Iconic Brooklyn Heights mid century modern house seeks rooftop addition * Brooklyn Paper

"An application to the Landmarks Preservation Commission to build a terrace and rooftop addition on top of 48 Willow Place was on the agenda to be discussed at the Tuesday, November 5 meeting of Community Board 2. An LPC hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, November 25. The mid century modern townhouse is one of three in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District designed and developed by architects Joseph and Mary Merz."

"The proposed addition will be visible from the street, and alter the carefully composed modern and abstract composition of its facade, application materials show. Although each is slightly different, the facades of all three Merz-designed townhouses reference traditional townhouse elements, and center and vertically stack three openings. Perhaps the column-like arrangement of the openings is a nod to the columns of the houses of the colonnade row the new townhouses replaced."

"At the architects' own residence, the front door has sidelights that echo Greek Revival entrances, and the shapes of the openings and panes recall vertical townhouse windows. A petite chimney above the front parapet in the "before" renderings does not appear to be visible from the street. Likewise, a rooftop structure depicted atop No. 40 in the renderings does not appear to be visible from the street."

An application to the Landmarks Preservation Commission seeks to build a terrace and rooftop addition atop 48 Willow Place. Community Board 2 scheduled a discussion for November 5, with an LPC hearing set for November 25. The townhouse is one of three mid century modern houses in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District designed and developed by Joseph and Mary Merz. The proposed rooftop addition would be visible from the street and alter the carefully composed modern and abstract facade. The Merz-designed facades reference traditional townhouse elements by centering and vertically stacking three openings. A prior similar application at 40 Willow Place was required by LPC to be not visible from the street.

Read at Brooklyn Paper