Broadway Penthouse by Joel Sanders Architect

Location: Manhattan, New York City, USA
Year: 2008
Photo courtesy: Peter Aaron
Description:

Rethinking the notion of an urban garden, this project introduces a dynamic ground plane, composed of a planted carpet surmounted by wood flooring, that vertically links a penthouse loft with a roof terrace that affords panoramic views of downtown Manhattan. This eco-friendly palette of synthetic (carpet, Richlite, recycled glass) and natural (recycled walnut, IPÊ decking, plants) materials crosses the border of the roof, eliding and at the same time confounding traditional distinctions between inside and outside, natural and artificial.

As it travels from loft interior to roof, this layered ground plane responds to a variety of domestic programs; in the living lounge, embedded upholstery evokes a textile garden, while on the roof terrace, a bed of sedum defines a walkable outdoor carpet. Likewise, the recycled walnut floor folds vertically to create a staircase that leads to a matching IPÊ roof deck.