The Upper East Side is no stranger to mega-mansions, and now another is set to appear at 55 East 92nd Street, subject to approvals from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The applicants intend to combine two townhouses spanning 53-55 East 92nd Street into a single residence, with plans promising minor changes to the street-facing sides of the homes, and major alterations to the rears, designed by Steven Harris Architects, LLP.
The submission is not without precedent, as is mentioned in the materials, with references given to projects like 11-15 East 75th Street, also covered by YIMBY. The back-ends of the homes are currently a hodge-podge of incoherent additions that are neither memorable nor visually appealing.
53-55 East 92nd Street, proposed new backside
Submitted plans call for enormous windows on the first four floors of the rear, topped by a fifth-floor terrace with slightly more contextual steel and glass windows. The sixth floor of the project will see the most significant alterations, complete with yet another terrace, and glass and aluminum sliding doors set within concrete walls.
Though reducing the number of dwelling units within the two structures will not exactly enhance the neighborhood’s vitality, the changes are certainly an aesthetic improvement over the current state of the structures. The merger of the two brownstones’ street-fronts will be accompanied by a restoration and repainting of the original sills and lintels, bringing the buildings back to their former glory, and the complete refurbishment of the sixth floor will also add to the site’s visual cohesion.
Besides fixing the mismatched alterations that have occurred over the years, the merger of the two homes will also see the removal of the air conditioning units that hang from the windows of the current structures — another major positive.
The plans go before the LPC this Tuesday, and while no formal completion date for the site has yet been announced, 55 East 92nd Street recently rented for $37,500 per month, apparently commanding a premium for a “gut-renovation” that will evidently have been for naught.
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Yeah, $37,500 per month, if per day I thought that the plans will be poor.