Rebuilt Tribeca penthouse nears completion

The glass penthouse at a loft apartment building at 145 Hudson Street
is nearly finished, two years after the Landmarks Preservation
Commission told the developer that the first one would have to be torn
down. The original penthouse rose seven feet higher than the permit
allowed, was made of reflective glass and had a roof that sloped away
from a flat top; it also contained two units. The new penthouse is also
two stories but is made of clearer glass, has a rectangular roof and
contains only one duplex unit. Brokers say they see no difference
between the two and that commissions were lost for nothing. The first
penthouse’s design was inspired by a glass skylight structure included
in the 1929 building’s original plans.