Welcome to the Archives of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. The purpose of this online collection is to function as a tool for scholars, students, architects, preservationists, journalists and other interested parties. The archive consists of photographs, slides, articles and publications from Rudolph’s lifetime; physical drawings and models; personal photos and memorabilia; and contemporary photographs and articles.
Some of the materials are in the public domain, some are offered under Creative Commons, and some are owned by others, including the Paul Rudolph Estate. Please speak with a representative of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture before using any drawings or photos in the Archives. In all cases, the researcher shall determine how to appropriately publish or otherwise distribute the materials found in this collection, while maintaining appropriate protection of the applicable intellectual property rights.
In his will, Paul Rudolph gave his Architectural Archives (including drawings, plans, renderings, blueprints, models and other materials prepared in connection with his professional practice of architecture) to the Library of Congress Trust Fund following his death in 1997. A Stipulation of Settlement, signed on June 6, 2001 between the Paul Rudolph Estate and the Library of Congress Trust Fund, resulted in the transfer of those items to the Library of Congress among the Architectural Archives, that the Library of Congress determined suitable for its collections. The intellectual property rights of items transferred to the Library of Congress are in the public domain. The usage of the Paul M. Rudolph Archive at the Library of Congress and any intellectual property rights are governed by the Library of Congress Rights and Permissions.
However, the Library of Congress has not received the entirety of the Paul Rudolph architectural works, and therefore ownership and intellectual property rights of any materials that were not selected by the Library of Congress may not be in the public domain and may belong to the Paul Rudolph Estate.
LOCATION
Address: 455 East 51st Street
City: New York
State: New York
Zip Code: 10022
Nation: United States
STATUS
Type: Residence
Status: Built
TECHNICAL DATA
Date(s): 1973
Site Area:
Floor Area: 2 floors, 1200 s.f. on the lower level; 600 s.f. on the upper level.
Height:
Floors (Above Ground):
Building Cost:
PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Client: Joanna T. Steichen
Architect: Paul Rudolph
Rudolph Staff: Peter Mullen, Project Architect
Associate Architect:
Landscape:
Structural:
MEP:
QS/PM:
SUPPLIERS
Contractor: The Ormar Building Corporation
Subcontractor(s):
Steichen Residence
The project consists of the interior remodeling of an existing unit in Beekman Terrace, located at 455 East 51st Street in New York City.
Built in 1925 by Treanor & Fatio Architects - most well-known as the architects of luxury Palm Beach mansions - the 6-story building has several frontages, simultaneously facing 51st Street, Beekman Place, and the East River.
The unit is located on the lower floors of the building and was originally designated as an artist studio. An early inhabitant of the studio was a woman considered the dean of New York bookbinders, and she put her press on the studio floor and built an enclosed staircase and a bedroom over a small portion of the space. Afterwards, it was sold to Condie Lamb, whose wife was a prominent real estate broker in East Hampton.
In 1973 the unit is sold by the Lambs to Joanna T. Steichen (1933-2010), recently widowed from the pioneering American photographer and MoMA photography curator Edward Steichen (1879-1973).
Paul Rudolph designed MoMA’s landmark 1955 “Family of Man” exhibit for Edward Steichen, and through him had come to know and befriend Joanna. When she calls Rudolph, seeking a recommendation for an architect to help with her new apartment, he tells her “I’ll be right over!”
The apartment (which is below-grade but with river-views out windows facing south and east) has a 18’-6” ceiling height - which is fully utilized by Rudolph: he mostly maintains it at its full-height, but adds two room-spanning platforms which overlook the space: a mezzanine which doubles as a sleeping loft for guests or a sitting area and a few steps above it a bridge which serves as Mrs. Steichen’s study and work area. The area below the sleeping loft is a low-ceilinged seating alcove. The dining area is located under the work-study bridge. The new levels are supported by light steel members bearing on existing masonry.
All new walls are made of metal studs and drywall. To conceal the difference between existing and new partitions, Rudolph uses a spray-on textured acoustic surface to all of the walls and then they are painted with a flat oil base paint. All of the ceilings and walls are white, except for a dark brown accent wall to highlight the collection of Edward Steichen’s photographs.
Rudolph details the wall finishes, lighting and cabinetry and shelving to enhance the art collection. Because Mrs. Steichen’s art collection consists in part of small objects, the shelving is designed to fit the scale of the collection.
Rudolph also cleans up the configuration of panes in the Gothic-style windows and adds an exterior balcony on the river side.
In the Fall of 1974, the residence is featured in The New York Times and in Vogue, where it is called “a house in an apartment.”
A few years later, Ms. Steichen buys an adjacent smaller artist studio (which has a slightly lower ceiling height) and breaks through two main floor closets to connect the two spaces.
Joanna Steichen sells the combined apartment in 1985.
Joanna Steichen passes away at the age of 77 on July 24, 2010.
The residence is currently owned by Dean Stefanides.
“She is a friend, the remodeling was down the street from where I live. I just gave her practical advice, produced a few working drawings and dropped in from time to time to see how things were coming along.”
“I bought an interesting bit of raw space down the street. By then, I was aware of what a renowned master of space Paul was. I called him and explained that I had these twenty-foot ceilings and a river view and a very limited budget. Did he know a young architect for whom this job would be an appropriate challenge? Paul answered, “I’ll be right over!”
What a wonderful experience that was! And what a generous gift of his time and talent! With the comfortable assurance of the true genius who doesn’t have to go around proving his worth, Paul was a joy to work with. There were no displays of temperament, no quarrels. For every problem, Paul came up with three or four brilliant solutions, clearly drawn. The hard part was choosing.
While Paul sometimes made lavish use of expensive, hi-tech materials, for my project, he took delight in devising wonderful lines and shapes out of the humblest ones, such as painted plywood. When I vetoed a low-budget, prefab spiral staircase because my dog would not use stairs with open risers, Paul sat down and drew a poem of a staircase in wood, a design that, when built, and built firm and solid, looked like the merest sketch of a flight of white stairs floating along a white wall.
Working with Paul was a great learning experience. In a few words, he could explain, with gentle but searing clarity, why something worked or didn’t work. Sometimes, after discussing a problem, he left it for me to solve. Like all great teachers, he opened the doors of his listeners’ imaginations so that they could go on and invent their own solutions. ”
DRAWINGS - Design Drawings / Renderings
DRAWINGS - Construction Drawings
DRAWINGS - Shop Drawings
PHOTOS - Project Model
PHOTOS - During Construction
PHOTOS - Completed Project
PHOTOS - Current Conditions
LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION
RELATED DOWNLOADS
PROJECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mildred F. Schmertz and Elisabeth K. Thompson. Apartments, Townhouses, & Condominiums. McGraw-Hill, 1981.
“Paul Rudolph; Joanna Steichen Apartment, New York City, U.S.A.” Global Architecture Houses, no. 5, Dec. 1978, pp. 100–05.
“Remodeling a Small New York City, Apartment U.S.A. 1973-74.” Architectural Record, no. 158, Aug. 1975, pp. 74–75.