433 West End Avenue, AKA 431-439 West End Avenue, 300-302 West 81st Street

431-433 West End Avenue

Date: 1973-1975

NB Number: NB 43-1973

Type:  Institutional

Architect:  Costas Machlouzarides

Developer/Owner/Builder: The Calhoun School

NYC Landmarks Designation:  Historic District

Landmark Designation Report: Riverside Drive – West End Historic District Extension I

National Register Designation: N/A

Primary Style:  None

Primary Facade:   Concrete, Glass, Stucco, and Travertine

Stories: 5, now 8

Window Type/Material: See Structure

Structure:   Significant Architectural Features: Concrete piloti at ground floor; bronze tinted glass curtain walls at first through fifth stories; bowed travertine clad enframement; metal spandrels; Special Windows: Windows with non-rectilinear frames

Building Notes: Mailing address is on West End Avenue but entrance faces West 81st Street.

Site Features: Black granite terrace with concrete deck engraved with “The Calhoun Learning Center;” metal fence with signage; planting beds; metal benches; enclosure with metal fence at first story; siamese hydrants on north and east

Notable History and Residents: The Calhoun School, originally the Jacobi School, was established in 1896 by Laura Jacobi at 158-160 West 80th Street as a “brother and sister” school, then evolved into a school for the daughters of the city’s Jewish elite. The school moved to 309 West 92nd Street in 1923 and the following year it was renamed The Calhoun School in honor of Mary Edwards Calhoun, Headmistress from 1916 to 1942. A co-educational program for the lower grades that ended in 1937 was re-established in 1958. The middle and upper school became co-ed in 1971. The current building by Costas Machlouzarides replaced the two townhouses at 431 and 433 West End Avenue that housed the lower school beginning in 1958. The addition, which was designed by FX Fowle (2003-04), includes a gym, theater, laboratories, and an eco-friendly rooftop learning center.

East Facade: Designed (historic, altered) Windows: Historic Sidewalk Material(s): Concrete Curb Material(s): Concrete with metal nosing Areaway Wall/Fence Materials: Possibly original metal fence Areaway Paving Material: Concrete

South Facade: Not designed (historic) (partially visible) Facade Notes: Stucco; ribbon windows with louvers; rooftop bulkhead and fence; thin vertical wall at southwest corner of roof; pipe or chimney 

North Facade: Designed (historic) Facade Notes: Possibly historic staircase with metal treads and pipe railings; bronze glass and black brick at first story; possibly historic entrance with metal and glass doors; The Calhoun School in raised letters; concrete terrace with planters, bike rack and concrete trash bins; basement with glass windows, some partially infilled with vents or fans.

West Facade: Not designed (historic) (partially visible) Facade Notes: Stucco; setbacks; bulkhead, mechanical equipment area with metal mesh; ribbon and hopper widow; chimney, fence and railings

Historic District: Riverside Drive-West End HD Extension I

Alterations: Four-story addition: ribbon windows at sixth and eighth stories; stucco facade; tall metal mesh fence; rooftop lab and mechanical equipment; large louvered vent at first story; remote utility meters

References: “Calhoun School: School History” (http://www.calhoun.org/page.cfm?p=13 accessed October 24, 2011)