West 53rd Street Apartment

• Prize
  Winner in Apartment Interior Design
• Company/Firm
  Messana O'Rorke
• Designer
  Brian Messana and Toby O'Rorke
• Lead Designer(Other)
  Viktor Nassli and Hanna Buja
• Photo Credit
  David Mitchell
• Location
  New York, New York
• Project Date
  October 2022
• Client
  NA
• Project Link
  view
• Web URL
  view

With a striking correlation to its industrial neighborhood, this Manhattan condominium radiates a calm energy in the midst of a vibrant tableau. The open plan makes the apartment initially appear as one sweeping expanse, with a wall of windows on the south that floods the interior with sunlight. In actuality, the interior features clearly distinct but interrelated zones, each with its own particular views. An oval-shaped, open corridor unites the spaces, eliminating any dead ends and giving the residence an uninterrupted flow.

The facade is diagonally sloped, giving the unit an odd trapezoidal dimension, with a terrace absorbing almost a third of the frontage. We gutted the original three-bedroom layout, keeping the plumbing locations only, and devised an open plan using the angle to define a series of interconnected zones. Visitors must step through the entry vestibule to discover the full breadth of the space.

Representing the best of two divergent worlds, this apartment celebrates the city’s grit and unbridled energy while providing a collected, composed and extremely functional refuge for living.