Quiet is the New Loud
Not everybody wants to live right in the middle of Ipanema. For a block-through West Chelsea site without conventional water or city sightlines, distinguished Brazilian designer Isay Weinfeld conceived of an inward-looking enclave for a discerning clientele, and a tranquil oasis in bustling downtown Manhattan—mysterious yet inviting. We turned up the volume on quiet, celebrating the project’s unusual features—a vaulted tunnel-like port-cochère spanning between cross-streets, a skylit private pool, and a cloister-like secret garden—Jardim in Portuguese—overlooked by two intimate terraced residential towers. We brought prospective residents into a space of lush plantings and hushed possibilities. Sometimes you just need to listen: as Weinfeld says, “I like the unexpected, I never want to be obvious.”
New York City's Chelsea Neighborhood is Surely Close to Bursting at the Seams
That said, one project that we’re grateful there is still room for is Jardim, an otherworldly two tower building designed by the Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld. Boasting the same monumentality of Weinfeld’s other projects, albeit in a more urban form, Jardim cuts a striking figure with its private driveway, ample gardens and simple, monolithic structure that creates a distinct break from its surroundings.
