Atlas airs on Runway again

The film crew for Bravo’s fifth season of “Project Runway” has just finished packing up at the Atlas, after filming the contestant’s digs there for the past six weeks.

The show took six one- and two-bedroom units at the luxury rental building at West 38th Street and Sixth Avenue for its 16 contestants during its filming, which lasted from June through the first half of July. The first episode of the fifth season will air tonight at 9 p.m.

While monthly rents at the 48-story Gotham Organization-owned building typically start at $3,500 for a one-bedroom and $5,500 for a two-bedroom, the sponsorship agreement allowed these apartments to go to the Bravo Network for a much lower compensation, which Gotham did not reveal.

Project Runway, a reality TV series focusing on fashion design, with contestants working at Parsons the New School for Design, had been filmed at the Atlas for its first three seasons, before moving to another Gotham project, the New Gotham at 520 West 43rd Street, in season four.

Prior to season six, which will move the cast out to Los Angeles and to Lifetime Television, the show and the network wanted to return to the building “which has become somewhat synonymous with the show,” according to Katherine Sabroff, Gotham Organization’s vice president of marketing and operations.

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While the location of the shooting was kept under tight wraps to the general public and the show’s audience, the Atlas’ tenants were privy to the show’s presence.

“You can’t help seeing cameras in the hallway from time to time and not wonder,” Sabroff said.

It is not yet clear whether the show would come back to New York for another season.

“That would be based on the creative decisions on behalf of the show,” Sabroff said. “[Gotham] would be happy to get involved if they return to New York in the seventh season.”