Architect: Manoug Exerjian
10 Grace Avenue, Great Neck
A two-story, full-block, brick commercial building that takes advantage of its siting to wrap around the corner of Bond Street and Grace Avenue. (The brick exterior, now a pale pink, was originally intended to be painted white.) Its smooth wall surfaces and rounded corner emphasize the building’s streamlined quality. The projecting canopy at the cornice line and the long stretch of double-hung aluminum windows extending around the building at the upper story highlight the building’s horizontality. The storefronts at ground level retain their original sleekly curving plate-glass windows and aluminum bases, although some bases have been replaced with (or always were) stainless steel. Three porthole windows (3’6” in diameter) run along the first story of the Grace Avenue elevation. The building was originally designed with a setback second story and terrace, but the second story wall was brought out to the street wall of the first story instead. As built, the second-story only covered half the first story, extending to the middle of the Grace Avenue elevation. The first floor was divided into 10 stores and the second floor had five offices. The first-story roof of the Grace Avenue elevation had horizontal iron railings at the roofline and a flagpole at its southeastern corner. As seen from Grace Avenue, the porthole windows, iron roof railings, flagpole, and white walls of the original building would have evoked the Streamline Moderne’s homage to the ocean liner. In 1962, to add office space, the second story was extended to cover the entire building. The decorative iron railing and flagpole were removed, and a continuous band of double-hung aluminum windows was added. While the alteration plans (also by Exerjian) called for a porcelain enamel fascia board to run along the top of the windows, the existing fascia is wood. At this time, Exerjian created an interior open roof garden with a fountain at the center of the building. Many changes have been made to the retail interiors over the years. In addition, the restaurant at the southeastern corner of the building on Grace Avenue underwent an extensive refacing in 1984 that is not sympathetic to the building. The staircase to the second floor (at the Grace Avenue entrance) is the original marble with iron railings.
The building continues its original use of retail and office space. The Petite Shop, a children’s clothing store at the corner of Grace Avenue and Bond Street, has been in the building almost since it opened, and still uses its original signage.
Source: http://www.greatneckplaza.net/historic/vsurvey.php?p=10grace
I have seen an old office space for rent Makati like this one. It is always interesting to hear about the history of these ole trusty structures.
ReplyDeleteThat place is really nostalgic I hope that they won't change the layout of that place.
ReplyDeleteoffice space for rent in makati