Kips Bay Towers Residence is a minimal home located in Kips Bay, New York, designed by Uli Wagner. The aluminum window frames in Kips Bay Towers catch the northern light in a particular way. On a clear morning, they create a rhythm of illumination that dances across the resin-coated concrete floors of this recently renovated apartment. This interplay between light and material is no accident; it’s the result of a thoughtful dialogue between I.M. Pei’s original 1960s Brutalist vision and Uli Wagner Design Lab’s contemporary intervention.

“We recognized the opportunity to establish a new layout featuring additional openings and pleasant vistas between living areas, careful to celebrate and match the materials and mood already in place,” Wagner explains. His Brooklyn-based studio approached this renovation not as a correction but as a continuation – an architectural conversation across six decades.

The apartment’s transformation began with a practical need: two NYU doctors, longtime residents and former parents of three, sought to reconfigure their joined one-bedroom units now that their children had moved out. Rather than simply removing walls, UWDL created what might be called “convertible permanence” – a seemingly contradictory concept that perfectly suits both Brutalist principles and contemporary living.

The design team’s solution manifests in unconventionally wide openings that replace formal doorways, creating what Wagner describes as “almost imposing vacancies.” These apertures serve multiple functions: they maximize flow, facilitate convertible private sleeping spaces, and allow northern daylight from the original aluminum windows to permeate the entire apartment. The deliberate oversizing of these openings challenges conventional notions of interior thresholds while honoring the bold geometries characteristic of Pei’s original design.

Throughout the space, materials speak honestly about their nature. The kitchen presents clean lines and light hues, concealing multifaceted storage behind flat ash veneering. An electric fireplace anchored in painterly stonework brings warmth to the living room, with the same finish thoughtfully repeated along window sills and HVAC coverings. This material continuity reflects both Brutalist truth-to-materials ethos and Japanese design principles – an unexpected but harmonious pairing.