Palazzo Chupi
Encyclopedia
Palazzo Chupi at 360 West 11th Street between Washington
and West Streets in the West Village section of the Greenwich Village
neighborhood of Manhattan
, New York City
is a residential condominium
building built by artist Julian Schnabel
in the form of a homage
to the style of a Northern Italian palazzo
, built on top of a former horse stable. Schnabel uses the lower four floors, the former stable, as a studio. They also contain a parking garage, art gallery space and swimming pool.
The building, which contains five "palatial" units, is easy to spot because of its singular style and bold pink color. The name is taken from the trendy Spanish lollipop called "Chupa Chups
"; Schnabel uses Chupi as a pet name for his wife Olatz López Garmendia.
Schnabel says that he built the Palazzo "because I wanted more space, and because I thought I could sell two or three apartments to pay for that space, and I built it because I could."
's Xanadu
high above the remains of the West Village. But Green dismissed the building as a "brand extension for the omnivorous Mr. Schnabel."
Art critic Dodie Kazanjian
says that she regards the Palazzo as a "piece of art" by Schnabel. Playwright and novelist Paul Rudnick
, who lives across the street, considers the Palazzo to be "In the grand tradition of Manhattan white elephants, which make you wonder, Who lives there, and why? It's already a landmark. And it's much more in the tradition of the West Village, which is supposed to be outrageous and theatrical, than all those glass towers. When the transsexuals left it seems they were reincarnated as real estate... At least the Palazzo does them proud."
But Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
, describes Schnabel's building as "woefully out of context and a monument to this guy's ego." Berman has described the Palazzo Chupi as "an exploded Malibu Barbie
house." The building is situated less than a block outside the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
's Greenwich Village Historic District Extension I, and sits next door to 354 West 11th Street, a well-preserved Greek Revival row house dating from c.1841-42.
Washington Street (Manhattan)
Washington Street is a north-south street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Running from 14th Street in the Meatpacking District at its northernmost end to its southern end at Hubert Street in TriBeCa, Washington Street is, for its entire length, the westernmost street in lower Manhattan...
and West Streets in the West Village section of the Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
neighborhood of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
is a residential condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
building built by artist Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel is an American artist and filmmaker. In the 1980s, Schnabel received international media attention for his "plate paintings"—large-scale paintings set on broken ceramic plates....
in the form of a homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to the style of a Northern Italian palazzo
Palazzo
Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...
, built on top of a former horse stable. Schnabel uses the lower four floors, the former stable, as a studio. They also contain a parking garage, art gallery space and swimming pool.
The building, which contains five "palatial" units, is easy to spot because of its singular style and bold pink color. The name is taken from the trendy Spanish lollipop called "Chupa Chups
Chupa Chups
Chupa Chups is a lollipop company founded by the Catalan Enric Bernat in 1958, and currently owned by the Dutch-Italian multinational corporation Perfetti Van Melle. The name of the brand comes from the Spanish verb chupar, meaning "to suck."- History :...
"; Schnabel uses Chupi as a pet name for his wife Olatz López Garmendia.
Schnabel says that he built the Palazzo "because I wanted more space, and because I thought I could sell two or three apartments to pay for that space, and I built it because I could."
Critical response
According to a description by Penelope Green in the New York Times, Palazzo Chupi is "[c]inematic and lovely inside, [and] the condo-palazzos float like Citizen KaneCitizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
's Xanadu
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to...
high above the remains of the West Village. But Green dismissed the building as a "brand extension for the omnivorous Mr. Schnabel."
Art critic Dodie Kazanjian
Dodie Kazanjian
Dodie Kazanjian is an Armenian-American writer who specializes in the arts. She is the author or co-author of several books and currently is a contributing editor for Vogue magazine and director of Gallery Met at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.Kazanjian was born in 1952 in Newport, Rhode...
says that she regards the Palazzo as a "piece of art" by Schnabel. Playwright and novelist Paul Rudnick
Paul Rudnick
Paul M. Rudnick is an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. His plays include I Hate Hamlet, Jeffrey, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla and The New Century. He also wrote for Premiere magazine under the pseudonym Libby Gelman-Waxner, and for Spy.Rudnick grew up in Piscataway...
, who lives across the street, considers the Palazzo to be "In the grand tradition of Manhattan white elephants, which make you wonder, Who lives there, and why? It's already a landmark. And it's much more in the tradition of the West Village, which is supposed to be outrageous and theatrical, than all those glass towers. When the transsexuals left it seems they were reincarnated as real estate... At least the Palazzo does them proud."
But Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation is a non-profit organization that seeks to preserve the architectural heritage and cultural history of several neighborhoods of New York City: Greenwich Village, the East Village, the Far West Village, the South Village, Gansevoort Market,...
, describes Schnabel's building as "woefully out of context and a monument to this guy's ego." Berman has described the Palazzo Chupi as "an exploded Malibu Barbie
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
house." The building is situated less than a block outside the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
's Greenwich Village Historic District Extension I, and sits next door to 354 West 11th Street, a well-preserved Greek Revival row house dating from c.1841-42.
