15 William, formerly known as the William Beaver House, is a 47-story,

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...

apartment building at 15 William Street in the

Financial District A financial district is usually a central area in a city where financial services firms such as banks, insurance companies and other related finance corporations have their head offices. In major cities, financial districts are often home to s ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

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. It opened in 2008, at which time it was the only ground-up residential development in the Financial District. 15 William was designed by the New York firms

Tsao & McKown Tsao & McKown is an American architecture firm. The firm designed Suntec City and the luxury condominium 15 William. In 2009 the firm received a National Design Award The American National Design Awards, founded in 2000, are funded and awarded b ...

, Ismael Leyva Architects, and

SLCE Architects SLCE Architects is an American architecture firm which provides architectural services in both the public and private sector. Between 2010 and 2015, the firm received the most commissions for residential developments in New York City. The firm is ...

, with interiors and public spaces designed by SPAN Architecture and Allied Works Architecture. It was developed by SDS Investments, Sapir Organization,

André Balazs André Tomes Balazs (born January 31, 1957) is an American businessman and hotelier. He is president and chief executive officer of André Balazs Properties, a portfolio of hotels across the United States and residences in New York state, especial ...

Properties, and

CIM Group CIM Group invests in commercial property on behalf of large institutions such as pensions. As of December 31, 2020, the company owned $29.2 billion worth of commercial property. History The company was founded in 1994 by Shaul Kuba, Richard Ressl ...

Site

15 William is located in the

, at the northwest corner of William Street and Beaver Street. The block on which the building is located is bounded by Broad Street to the west, Exchange Placeto the north, William Street to the east, and Beaver Street to the south. The site at William and Beaver Streets was historically taken up by the

Corn Exchange Bank The Corn Exchange Bank was a retail bank founded in 1853 in New York state. Over the years, the company acquired many community banks. History In 1855, the Corn Exchange Bank moved into an existing building in New York City at the northwest ...

in the early 20th century, and later by a 20-story office building, although the lot was vacant by the 1990s.

Architecture

15 William, initially known as the William Beaver House, was designed by

, Ismael Leyva Architects, and

. The interior was designed by SPAN Architecture and Allied Works Architecture. The building was jointly developed by SDS Procida Development Group and

. The building is high, with 47 floors, and includes 320 residential units and two commercial spaces. There are of space in 15 William.

Facade

The building has a brick exterior with dark grey and gold brick panels between the windows. Shears, staggers, and other components of the building's facade were incorporated into the building’s design to give apartments the most light and views in a part of the city that is densely built. Its general appearance has earned it the nickname "The Post-It Note Building".

Features

According to two of the project's principal architects, Calvin Tsao and Zack Mckown, the condominium was designed as a "vertically integrated village" and a "self-sufficient place to live." The interiors have open living spaces and bathrooms with separate rain showers and oversized deep-soaking tubs. Bedrooms and bathrooms are en suite with louvered doors. The property includes a fitness center with an outdoor terrace and herb garden, squash court, yoga studio, boxing gym, indoor saltwater swimming pool, outdoor saltwater jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, an indoor children’s playroom, and an outdoor children's playground designed by Jean-Gabriel Neukomm of SPAN Architecture that includes a slate-clad wall for children to use as a chalkboard. The building also has a covered dog-run, landscaped roof deck, rooftop lounge with catering kitchen and views of Manhattan and the

New York Harbor New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...

, event space, movie theater, an outdoor basketball court, and a resident’s library. Residents additionally have the option of renting private storage bins in the basement. The ground floor of the building includes retail space with a deli and a subterranean parking lot.

History

Plans were filed with the

New York City Department of Buildings The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) is the department of the New York City government that enforces the city's building codes and zoning regulations, issues building permits, licenses, registers and disciplines certain construction tra ...

in 2004, and announced to the public in May 2006; sales were launched later that year. In 2007, the building's three penthouses were each sold for prices ranging between $4.7 to $5 million, the highest price per square foot ever paid in the Financial District at the time. Work was completed in 2008.

Reception

In September 2016, ''

Interior Design Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...

'' ranked 15 William one of the "5 Enviable Residential Buildings in New York." ''New York Family'' included 15 William on its list of the most family-friendly buildings in New York City. The

AIA Guide to New York City The ''AIA Guide to New York City'' by Norval White, Elliot Willensky, and Fran Leadon is an extensive catalogue with descriptions, critique and photographs of significant and noteworthy architecture throughout the five boroughs of New York City. ...

called the building "daring amidst the financial district's monochromatic canyons." In 2015, 15 William was featured in a series of articles in ''Domino'' Magazine where designers redecorated several apartments throughout the building.

References

External links

*
15 William
page on Tsao & McKown website {{Financial District, Manhattan Residential skyscrapers in Manhattan Residential buildings completed in 2008 Financial District, Manhattan