Great Architects of New York: Henry J. Hardenbergh
The Textile Building
Address
66 Leonard Street
New York, N.Y. 10013
Location
Leonard Street and Church Street, southeast corner
Neighborhood
TriBeCa
Built
Sept. 9, 1900, to Sept. 30, 1901
Style
Neo-Renaissance
Use
47 condominium apartments sharing a rooftop terrace, and ground-floor retail space, including the Chinese restaurant 66, where Jean-Georges Vongerichten is the chef
AIA Guide
N/A
Landmark Status
This building is part of the TriBeCa East Historic District, designated in 1992.
Web resources
Emporis
—
A precursor to ConEd's headquarters. Here we see Hardenbergh using the deep horizontal scoring that would be used there and at the Whitehall Building. This building was used for many years for textile manufacturing and showrooms. In 1999, it was converted by the architect Karl Fischer of Montreal into 47 condominium apartments at a cost of $40 million.

Newspaper articles

  • Neuman, William. "Big Deal: Chef Serves Up TriBeCa Condo To a Japanese Pop Star." The New York Times, Oct. 24, 2004. Sec. 11, p. 2.
  • Garbarine, Rachelle. "Condos Sell Quickly in TriBeCa East." The New York Times, Oct. 22, 1999. p. B10.

    		•
    The building seen from the northwest.


    The Caduceus, a winged staff entwined by a pair of snakes. The ancient symbol of commerce, and Hermes, has become the American symbol of medicine. Six of these appear atop the columns that separate the window bays: four on the west facade and two on the north. Do these imply that the building originally had medical use, or commercial?


    A tabula rasa sits ensconced in ornate masonry atop each ground floor window, ready to announce anything. But these days, who wants to write in stone?


    There are eight of these cartouche-like carvings, two at either end of each facade. Glorification of the pine cone?


    Subtle lintels created in brickwork grace the "plain" part of the building.


    The entrance to the now-residential upper floors, on Leonard Street, announces the building's name with accompanying flora.