The Essex at Essex Crossing Interiors
The Essex's interiors are defined by exposed woods and metals framing sleek living spaces.
The Essex is part of a multi-site redevelopment project in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, known as Essex Crossing. The building includes a 20-story residential tower rising above a 5-story commercial podium that occupies a full New York City block. The project combines 195 residential apartments (50% of which are permanently affordable), a cinema, a new home for Essex Market, the largest urban farm in Manhattan, and a connection to an underground market concourse called The Market Line.
The interiors approach for The Essex plays off of the folded metal panels that define the building's exterior, while creating interior spaces that are warm and comfortable.
A ten-foot tall chandelier by Sonneman serves as a beacon for the entrance from the exterior.
The residential lobby, located along busy Delancey Street, is recessed slightly to provide a sense of privacy. Inside, residents are greeted with a wooden feature wall that undulates toward the elevator banks, imitating the movement of the building's façade. Embedded floor-to-ceiling lights break the wall into sections and continue into the ceiling in a recessed channel, creating a mirrored effect. The concierge desk, in the same wood, angles sharply toward the corridor; absolute black granite wraps the walls.
Upstairs, the residential lounge offers a space for residents to mingle or hold events.
The space is visually defined by the exposed steel girders that run the length of the room. These girders are mimicked in an embedded wooden slat pattern that adorns the rear wall. A peninsula bar is wrapped in quartz, made to look like a single massive piece of stone. The adjacent library is designed for those who work from home, or are just looking for some quiet space. A conference room provides privacy, and high-top worktables offer space to spread out.
Units are designed to feel light and airy.
"Floating corners" with 7-foot 6-inch tall windows create panoramic views of the skyline. Kitchens are designed to be extensions of the living space and are well appointed with Bertazzoni ranges, Bosch dishwashers, and quartz counter tops. Subway-tile back splashes are reminiscent of those found frequently in the market space downstairs, beneath the building. Bathrooms are clad in a marble porcelain tile; a full-width mirror and a wooden vanity serve as feature pieces.
Handel Architects designed The Essex with folded bronze metal panels that wrap the facade.
