These Luxury Buildings Tell Their Own Story of New York City’s Past and Present

The combination of New York City’s landmarked buildings and rich architectural history provides an unparalleled opportunity for design inspiration. Paying homage to the city’s history, architectural firms take into consideration a building’s environment when designing its facade and overall exterior. With design steeped in New York City history, the new buildings listed below tell their own unique story of New York City’s past and present. 150 East 78th Street 150 East 78th Street, the condo development designed by award-winning architectural firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Located on the corner of 78th Street and Lexington Avenue, it features an arched opening on 78th Street flanked by windows and metal detailing all painted a rich shade of green at the base of the building – a tribute to the metal conservatories that once existed in the surrounding Upper East Side neighborhood. The metal detailing and conservatories in a rich green play beautifully against the warm tones of the brick and limestone façade. 200 East 83rd Street Robert A.M Stern Architects-designed 200 East 83rd is an ode to the Upper East Side’s architectural romance. The tower’s traditional masonry façade of hand-laid Indiana limestone is embossed with wildflowers that were native to the area. The design team wanted to pay homage to this historic location by memorializing these now extinct New York flowers in a way that would provoke people to want to learn more. These details are carved around the building’s elegant custom-brushed blackened nickel front door. Expanding on the classic Upper East Side tradition, the building also features sculpted railings that echo the street’s treelined greenery. Front & York Designed inside and out by celebrated architect Morris Adjmi, Front & York is a full-service, luxury urban oasis in DUMBO. Inspired by DUMBO’s iconic Belgian-block streets and historic warehouse architecture, the luxury tower’s hand-laid brick façade is made of 1.2 million custom-made Glen-Gery bricks in a distinct color that reflects the color of the surrounding streets. The intricate façade is topped with a scalloped, custom-molded concrete superframe crafted in New York’s Hudson Valley, and the base of the building features signature arches inspired by the spandrels of the nearby and iconic Manhattan Bridge. Vandewater Vandewater is the first luxury residential condominium of its kind on Manhattan’s West Side. Located in Morningside Heights, it features 183 residences ranging from studios to four bedrooms. Designed by the celebrated INC Architecture & Design, the building is a fresh representation of the local classical neo-gothic architecture of the Manhattan neighborhood of Morningside Heights. The building’s facade material and color of weathered limestone pays homage to the nearby Riverside Church.