Urban Elegance

In the 1920s and1930s, elegantly proportioned and classically detailed apartment buildings rose along Park and Fifth Avenues in New York, giving rise to the concept of the Golden Age of apartment living. After a significant hiatus, those design values are again at the forefront, spreading out from New York to cities across the country and to European, South American, and Asian centers. With the unprecedented success of 15 Central Park West and subsequently 220 Central Park South (site of the most expensive triplex in the world), RAMSA is the unquestioned leader in this arena. Unique to the firm s approach is a deep appreciation of history and context that informs their designs in cities around the world.

Urban Elegance showcases 18 of the firm s recent projects in exclusive residential enclaves in New York, South Florida, San Francisco, Chicago, Lima, London, Tianjian, and Shanghai designs that reflect the firm s commitment to modern classicism, but with a focus on interpreting the architecture for local climate and culture. Each location is introduced by a short essay describing the place, its history and architectural traditions, which inspired the form and materials of the building.

Dialogues between RAMSA partners Michael Jones, Gemma Kim, Daniel Lobitz, and Paul Whalen address the design intent as well as the final execution of the work. Lush photographs of the completed projects, capturing both the larger neighborhood context and the fine artisanal details, bring these extraordinary buildings to life. Many preliminary sketches, plans, and renderings reveal the meticulous process that characterizes all RAMSA designs