We go people watching at Annabelle Selldorf’s 42 Crosby
Annabelle Selldorf’s name is architectural shorthand for restrained elegance, where subtle spaces are brimming with life, textures and quality materials. The German-born, New York-based architect is as known for her art projects – such as the Frick Collection makeover and galleries for David Zwirner – as her residential, the latest of the latter is 42 Crosby Street, an ode in glass and steel that sits on a relatively quiet corner in the heart of SoHo.
The development, created for Atlas Capital Group, features just ten apartments; a boutique selection of residential interiors that focus on light, materials and generosity of space. The top unit is a striking duplex penthouse.
This sense of space is not confined to the living areas. The apartments have the option of a parking spot underneath the development, which adds an extra layer of ease and luxury for the residents. Meanwhile, retail options have been placed on the street front ground level.
The exterior shading system not only enhances the building’s sustainability credentials, by helping to reduce heating and cooling costs, but it also helps articulate the facade, underlining the design’s strong grid geometry and balanced proportions. Glass, stainless steel, aluminum frames and metal mesh come together in the translucent composition that uses pre-fabricated building techniques as part of its thoroughly contemporary approach; at the same time materials and design are also a nod to the area’s cast iron architectural heritage.
Common areas were designed with attention to detail too. The scheme features a bespoke terrarium art installation by Paula Hayes in the main entrance lobby, which leads the eye to the planted courtyard beyond, and the mature Norway Maple tree that greets the residents there.
Selldorf’s sophisticated approach and the building’s strategic location – a stone’s throw from Soho’s busiest streets, yet at a slightly calmer part of town – made it the perfect setting for our main July issue fashion story, ‘Double Take’, shot by renowned German artist and conceptual photographer Barbara Probst, expertly mixing streetlife scenes with chic animal prints.
See more of the ‘Double Take’ fashion story in Wallpaper* 232, the magazine’s July issue, out now.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
INFORMATION
For more information visit Annabelle Selldorf’s website
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
On the shores of Discovery Bay, this wooden house is the ultimate waterside retreat
Dekleva Gregorič’s Discovery Bay House is a structured yet organic shelter that blends perfectly into the surrounding Pacific Northwest landscape
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
We put the new ultra-compact Dyson Car+Boat handheld vacuum through its paces
A cordless handheld vacuum pitched at a plethora of tasks, Dyson has tasked the new Car+Boat with far-reaching functionality without compromising performance
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants are taken to new heights with three openings in one of London’s tallest buildings
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants open at 22 Bishopsgate, from Asian-inspired cuisine and martini menus at Lucky Cat and Lucky Cat Bar; to an intimate chef's table, and an all-skill level cooking academy
By Tianna Williams Published
-
On the shores of Discovery Bay, this wooden house is the ultimate waterside retreat
Dekleva Gregorič’s Discovery Bay House is a structured yet organic shelter that blends perfectly into the surrounding Pacific Northwest landscape
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The 10 emerging American Midwest architects you need to know
We profile 10 emerging American Midwest architects shaking up the world of architecture - in their territory, and beyond
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A light-filled New York loft renovation magics up extra space in a deceptively sized home
This New York loft renovation by local practice BOND is now a warm and welcoming apartment that feels more spacious than it actually is
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Inside Bell Labs, the modernist vision behind Severance's minimalist setting
We explore the history of Bell Labs - now known as Bell Works - the modernist Eero Saarinen-designed facility in New Jersey, which inspired the dystopian minimalist setting of 'Severance'
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ new project will be Miami’s priciest condo
Construction has commenced at The Delmore, an oceanfront condominium from the firm founded by the late Zaha Hadid, ZHA
By Anna Solomon Published
-
A West Austin house invites you to commune with nature
Westview Residence by Alterstudio, a West Austin house among trees, makes the most of large windows and open-air decks in a verdant setting
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Apple’s new Miami store employs the principles of biophilic design
Apple’s first mass-timber store connects shoppers to nature while echoing the Art Deco architecture of Miami
By Anna Solomon Published
-
The World Monuments Fund has announced its 2025 Watch – here are some of the endangered sites on the list
Every two years, the World Monuments Fund creates a list of 25 monuments of global significance deemed most in need of restoration. From a modernist icon in Angola to the cultural wreckage of Gaza, these are the heritage sites highlighted
By Anna Solomon Published