Over-the-top lobbies say ‘welcome home’

Nothing says “welcome home” like a moat.

Soon enough, residents of the Platinum in Times Square will be greeted by a doorman as they cross a moat, which is several inches wide and surrounds the entire perimeter of the condo building’s lobby.

More developers across Manhattan are spending increasing amounts of money and effort to create luxurious entrances in new residential buildings. With massive spaces featuring industrial-size fireplaces and museum-size aquariums, residential building lobbies are rivaling the imposing entrance chambers of luxury hotels.

The Platinum condo building, at 247 West 46th Street, essentially has an island as its lobby. A moat of moving water that rings the 2,500-square-foot lobby and a 26-foot-long fireplace will operate 24 hours a day. The lobby also has a 15-foot flat-screen plasma television display. Floor lights will project out from the honed granite flooring, and perforated metal sheets will cover the ceiling. A doorman, valet and full-time concierge will be stationed in the lobby.

“It’s a very special design created so that it’s totally unusual and totally striking,” said Allen Goldman, president at SJP Residential Properties, the developer of the project. SJP is mainly a commercial developer but is also developing 45 Park Avenue, another condo tower. “We wanted to set a mood and tone for this building. Platinum is meant to portray power, and the appearance of the metal and glass creates that mood from the moment you walk in. There is no better place than the lobby to exemplify that feeling.”

For developers who hope to lure buyers into the building, the lobby can give potential residents a glimpse of what lies upstairs. At the Atelier, a 478-unit condo tower at 635 West 42nd Street, approximately 5,000 square feet were devoted to the $3.5 million lobby. The building is more than 60 percent contracted.

The lobby at the Atelier takes in light and views from the nearby Hudson River and is meant to recall the oceanfront properties of South Beach in Miami. Finishes include white marble and glass, and the ceiling reaches 20 feet. Also illuminating the lobby is the water reflection from the swimming pool that sits just off the lobby in an enclosed glass hut.

“We wanted to set a mood and tone for the building. It’s a nice open space with a comfortable feeling,” said Elad Dror, director of residential properties for the Moinian Group, developer of the project.

“Whatever the costs, it was well worth it,” Dror said. “Just from the way the building looks itself — the lobby makes the building.”

The Moinian Group, responsible for the double-height lobby ceilings at the Atelier, added the same spacious feature to its rental building the Marc, located at 260 West 54th Street.

“We built such a big lobby because we had the ability. We were able to put double-height ceilings in a big building,” Dror said. “It’s what we do in new construction to maximize the lobby and make it as grand and as appealing as possible.” The massive space at the Atelier served as the site of the Alice + Olivia fashion show in February, when models stalked a catwalk with the design label’s fall line. Dror said the Atelier has been contacted by luxury fashion brands to hold another fashion show during Spring 2008 Fashion Week.

“It’s a chic, classy, simple look,” Dror said. “It’s very minimalist and will have revolving art exhibits that will emulate a gallery. It takes advantage of the neighborhood — [the nearby] art and theater district.”

Downtown, another condo development is taking its green-focused design to the lobby as well. Much like its exterior, the interior of the Visionaire condo project was designed to be environmentally conscious by Raphael Pelli, principal of the architectural firm Pelli Clarke Pelli. The building uses a number of materials and systems to make the Visionaire green, including eco-friendly paints, bamboo finishes and a self-irrigating rooftop garden.

Located in Battery Park City, the 33- story, 251-unit condo tower will open in 2008. The lobby has a 12-foot-long aquarium that separates the children’s playroom from the lobby and a double-height ceiling to allow for natural lighting.

According to Jacqueline Urgo, executive vice president at the Marketing Directors, which is handling sales for the project, the lobby of the Visionaire “is a breath of fresh air.”

Lobbies are the welcome home for everyone, regardless of whether they live in a penthouse or a studio, Urgo said. “It’s up to developers to make lobbies incredibly special.”