Robert Couturier reveals a timeless condominium project steeped in Upper East Side history.
The kitchens’ custom cabinets designed by Christopher Peacock
Interior designer Robert Couturier, known for his elegantly designed homes, is collaborating with Robert A.M. Stern Architects on a 16-story luxury condominium building at 150 E. 78th St., for which sales are slated to start in January. On one of the most stunning blocks on the Upper East Side, the building is located on the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 78th Street. Designed by the award-winning RAMSA— credited with some of New York’s most prominent buildings, like 15 Central Park West and 220 Central Park South—the building is situated in the heart of one of Manhattan’s shopping, dining and cultural hubs.
The building’s entrance on East 78th Street
The exterior features handset Indiana limestone, patterned brick and ornamental deep green metal detailing, embodying the architectural lineage of nearby landmarked buildings in the area’s tradition. Couturier is outfitting 22 three- to five-bedroom residences and five specialty penthouses, along with three accessory apartments, the material-rich hexagonal-shaped lobby and communal spaces, with his modernist touch, for a total of 25 residences. Each apartment features swish inswing casement windows, oak wood flooring and a kitchen with custom cabinets designed by Christopher Peacock. The most outstanding elements of its facade are the arched windows and captivating rooftop terrace, resplendent in green treillage framed by archways of brick and limestone. “We were inspired by the prewar Upper East Side coop,” says Couturier. “More and more people are looking to the home for repose and a sense of tradition while gravitating toward craftsmanship and well-defined and well-proportioned spaces.”
A luxurious sitting area features elements of Couturier’s modern style.
This is the first time he has worked on a full-scale residential building. “We approached this the same as we would any project except that we had to consider the client was somewhere in between the developer and an imaginary family,” says Couturier. “Each home is spacious and boasts prewar detailing yet is planned for 21st century living— nothing like what is being built today.”
Arched windows and rooftop terraces add prewar-inspired elegance.
Photography by: PHOTOS BY HAYES DAVIDSON/COURTESY OF 150 E. 78TH ST.
