in the right hand margin of the web version of The Devoted Classicist.

18 comments:

  1. It's amazing how featureless the apartment seems in the before pictures; I would have expected something a little more interesting in that building.

    The collaboration between you and Bunny Williams is fascinating in the first photo. The paintings are about the same size as the doors and create a rhythm with them, while their higher placement is balanced by your provision of those elegant tall architraves, which also add architectural weight to the wall, and subordinate the hanging pictures. The effect is both satisfying and brilliant.
    --Road to Parnassus

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    1. Parnassus, help was given by making the room's cornice the same height as an offending structural girder than can be viewed on the left; it was critical that the dramatic wall finish stopped at the same level all around the room, so a frieze element was added. Bunny commissioned the decorative paintings, so that is why they are so perfect. Although I almost never use recessed downlights, I conceded this time because we were doing so much ceiling repair anyway. And speakers are concealed behind an undetectable vellum cover painted to match the rest of the ceiling. It is a great advantage to work with an interior designer who can envision the whole finished package (rather than just work on individual parts and hope they all fit together).

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  2. Great work John!(and Bunny) love the old Park Ave buildings, Tice and I worked on quite a few back then- even 740 for Ellen Graham...

    Dean

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    Replies
    1. Dean, of course 740 Park Ave is one of the grandest of all buildings. The association from architect Rosario Candela did not hurt either. Thanks for commenting.

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  3. Wow! What an amazing transformation! What a delight it must have been to find the terazzo floor when rolling back the wall-to-wall carpet, and to also have had such "game" clients to take on such an extensive renovation. The library is nothing short of brilliant! Marvelous, indeed. Coincidentally I saw Ms. Williams only yesterday, at the Trade Secrets show in Sharon, Connecticut, which she founded and has grown into a major event. We spoke with her briefly. I am, needless to say, a fan. Of both hers and you! Thanks for your terrific blog. Reggie

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    1. Reggie, too often those Architectural Digest 'Before & After' issues feature shots of an apartment with boxes and a ladder, and then with the furnished spaces. So it was fun to have them document a true transformation. Of course, I was fortunate that AD had the complete confidence that Bunny would pull it off in terms of being worthy of the magazine.

      Bunny has always been very generous, so I am not surprised at the success of the Trade Secrets this time every year. Of course, it is a lovely time to be in the NW corner of Connecticut, so I encourage all Devoted Readers to consider attending.

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  4. Well! I remember being bowled over by that AD spread when it first appeared, and deeply impressed with the dramatic improvements to the entry hall, among other
    delights among the various rooms in the apartment. Now I find myself gobsmacked
    to learn that one of my favourite bloggers worked on that project. What was it like,
    I wonder, to discover the inlaid terrazo floor beneath the fitted carpet? Were smelling
    salts administered? I am conjuring up a wonderful scene here.
    Many thanks for filling in the building's history, and the reasons behind the improvements. Most enlightening.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Toby! Maybe it is my background in historic preservation, but I always want to know what the original design intent was. That's not to say that it can't be improved upon. But who would have ever thought we'd find a floor like this? I credit Bunny with recognizing the value of the existing and convincing the clients that's the starting point (like a good antique rug). A lesser interior designer would have plowed ahead with the same limited schemes he/she always does.

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  5. I always enjoyed the AD "Before" & "After" series, and it's more special in this edition knowing that you were involved in it. And Bunny, whom sadly I missed meeting on her visit here. We have a terrazzo floor not dissimilar to this in our (public) corridors here, (but predominantly cream rather than black, so a reverse of the one you show). Luckily on my floor it is mostly intact, and I like it very well.

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    1. Columnist, I think terrazzo is due for a come back. Thanks for your comments.

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  6. Love seeing the before shots too - always makes you think 'ahhhhhh' when you see the after!

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    1. Thanks, Stefan. I am a fan of 'Before & After' as well.

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  7. From "Mansions in the Clouds" to mansions in the shadows, John? With the construction of 84 stories at 480 Park, referenced on the front page of The New York Times last Sunday, who can conceive of that entirely less attractive shell, being revised to simulate the achievement you wrought here; who can desire to reside in a building with those who'd desire such a structure as their home? I suppose the brighter side is some consolation: the preposterous prices obtained in the new construction can only underwrite a more vigorous valuation in finer buildings. But the neighborhood is not invigorated, and of course the stroll up Park will genuinely have been chilled, in many ways. Compliments to your contribution to what it is unavoidable to call, what is right.

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    1. Thanks, Laurent. I saw your note about meaning 432 Park Ave, below. While I am appreciative that there is a demand for luxury - or at least expensive - housing, I do wish the design quality of architecture was better in the new buildings. As for the price, the demand for new and up-to-date without renovation is especially attractive to out-of-towners and the ease of condo vs co-op in terms of acceptance/approval to purchase.

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  8. Sorry, John, I might have written 480, not 432 Park as intended. Can you correct that for me, if I did? Thanks, L

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    1. I am sure it is for reasons of integrity, but the format does not allow comments to be edited.

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  9. I always love when a hidden floor appears...

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    1. Jane, it seems there's often a surprise in renovation, so a pleasant one is always welcome. Thank you for commenting.

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