By: Nigel F. Maynard
Project: Tribeca Penthouse / Location: New York City / Architect: Min Design / Photos: Brooke Holm
San Francisco-based architecture studio Min Design says its work is a delicate dance between art and architecture, resulting in environments that are both elegant, textural and quietly sophisticated.
For this penthouse located in a historic building in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood, Min conceived of an elegant solution to existing challenges.
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The kitchen perfectly showcases how a variety of material textures work within the restrained and elemental color palette. Detail of the custom shelving (right).
Collaborating closely with the homeowners, the firm took a light-handed approach with the design, introducing elegant architectural elements that seamlessly sync with the historic character of the building, a converted 1884 former warehouse.
In response to the owners’ desire for a quietly sophisticated ambiance, Min Design employed durable, unfussy materials and a minimal color palette. This design ethos serves as a counterpoint to the existing heavy timber framework of the building, while providing a tasteful backdrop for the family’s artwork. Throughout the apartment, the firm designed thoughtful architectural interventions, such as recesses, wall columns and soffits, integrated into bespoke cabinetry, creating visually refined spaces.
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White paint on walls and millwork allows daylight to bounce and reflect light through the apartment (left). Deep inset shelving in the thickened fireplace wall provides texture and scale for the living area (right).
“The redesign of the stair, in particular, posed a unique challenge, with an elegant and playful solution,” the firm says. “With a shifted stacking layout and original open risers with glass railings, the stairs felt out of place within the apartment’s context.” As a result, Min Design transformed it into a focal point, utilizing folded steel plates to define its form and capture daylight to create an airy brightness.
With thoughtful consideration of natural light, form, and flow, the studio seeks to create homes that are not just shelters, but also sanctuaries – intimate havens where the everyday becomes extraordinary, the firm says.
Frosted glass helps bring light into the space (far left). At the apex of the stair, large windows provide views of the roof terrace and city beyond (middle). A playful hideout under stair with cushions, pillows and storage for toys and books (right).
“Our design makes the ephemeral physical through catching light and shadow, framing views, and orchestrating surprise and delight,” says E.B. Min, AIA, founder and principal. “Functionally, our work communicates a client’s values and aspirations. All of it is guided by practical considerations and challenges.”
A large white panel hides the TV and components when not in use and is designed to feel like part of the wall when open.