Lehman Mansion
New York City

The Challenge

The Lehman Mansion is one of the most exquisite buildings in New York City located on the former Millionaire’s Row on West 54th Street.  The landmark Lehman Mansion was to be renovated for a hedge fund group with a clear vision of preserving the beauty and Beaux-Arts-style charm while converting the space into commercial offices.

The Solution

The solution to creating a space that would fit historically and create a real draw was found with OpenAire’s retractable roof enclosure that enhanced the outdoor feel of being on the roof-top of one of the most breathtaking buildings in New York City. The dramatic retractable roof enclosure by OpenAire measures 23’ / 7m by 16’ / 4.9m and the structure is 12’ / 3.6m tall at its highest point. The opening roof is controlled by heat and rain sensors that allows the roof to open or close automatically to optimize climate control. Additionally, large bi-folding doors open to enhance the outdoor feel.

OpenAire was able to capture the historic feel of the building all while introducing a modern, innovation roof design. Lehman Mansion is easily one of the most desired NYC buildings; with its preserved beauty and Beaux-Arts-style charm now converted into commercial offices.

“Our vision was to create the first NYC Landmark building to house a state-of-art retractable roof and wall system.” states Kenneth J. Van Liew, P.E. of Global Development Services Inc. “After researching several options it was clear to us that OpenAire was the perfect match with high-tech systems and service to meet our goals“.