XOCO 325, 325 West Broadway: Review and Ratings

Review of 325 West Broadway by Carter Horsley

This 10-story, mid-block residential condominium building at 325 West Broadway between Canal and Grand Streets in SoHo is notable for its full building height, cast-aluminum screen that protrudes several feet in front of its façade.

The building was developed and designed by DDG Partners, who also built and designed the very handsome apartment building at 41 Bond Street.

This building has 24 apartments and ground floor retail.

Bottom Line

With its bold and fleshy aluminum screen, slightly reminiscent of SoHo’s cast-iron architecture history, this mid-size, mid-block building is not middling, especially since its transparent ground floor appears to hold it up with real vines

Description

The building has a 7-by-11-opening screen grid that “floats” over a one-story glass retail base and beneath a two-story roof-top setback.

The openings recall a “bony” appearance employed by Philip Johnson at his Lake Pavilion at his very famous residence compound in New Canaan, Connecticut, some designs by Gaudi in Barcelona and the more muscular stainless-steel window frames at 200 Eleventh Avenue designed by Annabelle Selldorf.

Amenities

The building has a 24-hour doorman and concierge, a fitness center, a landscaped courtyard, a landscaped roof, landscaped terraces, storage, and a bicycle room.

Apartments

Apartments have laundry rooms.

History

The Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved with minor modifications a plan in 2008 by ADG-Soho LLC to erect a new 9-story at 325-9 West Broadway and restore two buildings behind it at 23-25 Wooster Street.

The proposed building had been designed by Beyham Karahan and would have had 29 residential condominium apartments in a project that was to be called “The Chocolate Factory.”

The approved design had been revised slightly to make its asymmetrical fenestration pattern align somewhat better with its neighbors and the left third of the building’s façade had been setback about two feet and the top floor had a cantilevered element.

When ADG-SoHo defaulted on a $19 million loan from Lehman Brothers Holding in 2010, the building eventually was acquired by DDG in 2014.

ADG-SoHo had bought the property in 2005 from Tootsie Roll Industries for $23 million.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved with her plan which also called for the restoration of two buildings at 23-25 Wooster Street.

The approved design had been revised slightly to make its asymmetrical fenestration pattern align somewhat better with its neighbors.

The left third of the building’s façade is setback about two feet.  The building’s top floor also has a cantilevered element that is a symbolic cornice.

DDG hired Ben Eine to decorate the scaffolding for the new building.  For its project at 345 West 14^th Street, DDG hired Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama to design its large scaffolding.