THE MODULIGHTOR BUILDING

The Modulightor Building

This Manhattan townhouse isn't quite like the others

Squeezed between two unassuming buildings in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Modulightor Building is radically different from your archetypal New York Townhouse: envisioned by modernist architect Paul Rudolph at the end of his career, the seven-story structure is a comprehensive manifesto of his design theories.

Built between 1989 and 1994 and later completed according to the original drawings, the building is the headquarters of lighting company Modulightor; additionally, two residential units take up the top floors, with a rooftop terrace opening towards the Manhattan skyline.

The narrow facade might suggest a claustrophobic interior, but the free-flowing plan designed by Rudolph defies the modest dimensions of the lot to create a complex - yet very livable - space.

There are no conventional floors or even rooms: the entire building feels like an organic entity, with all spaces seamlessly connected. Stairs are strategically placed at different points of the house and run across all areas, merging into the shelves and reinforcing the impression of the building being a single “living machine”.

There are no conventional floors or even rooms: the entire building feels like an organic entity, with all spaces seamlessly connected.

Thanks to the curtain wall, the interior is flooded with natural light; the choice of white for the exposed beams, floors, and walls makes the space bright and serves as the perfect background for Paul Rudolph’s personal collection. Even though he never lived in the Modulightor, most of his belongings were moved there after his passing, and the place is filled with the countless items he gathered around the planet.

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Boomerangs, telescopes, tribal masks and more, all displayed in groups across the shelves. Unique artworks have their spot too, with a sculpture by Corbusier and the only surviving painting by Richard Serra being arguably the crown jewels of the collection.

Overall, the Modulightor building is the purest expression of Paul Rudolph’s vision; its unique features, possibly inspired by Adolf Loos’s “Raumplan” theory, had an enduring and tangible impact on contemporary architecture across the world.