140 West 57th Street Studio Building (The Beaufort)

History and architecture

Built in 1907-08 to provide living and working facilities for artists, the studio building at 140 West 57th Street is a rare surviving example of this unusual building type, and a reminder of the early twentieth century period when West 57th Street was a center of artistic activities. Designed by architects Pollard & Steinam, who had previously created several artists’ studio cooperatives on West 67th Street, this building profited from the experience of the developers and builders who had worked on the earlier structures.

The artists’ studio building type, was developed early in the twentieth century, and was an important step toward the acceptance of apartment living for wealthy New Yorkers. The 140 West 57th Street Studio Building, along with its almost identical neighbor at 130 West 57th Street, was built in a prime location, on a wide cross-town street, with other artists’ studios, the Art Students’ League, Carnegie Hall, and many other nearby sites devoted to art and music.

The duplex arrangement of the building allowed for seven double-height stories facing the street, with twelve stories in the rear, and was popular with artists and non-artists alike for the abundant amount of space it provided. Located on the south side of 57 Street, the tall, projecting bay windows set in geometrically-ornamented cast iron frames bring in the north light so prized by artists, and suggest the unique spatial arrangement in this building.