Location
131 Duane Street
Completion
2022
Client
New York Residence Inc.
Square Footage
37,000 SF
Architect
Jonathan Schloss / Architect
Restoration Architect
Walter B. Melvin Architects, LLC
131 Duane Street
Sciame was the Construction Manager responsible for the gut renovation and restoration of this high-end residential building, located in the Tribeca South Historic District. The existing five-story building (originally a warehouse built in 1861) features a facade with three rows of 10 arched windows on the ground floor, third floor and fifth floor with a central curved arch extending about six feet above the roof line.
The renovation consisted of 9 residential units, two elevators and commercial space on both the ground and basement floor. The building’s facade underwent a thorough restoration of its original marble and cast-iron elements and included new cast iron storefront infill components. The staircases were relocated to correspond to the new layout of the residential space. Furthermore, the project called for the addition of a two-story penthouse, raising the structure’s height to 97-feet.
The penthouse now has a rooftop terrace (front and back), floor-to-ceiling windows and a curtain wall of glass and blackened steel. The first floor of the addition features one and a half bedrooms, a kitchen with a pantry/laundry room, a dining and living room, a private elevator and a staircase to the seventh floor. The top (seventh) floor houses a master bedroom and master bathroom, a private living room and an additional rooftop terrace. The facade of the penthouse consists of concrete panels.
Project Awards
New York Landmarks Conservancy
Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award
What a night! A huge thank you to everyone who came out on Wednesday to represent Team Sciame at the 2025 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Central Park!
Despite the weather, the Sciame team showed up strong, lacing up and powering through the 3½-mile course!
We’re proud of the determination, camaraderie, and good humor everyone brought to a soggy evening in the park.
#jpmcc
New York Construction’s Contractor of the Year – Looking back, 2006 was a standout year for Sciame Construction. We were honored as Contractor of the Year, a testament to our growing reputation for delivering some of New York City’s most architecturally daring and culturally significant projects.
In April 2006, Sciame Construction completed the Morgan Library and Museum Expansion, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and BBB Architects. The project was led by then EVP/Division Head Joseph Mizzi, who began his career at Sciame 11 years earlier in 1995.
The following month, our founder, Frank Sciame, passed the torch of day-to-day leadership by promoting Joseph Mizzi to President of Sciame Construction, while continuing to serve as Chairman and CEO.
This leadership transition helped shape the next chapter of our story, and was memorialized in the cover photo of New York Construction, and the firm’s Contractor of the Year honor.
Thanks a Half-Billion! – At Sciame Construction, we proudly led the effort to reimagine the WTC Memorial and Museum, a project of national significance. Frank Sciame, our founder, was tasked with creating a design that honored the original vision while staying within a $500 million budget. Working closely with Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Pataki, and a team of 13 advisers, including notable figures like Jack Rudin and Robert Douglass, we developed cost-effective design options, ultimately reducing the budget from nearly $1 billion to $510 million. Our approach preserved key elements like the voids, waterfalls, and pools while optimizing infrastructure and resizing the museum. Sciame’s commitment to excellence ensured a memorial that balances beauty, dignity, and sustainability.
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center – Though relatively small in size, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center was a technically complex project successfully constructed and delivered by Sciame Construction. This groundbreaking laboratory made an outsized impact on global health. It was here that Dr. David Ho pioneered the development of the revolutionary “AIDS cocktail,” a combination therapy that transformed HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable condition. His groundbreaking work earned him the title of TIME magazine’s Man of the Year, underscoring the center’s profound contribution to the fight against the AIDS epidemic.
