Arched windows soften hard edges, draw the eye upward, and turn ordinary daylight into something more architectural. Their roots are ancient, derived from Mesopotamian construction and Roman engineering, but in New York City they feel especially at home in prewar apartment houses, classical revival buildings, Romanesque and Renaissance-inspired facades, old industrial lofts, churches turned condos, and the occasional sympathetic new development.
Inside an apartment, the appeal does not need explanation. While a rectangular window frames a view, an arched window stages it. The curve adds rhythm, height, and a little ceremony, whether it overlooks a leafy block, the skyline, or the building across the street that the resident has made peace with over time. But not all arches are created equal. When the proportions are right, they can make a room feel graceful, timeless, and grand. When they are overused or awkwardly scaled, they can feel gimmicky, proving that even one of architecture’s oldest gestures still needs restraint.
In this article:
Over by the evolving blocks near Hudson Yards, at 440 West 36th Street, an existing six-story building is being expanded into a taller mixed-use condo project. In 2018, the mid-block site was marketed as a narrow 25-foot-wide development opportunity with unused air rights. DOB filings two years later, with Chun-Hsiung Huang's Yards Realty LLC as the developer and SEARCH & DESIGN with Pinnacle Engineering as the designers, called for a horizontal and vertical enlargement that raises the building from 68 to 116 feet and converts its pre-existing 11 dwelling units into nine larger full-floor homes with a retail base.
Now well under construction with the additional floors fully framed, workers are busy enclosing the building and fitting out the interiors. The facade is expected to include expansive ground-floor windows, simplified existing masonry painted dark grey, and new upper stories with contrasting arched windows set within darker paneling. Completion is anticipated in the coming months. In the meantime, find a bevy of local homes on the market with graceful arched windows.
Select active listings with arched windows
Cast Iron Building, #518 (Compass)
222 East 5th Street, #2 (Compass)
104 Bedford Street, #PHE (Compass)
50 Pine Street, #PH12S (Corcoran Group)
28 West 96th Street, #9
$1,450,000
Central Park West | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 1,200 ft2
28 West 96th Street, #9 (Serhant)
130 William, #10B (Corcoran Group)
196 Sixth Avenue, #1A (Corcoran Group)
463 West 142nd Street, #2B
$1,999,999 (-3.6%)
Hamilton Heights | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths | 1,645 ft2
463 West 142nd Street, #2B (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
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The Willow, #4A (Compass)
311 Monroe Street, # (Compass)
554 Broome Street, #4 (Serhant)
458 Broome Street, #3 (Modlin Group LLC)
21 Astor Place, #2G (Nest Seekers LLC)
The Standish, #1A
$3,750,000 (-6.1%)
Brooklyn Heights | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 3 Baths | 1,786 ft2
The Standish, #1A (Corcoran Group)
46 Great Jones Street, #7 (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
Grand Madison, #PHB (Corcoran Group)
7 East 17th Street, #3S
$4,995,000 (-9.1%)
Flatiron/Union Square | Condominium | 1 Bedroom, 2 Baths | 2,800 ft2
7 East 17th Street, #3S (Nest Seekers LLC)
322 East 57th Street, #16/17A
$5,250,000 (-8.7%)
Midtown East | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths | 2,927 ft2
322 East 57th Street, #16/17A (Sothebys International Realty)
The Fairchild, #5A (Compass)
15 Union Square West, #5A
$6,500,000
Flatiron/Union Square | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 2,200 ft2
15 Union Square West, #5A (Corcoran Group)
The Hubert, #10A (Sothebys International Realty)
The Prasada, #MAISONETTE DUPLEX
$12,200,000 (-12.2%)
Central Park West | Cooperative | 5 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 5,935 ft2
The Prasada, #MAISONETTE DUPLEX (Sothebys International Realty)
243 East 17th Street, #TH
$12,999,999 (-7.1%)
Gramercy Park | Townhouse | 6+ Bedrooms, 6+ Baths | 8,500 ft2
243 East 17th Street, #TH (Sothebys International Realty)
152 Reade Street, #TH (Nest Seekers LLC)
130 William, #PH65 (Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group)
838 Carroll Street, #TH (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
123 East 71st Street, #TH
$20,500,000
Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St. | Townhouse | 6+ Bedrooms, 6+ Baths | 8,000 ft2
123 East 71st Street, #TH (Corcoran Group)
2 East 70th Street, #MAISONETTE
$22,500,000
Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St. | Cooperative | 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths
2 East 70th Street, #MAISONETTE (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
One Hundred Barclay Tribeca, #PHNORTH
$32,950,000
Tribeca | Condominium | 6+ Bedrooms, 6+ Baths | 8,304 ft2
One Hundred Barclay Tribeca, #PHNORTH (Corcoran Group)
Residences at the Ritz Carlton, #30/31
$70,000,000
Midtown West | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 10,875 ft2
Residences at the Ritz Carlton, #30/31 (Sothebys International Realty)
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