119 E 55th St

Step into 119 East 55th Street, A luxurious townhouse rich in both history and opulence. Built in 1868 by renowned architect James W. Pirsson, this lavish 19-foot-wide townhouse is one of the famous architect’s last remaining single-family homes. Featuring a red brick facade decorated with doric pilasters and ornamented keystones, this house is now ready for an interior renovation that will match the beauty and splendor of its exterior. With five floors, a basement, backyard, and multiple terraces, this property can be transformed into an oasis in the middle of Manhattan. Such an idea has been crafted by GKV Architects. GKV Architects have meticulously designed and detailed two potential concepts for this property: A single-family residence and a consulate or bespoke office with a residence above. There is potential to convert the property to retail/hospitality use as well. In the single-family residence design, you’ll immediately notice the home’s focal point: an organic staircase that curves and winds throughout the six floors, creating a kinetic energy that connects all the spaces together. Behind the staircase lies a large kitchen, butler’s pantry, and breakfast nook, all flooded in natural light from the backyard, which also contains an outdoor kitchen and plenty of space. Going downstairs leads you to a secondary kitchen, laundry room, and gym complete with a bathroom and sauna. Going upstairs, there is the living room and dining room, both with impressive 11-foot ceilings. The living room features a beautiful fireplace with an organic design that allows it to be visible across the entire floor. Meanwhile, the dining room features a butler’s pantry and a floor to ceiling wine wall where you can display your wine collection. The next floor is the primary bedroom suite level. This entire floor is dedicated to the primary suite and features a lavish bedroom with a private office, dual walk-in closets, and dual bathrooms. The next level features a laundry room and two bedrooms, each complete with their own walk-in closet and bathroom. The final top floor includes another bedroom along with a media room. This media room leads outside to an outdoor terrace with a spiral stair that leads up to an even larger rooftop terrace. In the consulate/office design, GKV designed the townhouse around the needs of a consulate, private corporation or foundation. Stepping in, the focal point of this design is a grand entry foyer and stair that spans three levels. Designed with stone flooring, wood paneled walls, and a beautiful bronze handrail, this is the perfect space to welcome your guests and business partners. These first three floors contain luxurious spaces suited to an executive’s need such as conference rooms, lounges, and an outdoor space complete with a kitchen. There are also more private spaces such as an executive office containing onyx shelves, leather wrapped panels, and a beautiful stone desk carved from marble. Above these public floors, you will find the private residence. Containing two bedrooms across two floors, this residence is more intimate but still has the luxuries one would expect with a Manhattan townhouse. The first floor of the residence features a beautiful walnut kitchen and living room flooded in natural light from the large windows. On the top floor is a media room that connects to an outdoor terrace. This terrace has a spiral stair that will lead you up to your own private rooftop terrace, a sought-after rarity in Manhattan. Renderings and floor plans are for illustration purposes only. All information to be confirmed independently.