OPPORTUNITY REALIZED [Modernism is] a base on which one could build, not merely a formula. - Paul Rudolph THE HOUSE What better way to describe the house at 23 Beekman Place than with the words of architect Paul Rudolph himself? Originally constructed in 1867, the house was built as a single-family mansion alongside a row of houses, all 20 feet wide on 100 foot deep lots. Forever memorialized by actress Katharine Cornell, the house was upgraded in 1929 by architect Franklin Abbott to feature many neoclassical elements favored at the time. These include ornamental designs on the limestone portion of the facade, round-arched windows, elaborate stonework, and most likely the metal canopy over the entrance. In the 1960s, when he moved in, Paul Rudolph used 23 Beekman as a base to create his personal masterpiece. Adding three floors to create a penthouse above, while leaving most of the original facade intact, Mr. Rudolph was able to expand the house to almost 12,000 SF. Employing his favored, cantilevered design, Mr. Rudolph s penthouse addition is unencumbered by the street line and towers over Beekman Place, offering breathtaking views and enhanced privacy. This attention to detail is typical of Mr. Rudolph, but nowhere is it more evident than in his beloved 23 Beekman. The largest house on a block of many historical, single-family houses, distinguished embassies, and government buildings, it is currently configured as a multi-family building with 4 residential units. The current owners, with the help of architects Jared Della Valle and Andrew Bernheimer, have meticulously restored the building, and brought it to code. There are tenants in place through the fall of 2017. THE ARCHITECT Paul Rudolph, the former Dean of the Yale University School of Architecture, is widely regarded as one of the most influential American architects of the 20th century. Appreciated by his peers, including I.M. Pei, and admired by his students, among them Norman Foster, Rudolph s brilliance and influence are evident throughout New York City and well beyond. Robert A.M. Stern recognized that Rudolph possessed the greatest talent of his generation of American architects. It is no surprise that 23 Beekman, personal residence of the prolific architect, is a treasure trove of architectural wonder that continually reveals its brilliance to the inquisitive mind. BEEKMAN PLACE With a profound list of distinguished residents, from international royalty to American tycoons, Beekman Place offers the most discerning buyer an opportunity for tranquility and privacy without sacrificing accessibility to the best this city has to offer. Beekman place boasts buildings designed by Emory Roth and Sloan & Robertson for residents such as John D. Rockefeller, Irving Berlin, William Paley, Max Ernst and Peggy Guggenheim. It has always been the hidden enclave of the luxury-seeking resident. With the recent sale of #21, the house s adjacent neighbor, for $34.350mm, the secret of Beekman Place is out.
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