This December, the Trust for Architectural Easements will provide the opportunity to tour the little-seen courtyard of the Belnord, a palatial, Renaissance-style apartment building occupying a full city block in the heart of the Upper West Side.
The 13-story limestone and terra cotta building – the largest elevator apartment building in the world upon its completion in 1908 – was designed to attract affluent tenants to the Upper West Side, and featured spacious living quarters, a host of modern amenities, as well as “the largest private open air garden in the world” – a 22,000 square foot courtyard, complete with flower beds, pear trees, and an impressive Italian marble fountain at its center.
Designed by architect H. Hobart Weekes to provide residents with pleasant, tranquil views and a sense of privacy, The Belnord’s courtyard was functional as well as beautiful, encircled by a driveway loop linked to the street by barrel-vaulted passageways painted with neoclassical frescos.
Self-guided tours of the courtyard will be available November 30th – December 13th 2011, from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., and will be managed by the Trust for Architectural Easements. For more information, please email the Trust at info@architecturaltrust.org, or call 888-831-2107.
