WE ASKED THE DESIGNER OF THIS STUNNING MIDTOWN PENTHOUSE HOW ACCESS TO MULTIPLE TERRACES AND MORE THAN 5,000 SQUARE FEET OF INTERIOR SPACE INFORMED HIS CHOICES

BY DAVID PORTER • INTERIOR PHOTOS BY GUILLAUME GUADET, COURTESY OF THE CORCORAN GROUP

How do you get away from it all smack in the heart of it all? One option is to live in the sky, of course, or at least as close as one can get to it. Penthouse 1 at 135 West 52nd Street, a 48 story tower equidistant from Carnegie Hall and Rockefeller Center (formerly the Flatotel Hotel, with a renovation by CetraRuddy Architecture), is a 5,153 square foot adventure in airiness and glass, along with more than 1,100 square feet of exterior space spread across three terraces. Comprising five bedrooms, four full baths, and two half baths, this triplex, replete with 18 foot ceilings, is a nest set apart.

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Interior Designer David Attias, who is also a sales agent at Corcoran (which is listing the home), offered that the amount of light the space receives simply dazzled him, and informed many of the decisions he undertook when designing the penthouse. “The space receives so much illumination from its southern and western exposure, both daytime and nighttime,” he said, “and our team put tremendous effort into creating the perfect design, one that serves the space and its high rise views.”

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On the main level, a custom windowed kitchen features a broad center island, Miele appliances, and the type of finishes that would make any serious cook wide eyed, including Calacatta Vision marble countertops and Dada Italian Walnut and custom glass cabinets. Beyond the kitchen awaits a 24 foot long formal dining area for grand meals served beneath stratocumulus clouds.

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VJ SPREAD

“The ceiling heights create real drama in the space,” said Attias, “and we did everything possible to contribute to and amplify that.”

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The residence’s upper level is accessible by a private elevator from the 46th floor, or via a triple height glass staircase one that also dramatizes the doubleheight living room from which it rises while a double sided stone fireplace divides the level’s east and west wings. The east wing includes a 32 foot wide living room with a wet bar and powder room, along with the master bedroom an almost impossibly luxurious suite with a private east facing terrace, an expansive dressing room, and a sprawling bath with a pass through shower, free standing tub, and two water closets.

The west wing is home to three smaller bedrooms, one with an en suite bathroom; the other two bedrooms share a Jack andJill bath. All the west wing bedrooms enjoy northern exposure.

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“I love the key operated elevator on the 46th floor, which gives you direct access to the penthouse,” said Attias. “It’s especially lovely after traveling or returning from a late dinner; you can go straight to your bedroom!”

Penthouse 1’s “skyline lounge” is enclosed entirely in glass and bookended by two large terraces, one east and one west, along with a wet bar. The east terrace is an entertainer’s dream, with an outdoor kitchen complete with gas grill and seemingly the entire world spread beneath.

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“Of course, a top floor home is synonymous with luxury,” Attias said, “and that informed the decisions we made about design, furnishings, and finishes. For a home like Penthouse 1, we selected distinctive, unique pieces from our inventory, and will even make custom pieces such as window treatments, depending on clients’ needs”

The building’s amenities match the grandness of the home’s space, and include a 75 foot lap pool, a fitness center, a spa, golf simulator, and a kids’ playroom. There’s also a 24 hour doorman and concierge services, of course.

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“I was actually thinking about ‘New York, New York’ while I was working on the home,” said Attias, “as well as ‘Empire State of Mind’ by Jay Z and Alicia Keys. Both songs convey the same message; if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. As a New Yorker and as a lover of the city, I was also thinking about that line.”

Up here in Penthouse 1 the air is rarefied, rain or shine. Gazing at the stardust in the wee small hours…the world seems yours.

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135 West 52nd Street, Penthouse 1 $13.5 million
Corcoran Contacts: Charlie Attias, Licensed Associate Broker, phone 212.605.9381, cel
917.273.8613 David Attias, Licensed Salesperson, phone 212.745.9496, cel
917.528.1948 Connor Ramage, Licensed Salesperson, phone 212.605.9386, cel
561.789.7781 corcoran.com