MADISON AVENUE RESIDENCE
New York City
This nearly 5000 square foot combination of two apartments on Madison Avenue reaches back two thousand years to the reign of Hadrian and a Roman villa on the ancient Via Gabina. The client and the architect originally met on the archaeological excavation of the villa, where they unearthed a complex black and white mosaic floor. When their paths crossed again in New York and they began this project, the antique floor's design became the locus of the renovation. The mosaic was replicated in the rear hall of the client's Manhattan residence and served as reference for generating the new mosaic floors of the front foyer and vestibule.
The apartment's reconfigured plan, like that Imperial era villa with its distinct hierarchy of chambers, allowed a private master wing alongside the formal entertaining rooms with a separate wing for the children's bedrooms and family room. A nod to the historic rivalry of Persia can be seen in the master bath. Interior decoration is by Nancy T. Schmitt and Associates.