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April 12, 2004
Maybe looking at all the photos of Asia inspired him. The Loft Cube is what happens when you take a designer that does a lot of showrooms and slather him in DuPont money: A rooftop experiment made of a lot of Corian. It's a nice idea, mostly in the execution of a small space. But, lacking manufacturing costs (the 'estimated' 55,000 Euros doesn't mention if that includes 'site' work, transportation, labor for assembly, untility hook up, etc.), it's hard to say there is anything revolutionary here ($170/sq foot is about a 50% premium on high end of homebuilding costs in the Northeast US, though I suspect low for the NYC region). And, last I checked, New Yorkers well aware of the value of rooftop dwelling. The main detriments have to do with zoning (height restrictions), site work (a roof is not a structural system intend to carry a large dead load, particularly one that lands on four dainty feet), and less than spectular views, depending on the neighbors. Maybe the rooftops in Berlin are nice, smooth, virgin surfaces ready for the urbane Wallpaper* reader. But wouldn't they be there already if they were?