The design of The Fitzroy originated from Roman and Williams and owners JDS/Largo’s mutual appreciation for specific New York buildings, and the commitment to creating a structure that could stand as a touchstone among these icons. 

As Roman and Williams began working, we asked ourselves: “What is our ideal manifestation of  a New York architecture?”  We continually returned for inspiration to a truncated period at the turn of the century, when traditional architectural masonry was having difficulty adapting to the new vertical potential of structural steel. 

With its ability to articulate ornamentation and stretch to new heights, the ancient technology of Terracotta emerged as a sophisticated material solution - 

the ‘baked earth’ arose out of a connection to craft that predated machine-age standardization and could be fitted quickly and without contradiction to its steel structure.

In addition, the unique grid of mortar used in the installation added a texture that appears to weave across the surface. These two elements together enhanced the new scale of New York buildings and mirrored a defining moment in the city, when a sensitive romantic and emotional connection with beauty achieved a synthesis with unapologetic upward ambitions and optimism. This synthesis is what we chose to elaborate on.