100 Barclay interior and lobby photo; Magnum
One Hundred Barclay in Tribeca
is a collection of 158 condominiums in a massive, cliff-like landmark that was for many years known as the Barclay-Vesey Building. Once the largest telephone building in the world, the Art Deco-style tower sprawls to 32-stories and is a remarkable example of early New York City skyscrapers.
Designed in 1923 by 'Architect of the Century', Ralph Walker, the mighty office building was designated an official city landmark in 1991. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) proclaimed it "a product of the atmosphere of architectural creativity and originality which flourished in New York in the 1920s."
Designed in 1923 by 'Architect of the Century', Ralph Walker, the mighty office building was designated an official city landmark in 1991. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) proclaimed it "a product of the atmosphere of architectural creativity and originality which flourished in New York in the 1920s."
100 Barclay crown; Photo Credit: Ty Cole
In this article:
Walker’s other masterpieces include the mixed-use Fuller Building at 45 East 57th Street, the Times Square Building (formerly Genesee Valley Trust Building) in Rochester, and the fluted limestone office tower at 1 Wall Street that is now undergoing a major residential conversion by Harry Macklowe.
Built in 1927 as the headquarters of the New York Telephone Company, it was Walker’s first major commission. Done in collaboration with architectural firm McKenzie, Voorhees & Gmelin, it directly fronted the Hudson River before the construction of Battery Park City. According to Walker, it was "an attempt to build a house of today, a house that is neither Greek, nor Gothic nor Mayan; one that looks but little to the past, much to the present and therefore tries to glimpse the future."
Historical photos of the old Baclar-Vessey Building with the Washington Square market alongside; Photos via DXA Studio
When built, the tower came to be a prominent fixture in the northern cluster of the elegant Financial District skyline, occupying the full trapezoidal block bounded by Barclay, Vesey, West and Washington streets. But its prominent visibility was largely lost with the construction of the World Trade Center twin towers, along with the development of the 92-acre Battery Park City complex directly to its west. The building was later overtaken by NYNEX and subsequently by Verizon.
100 Barclay from the then shipping-oriented Hudson River; The then-world's tallest Woolworth Building looms behind; 1927
In 2014, Verizon sold the top 22-floors, as well as the ground retail space, to Benjamin Shaoul’s Magnum Real Estate Group and the CIM Group for a total of $314 million. Verizon still retains the offices on floors 2 through 10 and will continue to use the building’s main entrance on West Street, but Shaoul and CIM are planning a large scale conversion for the mid- to upper-floors. The conversion is slated to include 161 graciously-scaled residential condominiums, with Ismael Leyva and DXA Studio commissioned to design. According to their official website, the majestic art deco lobby will be refashioned into a “welcoming residential retreat” by celebrated designer Alexandra Champalimaud.
New residential entryway; Magnum
Looking past One Hundred Barclay's lightwells; Carter Horsley
Inside, units will capture far-reaching views over low-rise TriBeCa and partial views of the Hudson River and the reflective new World Trade Center. The southwest will be privy to the unique views of Santiago Calatrava’s white transit hub —whose huge wings epitomize flight even though they no longer flap because of cost-cutting. Its northwest will provide excellent close-ups of the great bas-relief sculptures on the inner wall of one of its light wells, as well as a sensational vista down the canyon of West Street toward the harbor —with the towers of Battery Park City on the west and the inverted cone entrance to the great Winter Garden of the World Financial Center.
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Though the building has gone through many changes over the years, it retains majestic view-corridors from West Street and from many blocks uptown. The apartments generally are very large and have high ceilings with recessed lighting. Kitchens are open and have large islands and a great deal of cabinets. Many of the bathrooms have herringbone-style tile floors.
The average price per square foot of listings in the building is approximately $2,250. There are presently ten, grand-in-scale homes on the market including a 1,983-square-foot 3-bedroom with an ask of $4.295 million, a 2,700-square-foot four-bedroom with an ask of $6.75 million and an expansive 3,652-square-foot 3-bedroom priced at $9.85 million.
The average price per square foot of listings in the building is approximately $2,250. There are presently ten, grand-in-scale homes on the market including a 1,983-square-foot 3-bedroom with an ask of $4.295 million, a 2,700-square-foot four-bedroom with an ask of $6.75 million and an expansive 3,652-square-foot 3-bedroom priced at $9.85 million.
Unit #13L priced at $4.295M
Unit #28C for $6.75M
Unit #19B priced at $9.85 million
The building has a 24-hour doorman and concierge, an entrance marquee, four landscaped terraces, two swimming pools, vented dryers with range hoods, storage rooms on each residential floor, a wine-tasting room, a billiards room, a music practice room, a lounge, and a children’s playroom with an imposing, but scaled-down structure resembling the building’s own crenellated top.
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Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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