A new 7-story mini-tower housing a mere 5 condos will soon rise at 56 Spring. This one is sited on a street which offers everything from assiette de fromages all the way to zeppole, with assorted other things in between. This wee tower shows some facade switcheroo, which appears to be inspired by a Gravitram or possibly a Space Warp and comes from the mind of architect Arpad Baksa. It will nestle up next to 225 Lafayette Street, home of the $100,000 closet. Both are just east of the always busy intersection of Lafayette and Spring, down where Soho meets Nolita meets Little Italy meets Chinatown. The back side of 56 Spring will butt up against some terrific little gardens, hidden behind two old brick walkups facing onto Cleveland Place, one of which was sadly mauled and decapitated last summer. That broken bit of brickage is piled just across from the forlorn Lieutenant Petrosino Square, where recently ground was broken for a much-needed makeover. All said, whoever ends up residing at 56 Spring won't be able to complain about a lack of options, food or otherwise.
· Portfolio > On the Boards > 56 Spring [Arpad Baksa Architect website]
· Celebrity Real Estate Wrap: The $100,000 Closet [Curbed]
· Cleveland Place Construction Chronicles: Razing the Roof [Curbed]
Our ongoing obsession with 49 East Houston Street—architect Arpad Baksa's big red hangover—is unending. Blame all the wacky elements involved: the seven stories of cantilever action over its neighbor at 51 East Houston Street; the razing of the cute little one-story storefront that housed nonprofit group Times Up!; the proximity to the rising awesomeness at 290 Mulberry Street. Yeah, this is a fun one. Now, in a piece explaining how a nonprofit group originally wrangled the prime real estate, the Village Voice's Runnin' Scared blog put up some sketches of the building that show the many setbacks and terraces in greater detail, as well as the proposed rear yard and balconies. If only Tetris rules applied to real life, then the first four floors of this entire block would now disappear, and Nolita would have a far better soundtrack.
· From Community Group to Condo: The Saga of 49 E. Houston and Times Up! [Runnin' Scared]
· East Houston Tumor To Be Red, Tiered and Terraced [Curbed]
· A Tumorous Neighbor for SHoP and Kopp [Curbed]
Pity the poor residents of 51 East Houston Street. A bit of digging around reveals that the owner there goes by the mysterious name of Sultan's DaVinci Ltd. When we posted the news about the tumorous growth rising over that little walk-up some readers couldn't believe their eyes. But one guest commenter had no doubts and kindly directed us to the Arpad Baksa Architect website for a look at what's to come. And then the mystery deepened.
East Houston between Mott and Mulberry in Nolita is growing a tumor, right in the shadow of the undulous new SHoP tower rising to the west and just around the corner from a little bit of fun going up at 277 Mott. The new growth is from architect Arpad Baksa and will rise at 49 E. Houston, formerly a one-story bike shop that is currently undergoing demolition. The new plan calls for a "Residential Apt House" with 14-stories and -- hold on to your seats -- 41 units! But that's not the half of it.
Don't let it be said that we're not green-aware here at Curbed*, but it's not the fact that the building set to rise at 132 West 26th Street (left) is said to be New York's first green hotel that intrigues us. Rather, it's the tiny lot—a mere 19 feet wide—which we first took note of back in 2005 when architect Arpad Baksa revealed his plans for the site. Now, it's been revealed that the 19-story rail will be a hotel called Greenhouse 26, with completion set for spring 2008. This is gonna be a fun one to watch rise, especially if, pursuant to the latest green building techniques, all beams must be raised and installed by hand.
· New York's First Green Hotel Slated for 2008 [Interior Design]
· Arpad Baksa's Greenhouse 26 in Chelsea [GreenBuildingsNYC]
· Skinny on Another Narrow Tower in West 20s [Curbed]
* We held our breath during the writing of this post to reduce its carbon footprint to zero.
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Don't let it be said that we're not green-aware here at Curbed*, but it's not the fact that the building set to rise at 132 West 26th Street (left) is said to be New York's first green hotel that intrigues us. Rather, it's the tiny lot—a mere 19 feet wide—which we first 
