This residence is the penthouse of a 1920's apartment building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The existing apartment had several small rooms as well as a greenhouse structure that was added in the 1980's and served as a bedroom. Even though the apartment was on top of a tall building, it felt small and dark.

Existing partitions were removed to create an open loft-like living area, with new sliding glass doors replacing the entire wall facing the terrace to take advantage of the spectacular view of midtown Manhattan. A large skylight has been cut out of the roof, creating the sense of height and light. A mobile panel system, concealed in a closet, has been installed to allow the owner to set up a private guest room when necessary.

The existing greenhouse was replaced with a minimalist glass box; its floor level has been raised above that of the main structure to give one a sensation of floating above the view. Two layers of solar shades have been set into slots in the ceiling for control of lighting and privacy in the bedroom.