The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is now reviewing proposals from the Whitney Museum of American Art to renovate and expand Roy Lichtenstein’s West Village Studio at 741/745 Washington Street in Manhattan. If approved, the 9,000-square-foot building would receive a single-story brick addition facing Washington Street, new windows to replace an existing garage door on the ground floor, new stair and elevator bulkheads, and a chimney expansion to bring the building up to modern code.
Johnston Marklee & Associates was selected by the museum as architect of record.
The property was originally constructed in the 1920s and served as Lichtenstein’s personal artist studio beginning in the late 1980s. In February 2022, Dorothy Lichtenstein, the widow of Roy Lichtenstein, announced that the studio would be donated to support the museum’s Independent Study Program. Known simply as ISP, the highly selective annual program invites 15 students pursuing art practice, curatorial work, art historical scholarship, and critical writing.
(From left to right) Roof terrace and chronology of previous expansions of 741/745 Washington Street – Johnston Marklee & Associates
Rendering of building façade along Washington Street at 741/745 Washington Street – Johnston Marklee & Associates
Existing conditions at 741/745 Washington Street
During the summers, when not in use by ISP, the building will host artist residencies, educational programs for teens and adults, teacher trainings, and more to be announced.
The property’s location in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village Historic District requires the museum to receive a Certificate of Appropriateness from the LPC before construction can begin. The project team presented initial proposals to the LPC on August 9 and the commissioners have yet to offer an official response.
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“Highly Selective” of course. We must keep art as elitist as possible.
Yes or we could have no criteria and just accept everybody with a crayon in to the program 🙄
Who knows if Lichtenstein himself would be chosen 🙂
Can we stop expanding historical buildings? This is a bad idea! It looks horrendous. Especially next to those townhouses.