125 West 25th Street Building Repositioning

New York, New York

For the last decade, New York has experienced a boom in tech startups, entertainment companies, design and creative firms, and coworking environments. Reflecting the Chelsea neighborhood’s evolution into “Silicon Alley,” we repurposed an industrial warehouse building at 125 West 25th Street into a modernized, multi-use, Class A office building for tenants with forward-thinking businesses. Mancini provided full architectural design services for Normandy Real Estate Partners’ capital redevelopment program.

125 West 25th Street Redesign

The façade was completely refreshed to include new windows from the ground up. The lower three floors engage the street front with floor‑to‑ceiling glazing that would draw shoppers and passersby into the spaces, an attractive feature to potential retail and multipurpose tenants. Upper‑story windows were replaced from small double hung units to full-size warehouse-style casement windows that give the entire building a fresh, contemporary look while taking the building’s industrial past into account. A new canopy hangs over the entrance and an inviting lobby welcomes tenants and visitors. In total, the building’s 140,000 square feet have been modernized across all 12 floors.

From the lobby, tenants can access each floor by new state-of-the-art elevators. The elevators even reach the penthouse level that features the building’s most attractive amenity—north- and south-facing terraces. Completely redesigned, the penthouse maximizes available zoning square footage while also creating a unique amenity space to attract future tenants.

Our modernization design included new HVAC systems, new plumbing, and updated mechanical systems. Each floor was designed to current ADA requirements. The building’s core also was updated to reflect current code requirements, and new bathroom facilities on each floor are tucked into the northwest corner to maximize window area for natural light penetration and to optimize flexible floor plates. These upgrades afforded LEED BD+C Gold designation.

For clients like Normandy who seek top-tier tenants, the modernization design delivered a flexible interior geared toward typical tenants of the neighborhood. We provided a variety of test‑fit scenarios for clients to review when considering the space. For example, when Peloton signed a lease for the top floors of the building, this flexible floorplate allowed Mancini to create a unified work environment unique to their company and needs.