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Puck Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
NYC Landmark
from Houston Street (2010)
Location	295-307 Lafayette Street Manhattan, New York City
Built	1885–86
Architect	Albert and Herman Wagner
Architectural style	Rundbogenstil
NRHP reference No.	83001740
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 21, 1983
Designated NYCL	April 12, 1983

The Puck Building is a historic building located in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It occupies the block bounded by Lafayette, Houston, Mulberry and Jersey Streets.

An example of the German Rundbogenstil style of Romanesque Revival architecture, the building was designed by Albert Wagner, and was constructed in two parts. The north section was built in 1885–86, and the south addition in 1892–93. The front of the building – on Lafayette Street – was relocated in 1899 when the street – then called Elm Place – was widened, this was supervised by Herman Wagner. The building was rehabilitated in 1983–84 and further renovated in 1995 by Beyer Blinder Belle. The building sports two gilded statues by sculptor Henry Baerer of Shakespeare's character Puck, from A Midsummer's Night Dream, one on the northeast corner at Houston and Mulberry, and one over the main entrance on Lafayette.

The building is located at the northwestern corner of Manhattan's NoLIta neighborhood, bordered by SoHo and the NoHo section of Greenwich Village. It is owned by Kushner Properties, the company of Charles Kushner, a major donor to Democratic politicians in New Jersey, and his son Jared Kushner, the owner of The New York Observer.

History

Once the printing facility of J. Ottmann Lithographing Company and Puck Magazine, which ceased publication in 1918, the building later housed numerous independent printing firms and related printing services such as typesetters and a printing ink company, Superior Printing Ink. The odor of printing ink permeated the building for many years. An office stationery company, S. Novick & Son, once occupied the second floor. Notable among that firm's salesmen was Alger Hiss, the former Assistant Secretary of State, who was brought down in a spy scandal in the 1950s.

Owner Jared Kushner sought approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to erect six penthouse apartments at the top of the red-brick building. After initially being turned down in October 2011, Kushner made two modifications and his plans were approved. The first of the six units closed in May 2014, selling for $28 million.

Tenants

In the 1980s, the Puck Building was the original home of Spy Magazine. Starting in 1986, the building housed the Manhattan Center of Pratt Institute.

Since 2004, the building has been used by New York University for the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and the department of sociology. The building contains both office and retail space as well as ballrooms for large events on both the top and ground floors. The retail space was added when the building underwent a large-scale renovation beginning in October 2011.

In 2011, REI opened a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m) store spanning the building's first three levels. The renovation was designed by architects Callison and includes an area that showcases the history of the Puck Building.

In popular culture

• During Little Italy's annual Feast of San Gennaro, which takes place on Mulberry Street, strings of lights are strung from the building's Mulberry Street walls.
• An exterior shot of the Puck Building is seen in the American television sitcom Will & Grace, as the building where the title character Grace Adler (played by Debra Messing) works.
• An exterior shot of the Puck Building was seen on the American television Seinfeld in the episode "The Kicks", when Elaine hosts a company party there.
• The final scene of the 1989 Kevin Kline film January Man was shot at the Puck Building, featuring both interior and exterior shots.
• The Puck Building serves as the venue for a black-tie party in the 1991 Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho.

References

Notes

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. "New York Architecture Images- Puck Building". nyc-architecture.com. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
3. ^ White, Norval & Willensky, Elliot (2000). AIA Guide to New York City (4th ed.). New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0-8129-3107-5. p.87
4. Friedman, Walter & Opdycke, Sandra "Puck" in Jackson, Kenneth T., ed. (1995). The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0300055366. p.961
5. White, G. Edward (2010-11-17). "Alger Hiss's Campaign for Vindication (PDF)" (PDF). Boston University Law Review. 83 (64). HeinOnline: 77. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
6. Horsley, Carter. "The Puck Penthouses, 293 Lafayette Street". City Realty.
7. Riley, Sam G.; and Selnow, Gary W. Regional Interest Magazines of the United States, p. 320. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1991. ISBN 9780313268403. Accessed May 8, 2016. "Spy was originally housed in the Puck Building in Downtown Manhattan."
8. Kennedy, Shawn G. (August 20, 1986) "Real Estate; A New Use For Puck Building", The New York Times Accessed May 8, 2016. "Pratt has taken the second floor and will move its Manhattan Center there from 160 Lexington Avenue."
9. "NYU Inks Deal for 'Dream Space' in Puck Building", New York University, June 21, 2013. Accessed May 8, 2016. "New York University and Kushner Companies announced that the University has signed a 15-year lease for three floors, comprising 75,000 square feet of contiguous space, in the historic Puck Building, 295 Lafayette Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood."
10. ^ Mao, Tien (2 December 2011). "Photos: REI SoHo Opens Its Doors in the Puck Building". Gothamist. New York. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
11. "On Set in the Village", Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, September 30, 2011. Accessed May 8, 2016. "Let’s start with Will & Grace. Where was Grace Adler Designs located? Why, in the Puck Building of course."
12. Ellis, Bret Easton (1991) American Psycho New York: Vintage. p.126 ISBN 0-679-73577-1

External links

• The Puck Building (caterer's commercial site)
• Puck Building on New York Architecture

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