Located within Tribeca’s West Historic District, the Federal-era building at 385 Greenwich Street was originally built as a two-story tenement in 1805. The three-story building at 71 North Moore Street was built a decade later, and eventually the two buildings were conjoined. In their more than 200-year history, the buildings have undergone several transformations and been used for commercial and manufacturing purposes. Now, DXA Studio’s restoration and addition will give them new life as a five-story, mixed-use building that includes two residences and ground-floor commercial space.

The restoration of these buildings takes the approach of an archaeological dig. In the process of restoring the original, masonry structures, DXA takes a subtractive approach that will remove several inches of stucco and other material that has been added over the years. Rather than seeking to embody an ideal of preservation, we are embracing the layers of history, and reinstating the individual identities of the two buildings.

One story is being added to 385 Greenwich Street, and two stories to 71 North Moore Street. Multiple residential tenants will occupy the building. The architectural features of the penthouse addition draw from the district’s historic commercial infrastructure, when Tribeca served as a gateway to world markets. The penthouses' arched steel spans evoke the spirit of the district’s market halls, rail hubs, and rail lines, which has been lost over time.
At the street level, projected storefronts from the late 1800s will be restored, along with the cutaway corner commercial entry that was removed in the mid-1900s. The restored storefronts and rooftop addition serve as the base and crown, and provide visual balance to the building’s tripartite composition, and to the story of its past and present.

The restoration and addition will result in a five-story, mixed-use building that includes two residences and ground-floor commercial space.