555 Broadway

New York, NY

SoHo’s first significant commercial loft building conversion

In this project in New York City's SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District, the challenge was to develop a speculative office building in a 10-story late-19th-century structure that had once been a retail establishment. Fradkin & McAlpin won approvals not only from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to create a new street level façade and to restore the rest of the façade but also from the Department of Buildings to add floor area. Inside, prototypical tenant layouts were developed, and the lobby was expanded and refitted with terrazzo, marble, and brass. The renovation set the standard in the district and caught the eye of Scholastic, Inc., which leased the entire building as its corporate headquarters.

Key details

• Led the neighborhood in its renaissance
• Designed a comprehensive base building upgrade
• Repaired the façade, preserving some elements and replacing others in kind
• Secured approval to add 50 additional windows to the lot-line elevation
• Retrofit the design to comply with New York City's handicap-accessibility law, passed in mid-project

Fact Sheet (141 KB PDF)