One of lower Manhattan's last corners of cool, vibing at the junction of the Lower East Side and Chinatown, is preparing for a slender, 120-foot-tall residential building with 16 'micro-units' at 11 Essex Street. Designed by TRA Studio, a SoHo-based architecture firm led by Robert Traboscia and Caterina Roiatti, the project will host 13 one-bedrooms and three two-bedrooms that aim to provide "extremely comfortable" living despite their small layouts.
According to the firm's website, each apartment will feature a large expanse of windows and disciplined flow of spaces to make each home feel larger than reality. Various living areas are consolidated, resulting in smart multi-functionality, while ample closet space and in-unit laundry are still provided. The units will cater to young professionals and amenities are to include amenities a rooftop recreation space, a 16-foot-high lobby, and a bike storage area.
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All renderings credit of TRA Studio
Street-facing facade of 11 Essex (TRA Studio)
Located between Canal and Hester Streets, adjacent to the 2003 condo 7 Essex Street, the site is presently home to an ornate, six-floor tenement with a characterful facade composed of arched lintel-windows, a bowing cornice line, and a quintessentially-LES fire escape. According to local blog TheLoDown, the building fell into disrepair under its previous owner Sion Misrahi when construction of the neighboring condo caused the building to become unstable. Leaning approximately 9 inches with metal poles propping up caving-in ceilings, according to Bowery Boogie, the Department of Buildings ordered all of the mostly rent-stabilized tenants to vacate in May 2009.
Misrahi sold the building for $11.4 million to the current owner last year, marketing the site as “NYC beachfront property facing Seward Park allowing you to charge max price for a rental, condo, or hotel.” Demolition permits were filed just days before last Christmas, thus the listing century-old structure is not long for this world. According to TRA, the client requested a glass and metal façade, which would take full of advantage of the sunlight and expansive views of the views to be afforded by the incoming apartments.
Google street view with the to-be-demolished 11 Essex centered
The shallow project site overlooks the lushly planted Seward Park, and the F line's East Broadway subway station is just a stone's throw away. As one of last bastions of affordability downtown, gentrification is a growing concern among residents. An influx of upscale developments has taken shape nearby such as the looming One Manhattan Square, the modular condo Idylls, and the Jarmulowsky Bank Building hotel conversion at 9 Orchard Street.
Location of 11 Essex Street
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