





Barbara’s Penthouse Project
New York City
Designed to blur the line between residence and personal art gallery, Barbara Littman desired a residence to showcase the furniture, artwork, and library she has curated through the years.
The light provided by the wrap-around windows and the beautiful rooftop terrace that overlooks the City where impressive. Therefore, we tried to reinforce these positive attributes with the design, and developed the Loft around this straightforward concept: “Entry, Path + Goal.”
The penthouse project spatial organization is defined by a linear circulation axis of entry/path/goal, along an ethereal white runway leading to the roof-top art-park.
Juxtaposed against this axis is a striking yellow wall that separates the public and private domains of the residence.
As you open the front door, you are greeted by a runway that terminates in a dramatic monolithic stair that welcomes you up to the magical rooftop terrace and sculpture garden beyond. On one side of that runway is the public area, and the other is the more private domain. This hallway is the big statement that defines the whole project.
Barbara’s color scheme leans toward neutrals of grey, white and black, but we were able to convince her to bring a little color into her private pied-a-terre. The long wall running the length of the hallway is painted in a sunburst yellow, reflecting the bright, intense, energetic light that drew the interior designer’s apartment in the first place.
Floor to ceiling windows provide a panoramic view of the city from the living area and the master bedroom.
A sculptured staircase in this penthouse project leads to a rooftop garden where a sculpture entitled “Ghost Stair” creates the illusion of continuing the climb upward into the Manhattan skyline.
- Roof top heat-loss mitigation
- Water filtration
- Sleep hygiene integration
New York City
New York