If you’re an architect, you’re sort of expected to have a somewhat eccentric home (or at least a really cool home). And that was certainly the case for architect Paul Rudolph. Paul is perhaps best known — at least in my mind — for being the chair of Yale’s architecture program and for designing its Brutalist building. But he also designed himself a pretty interesting apartment. In 1976, he bought the 19th-century townhouse at 23 Beekman Place in New York. He then constructed himself a now historically-landmarked penthouse on top of it. Now, technically, it is four levels. But spatially, it’s more like a series of connected platforms — 27 of them to be exact. So the penthouse is often described as being 27 levels, and as not having any doors and walls. Because those are totally overrated. I joke, but it’s a beautiful and interesting space. And the two founders of New York’s Gachot (and their two teenage boys) recently got a chance to live in it for three years. If you’d like to hear and see what that was like, click here.
Photo: Sight Unseen