Tank House
New York, New York
One of the true luxuries in a high-octane, space-starved city like New York is having a room of own’s—a place that has no other function than refuge, a place to listen to music and think, a place to disappear. The crumbling terracotta enclosure of a decommissioned rooftop water tank provided the improbable armature for just such a sanctuary for our client, the founder of a wildly popular streetwear brand, who lived in a loft on the floor below. After removing the cast-iron tank and shoring up the terracotta structure, we refinished the circular interior with smooth white plaster walls and a maple floor. The dreamlike quality of the space is buoyed by a floating circular ceiling illuminated by a recessed fixture that traces the circular form, creating a halo effect. In the center of the overhead plane, a circular skylight—our nod to the Skyspaces of artist James Turrell—invites one to shift perspectives by looking up rather than looking out. Naturally, with the vivid cityscape unfolding all around, one has the opportunity to look out as well, through a soaring twelve-foot-high window we installed in the slender rectangular space that protrudes from one side of the tower. Emphasizing the verticality of the structure, the giant window has the added benefit of flooding the room with beautiful morning light. The outside of the structure is covered in black tar, blending in with the other familiar monoliths scattered on rooftops across the city. But unlike those utilitarian contrivances, this space is built only for contemplation and repose—the ultimate urban escape pod.
Press
2019
Pearson, Tessa. “The "Home Upgrade. “ Gestalten (November 2019).
2016
Sinacori, Jacqueline. “The Chicest Water Tower in Manhattan.” Elevate (Winter/Spring 2016).
2013
Chetner, Marina. “Pent Tank House.” United Hemispheres (October 2013).
2011
Wheafer, Emma. “Eye to the Sky.” Scoop Homes & Art (Spring 2011).
2007
Paredes, Cristina. New Penthouse Design (Cologne: Daab, 2007).
2006
Broto, Charles. Apartment Interiors (Links, 2006).
Llorella Oriol, Anja. Ultimate New York Design (Augsburg, Germany: teNeus, 2006).
Kellogg, Craig. “Heaven Can Wait.” Interior Design (March 2006).
Bravo, Isabel. “An Apartment in New York.” Disen Art (March 2006).
2004