It was classy, rather glassy, and it went to the market for $15 million.
Mildred Kramer House, Raymond C. and 32 E. 74th St., is an impressive modernist townhouse designed by the renowned Swiss-American architect William Lescaze, reaching out.
Designed in 1935 by Lescaze, a pioneer of American modernism, the home stands out especially in its neighbourhood, known for its imposing brown buildings and classical front buildings.
It is one of three Leschese-designed houses in Manhattan, featuring his signature glass brick walls, frost painted windows, curved steel entrances and a refreshing white stucco facade.
But it had a rocky history in the market.
It was previously sold for $12 million in 2008, and changed hands again in 2015 for $14.5 million. Since 2017, the property has been on the market at requested prices ranging from $14.75 million to $20 million.
The current owner has undergone a full-scale intestinal renovation and transformed the former detached house into three high-end duplex apartments.
That said, much of the original modernist interior of the house was lost in time.
Scott Tower, the grandson of the original owner, remembers how cutting edge the home was once. Restraint: “There were built-in shelves, framing for the sofa in various rooms, and the bathroom was extraordinary in that there was a floor-to-ceiling mirror.”
The interior is rethinking with a combination of neoclassical and modern styles, but the exterior carefully restores to meet the standards of the Landmark Preservation Committee, ensuring that it remains Lescaze's distinctive modernist vision.
The rear facade with an unappearable balcony and oversized windows is another outstanding feature.
The 7,000-square-foot home is currently comprised of three rentals. Although not actually renting, the listing says it offers endless possibilities, including investment property, multi-generational housing, a magnificent detached house square with up to eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms and multiple outdoor spaces.
Jackie Teplitsky with Douglas Elliman, Joseph Chaplin and Barak Danaire hold the list.
“I feel that the best use of this house is actually to put it back into a detached house,” Teplidzky told the Post, explaining that the current state of the property as a triple duplex has made it even more difficult to sell over the years.
“There are a lot of detached houses on the Upper East Side, and there's history behind it,” Teplidzky said, adding that the current owner has used the house for other families so far.
The duplex below has two bedrooms and a 2.5 bathroom and includes a furnished patio. The Middle Duplex has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, plus bonus rooms. And the third double consists of three bedrooms and a 2.5 bathroom with a landscaping furnished sun terrace from the kitchen.
“It's like owning a work of art. Something that cannot be reproduced,” Teplidzky said.
