A marble-floored lobby with an ornate white ceiling, circular pendant light, orchid arrangements, and a uniformed attendant standing near the glass entrance.A marble-floored lobby with an ornate white ceiling, circular pendant light, orchid arrangements, and a uniformed attendant standing near the glass entrance.A marble-floored lobby with an ornate white ceiling, circular pendant light, orchid arrangements, and a uniformed attendant standing near the glass entrance.
A uniformed attendant speaks on a telephone at a lobby desk beside a wall-mounted screen, with the glass entrance and street visible behind.A uniformed attendant speaks on a telephone at a lobby desk beside a wall-mounted screen, with the glass entrance and street visible behind.A uniformed attendant speaks on a telephone at a lobby desk beside a wall-mounted screen, with the glass entrance and street visible behind.
A marble-floored lobby viewed through a wide doorway has ornate ceilings, seating areas with orchids, and a person seated along the left wall.A marble-floored lobby viewed through a wide doorway has ornate ceilings, seating areas with orchids, and a person seated along the left wall.A marble-floored lobby viewed through a wide doorway has ornate ceilings, seating areas with orchids, and a person seated along the left wall.
A uniformed attendant speaks on a telephone behind a decorative lobby desk beneath an ornate ceiling and wall sconces.A uniformed attendant speaks on a telephone behind a decorative lobby desk beneath an ornate ceiling and wall sconces.A uniformed attendant speaks on a telephone behind a decorative lobby desk beneath an ornate ceiling and wall sconces.
A lobby seating area features a gray upholstered chair beside an orchid arrangement, with an elevator and gray door beneath an ornate white ceiling and circular pendant light.A lobby seating area features a gray upholstered chair beside an orchid arrangement, with an elevator and gray door beneath an ornate white ceiling and circular pendant light.A lobby seating area features a gray upholstered chair beside an orchid arrangement, with an elevator and gray door beneath an ornate white ceiling and circular pendant light.

145 West 86th Street

Lobby Renovation

Prior to the renovation, the lobby was dark and dated, with failing finishes and deteriorated plaster and painted coffered ceilings. The existing doorman desk was a basic wood-and-black-stone podium with limited functionality, and the space lacked air conditioning and adequate heating.

ECA was engaged to restore the lobby finishes, redesign the doorman desk and package storage, improve the lighting, add air conditioning, and upgrade the steam heating. Our interiors team also selected and procured new lobby furniture.

The renovation transformed the worn entrance into a brighter, more functional, and easily maintained lobby appropriate for a prewar building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Coffered-ceiling patterns inspired the textured detailing of the new doorman podium, adding character within a limited budget. Brass metallic paint was used on steel grilles in place of solid brass, and existing sconce wiring was reused so the wall finishes could be restored rather than replaced.

The sconces were tested extensively in place to achieve the desired light levels without dimmers, while a new pendant fixture in the central coffer provided more even illumination. The floors and walls were lightly repaired and refinished, and new furniture and fabrics were selected to complement both the existing and new architectural finishes. Together, these improvements brought the prewar lobby into the 2020s without requiring a full gut renovation.