In 2024, construction has started to convert the former Goethe House at 1014 Fifth Avenue in New York into a modern platform for trans-Atlantic dialogue and exchange. Based on the plans by British architect Sir David Chipperfield, together with New York-based KARO Architects and Paratus Group, 1014 will yet again become a vibrant, beautifully restored place for experts and creatives from both sides of the Atlantic.
The six-story Beaux-Art style building in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has belonged to the Federal Republic of Germany since 1960. Once home to former U.S. Ambassador to Berlin, James W. Gerard, it then served as the GoetheInstitut New York. Since 2017, 1014 Fifth Avenue has provided a space for ideas organized with the help of the independent not-forprofit organization 1014 Inc.
“The trans-Atlantic partnership continues to be of critical importance as disruptions to our political and economic landscape, technological advances, and a changing planet affect the way we live,” says Andreas Fibig, Chairman and President of 1014.
The Chipperfield design creates a modern, open, and inviting public space while preserving the domestic character of the townhouse. It is mindful of its history while opening the space for contemporary use. The beautiful building with a rich cultural tradition and transAtlantic legacy stands once again on the cusp of change.
THE AMBASSADOR’S HOME
Having lived in the adjoining home at No. 1015 Fifth Avenue since 1919, former U.S. Ambassador James W. Gerard and his wife, Mary D. Gerard, bought 1014 Fifth Avenue from their neighbors in 1926. Before moving in, the Gerards renovated and expanded the townhouse.
After returning from Berlin in 1917, James Gerard devoted his efforts to Democratic Party politics as a speaker, fundraiser, and advisor. He decried anti-Semitism in the U.S. and abroad and – as a confidant of Presidents Roosevelt and Truman –served as an envoy for the 1937 coronation of King George VI.
At 1014 Fifth Avenue, Mary and James Gerard hosted many dinners and cocktail parties, often for international guests, including from Europe. Tapping into their network of political and judicial leaders, journalists, business moguls, and academics, they made their home a social hub that reverberated far beyond New York City.
The Gerards’ pursuit to improve trans-Atlantic relations after the end of the First World War unfolded right in their home and started a legacy at 1014 Fifth Avenue that continued for the next 100 years.
“I find a deep and bitter irony in the marvelous advances in science and technology which contrast so strangely with our backwardness in the art of living with one another.”
James W. Gerard, 1951
After James and Mary Gerard passed away in 1951 and 1956, their household employees received a large inheritance and continued living and working in the house, with full pay, for at least a few months. This forward-thinking gesture was prominently featured in The New York Times.
THE GOETHE HOUSE YEARS
Goethe House New York brought literature, film, music, art, science, and philosophy to 1014 Fifth Avenue. The organization was founded in 1955 as a New York-based not-forprofit educational institute to strengthen U.S.-German cultural relations in the aftermath of the Second World War. It moved into the former Gerard mansion in 1961 after the German government purchased the building from the Gerard estate for $325,000.
In 1969, Goethe House became part of the global network of the GoetheInstitut. For nearly 50 years, the house hosted lectures, exhibitions, screenings, concerts, and other cultural programs.
For many intellectuals driven out of Germany by the Nazi regime, the trauma of displacement did not change their passion for literature, science, and the arts. The Goethe-Institut New York, through its programs and library, offered emigrants and refugees a link to new currents in German arts and letters – and the cultural heritage they had been forced to leave behind. Many renowned politicians, intellectuals, filmmakers, and artists from Germany as well as the United States met in Goethe House and turned it into a vibrant place for transAtlantic exchange.
In 2009, the Goethe-Institut New York re-established itself downtown. In 2016, the German parliament decided to allocate funds for a complete refurbishment of 1014 Fifth Avenue. Politicians across party-lines agreed to preserve the rich cultural tradition and trans-Atlantic legacy of the renowned building while seeking a modern and contemporary concept for its future use.
A SPACE FOR IDEAS
To revitalize 1014 Fifth Avenue, the German Academy New York, Inc. was established in 2017 as a new institution with approval and initial funding from the German parliament. This New York-based notfor-profit organization was renamed and branded “1014 — space for ideas” in 2019. A Board of Directors as well as an Advisory Council with renowned members from the United States and Germany oversee its operations.
Cultural programming has accelerated during the past seven years as 1014 has developed both a virtual and physical presence at 1014 Fifth Avenue. To date, 1014 has hosted an array of exhibitions, performances, installations, talks and symposia. In 1014 events, contemporary works and ideas contrast with the building’s historic interiors, building a bridge between tradition and innovation, past and present.
1014 brings people together from both sides of the Atlantic to creatively engage with today’s global topics. Cooperating closely with partner organizations, 1014 fosters individual and institutional friendships that span diverse backgrounds and continents.
Upon completion of the refurbishment, 1014 will also offer a residency program and invite pioneering thinkers and creatives to stay in its premises, fostering an atmosphere of innovation, dialogue and exchange throughout the building.
THE NEW DESIGN
The proposal An Open House / A Sharing House / A House as Home by Chipperfield Architects, KARO Architects, and Paratus Group won the design competition of the anonymous, international tender procedure in 2021. The jury was composed of representatives of the German government, parliament, as well as independent architects and renowned experts in the cultural field. They awarded first place to the Chipperfield design because of its focus on bridging the past and future. Working with the existing structure, Chipperfield only added what is necessary for modern use.
“The domestic quality of the building is retained and reinforced not just as a combination of new and old but as a seamless whole – a continuity of connected spaces allowing limitless possibilities” (David Chipperfield, Design Proposal, 2020).
The Chipperfield design envisions a more welcoming Fifth Avenue entrance, a transparent rear façade, and multiple outdoor spaces. A new light-filled, two-storyhigh Common Room on the third level connects the public program areas in the lower half of the building with residential spaces above. The heart of the building remains the Auditorium with its traditional wood paneling. The design also improves the building’s energy performance, accessibility, and safety features.
“This approach embeds physical purpose in the existing and new spaces, giving 1014 new life, new vigour” (David Chipperfield, Design Proposal, 2020).
Bundesbau Baden-Württemberg (BBBW) supervises the refurbishment of 1014 Fifth Avenue, one of the last publicly accessible townhouses along the Museum Mile. Having experience with construction in the United States, BBBW was commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Housing, Construction and Urban Development on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office to take on this task.
With the support of private donors, corporate sponsors, and foundations, 1014 Fifth Avenue will once again become a vibrant place for trans-Atlantic dialogue and exchange in the heart of New York City; a space to reside, engage, invent, inspire, and forge meaningful connections.
The Auditorium on the second floor remains the heart of the building, retaining its character while receiving state of the art technical equipment for modern events.
The new, two-story high Common Room connects the public areas of the lower floors with the private apartments of the residing six fellows on the upper floors.
The Exhibition Room on the second floor retains its 20th century townhouse character reminiscent of the Gerard family but includes features for contemporary exhibitions.
The Lobby maintains its grand atmosphere with a new entrance area that will be easily accessible for people with restricted mobility.
A Foyer will connect the Lobby to the Garden Room and will offer a second staircase.
The Garden Room on the first floor invites 1014 members and guests to relax and mingle, with access to the beautiful garden space.
IMPRINT
1014 Inc. www.1014.nyc
2024
In cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bundesbau BadenWürttemberg, Chipperfield Architects, KARO Architects, Paratus Group, And with support of the Goethe-Institut
Some text passages are taken from the exhibition 1014 Past & Future (www.1014pastandfuture.org) by curator Gideon Fink Shapiro.
Design by büro uebele, Stuttgart
Image Credits
All Renderings and Drawings by DCA London pp. 2-3: KARO Architects; Bain, Library of Congress; Wurts Bros. Museum of the City of New York collection; pp. 4-5: New York Public Library collection; (JeanMichel Basquiat and Andy Warhol) Goethe-Institut; (Günther Grass) GoetheInstitut; (Helmut Schmidt and Hildegard Hamm-Brücher) Carin Drechsler-Marx; pp. 6-7: (Stray Bird by New Chamber Ballet) Arnaud Flachier; (Seat#16 by Jenny Brockmann) Sarah Blesener; Sarah Blesener; Rafa Ayoub; p. 10/11: Karin Kohlberg; p. 19: (Exhibition view of “Elias Wessel — It’s Complicated, Is Possibly Art”) EWS-Studio.
