Frosbrand Plaza

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Frosbrand Plaza is located in Manhattan, in the center of the Flatiron District. The building itself is sixty floors high, with three levels of underground parking and service/maintenance space.

It is divided into three "towers," with a large, circular central atrium that is open to a glassed-in "light well" that filters natural light down into the majority of the building. The very top of the atrium is a glassed-in dome, with a complex series of nearly entirely self-sustaining "oxygen farm" hydroponics system. The building's central air circulation system filters through here, taking advantage of the fresh oxygen-rich environment and making it available throughout the building. The atrium-top is scattered with benches, and is a popular stop for lunch breaks by building employees.

The bottom two floors are dedicated retail and service industry space, including an American fusion cuisine restauruant. The thirty-three floors above those are allocated to high-end business offices. Frosbrand Industries North America occupies the next twenty floors, and the very top five floors are owned by Teodor Frosbrand, the heir apparent of the Frosbrand financial empire.

Rooftop

Frosbrand-roof.jpg

The two towertops surrounding the atrium are dedicated public space, primarily set up for the oxygen farm atrium space and a pair of helipads, with access to the various banks of elevators. The third tower is part of the space owned by Teodor Frosbrand.

Lounge Space

Accessed by a singular hallway from the rest of the rooftop, Teodor's rooftop lounge space features a large panoramic glass wall facing the rest of Manhattan, but is constructed to blank out the comings and goings of the rest of the rooftop.

  • Pub Lounge: Decorated as an old-fashioned British pub, complete with dart board and dark wood pub tables, this lounge area sits some five feet above the Pool Lounge area, separated by the elevated floor and polished wooden railing. It includes a couple of unisex bathrooms, and a kitchen and back-of-house area fully capable of turning out informal meals. It also includes a full bar in the back-of-house.
  • Observatory: Off the pub lounge is a large observatory. In the center of the room is a large professional telescope, set up to an electronics system that displays the instrument's views onto plasma screens across the back wall of the observatory. Along the windowed wall are set a number of large, swivel settees that can shift to view the skyline outside or the sky displays on the back wall.

Pool Lounge

A broad, open white marbled expanse of floor dominated by a large salt water pool that abuts the glass wall looking out over Manhattan.

  • Hot Tub & Salt Pool: A hot tub that is slightly higher in the floor than the pool below it constantly gurgles a trickle of warm water into the pool via a "water fall" trickle down the wall that separates the pool and tub. The result is that the salt pool is usually fairly warm, and reaches about eight feet in depth.
  • Changing Rooms: Along the far wall across from the pool is a pair of doors that lead into very simple wood paneled changing rooms. There are small shower stalls within as well, and a set of doors that lead to the outdoor pool area.

Outdoor Pool Area

The outdoor pool area is constructed to maximize the amount of sky it has available to it, while still blocking off the intrusive sight of the public portions of the rooftop, and frame the city skyline well.

  • Outdoor Showers: Simple set of showers for washing off cholorine after a swim, these showers are built as miniature waterfalls along the back wall, with round, smooth stone pebbled floors.
  • Loggia: Elevated some five feet above the rooftop proper, this loggia is based on old Italian loggia designs, but using the hard geographical lines that dominate the rest of Teodor's property here. Plants are hung from the pillars most seasons of the year, and torchieres hang from the arches at night. This gallery provides an excellent view of the city, making an excellent use of glass retaining walls to safely bound the building's open edges without sacrificing the view. Various small collections of furnishings are scattered along the loggia, usually built around outdoor fire-tables, and backed by pedestals with statuary or potted plants to create small intimate pockets.
  • Olympic Pool: A full 50 meter Olympic pool that is a continual ten feet in depth, the pool is dominated by two features at either end: its sunning fountain and a hot tub lanai.
    • Sunning Fountain: The sunning fountain is a cross-shaped construction of marble that spans the top of the pool, with "tunnels" cut into two of the arms that allow swimmers passage. The "pockets" formed by the arms are only four feet deep, and include ladders. The fountain constantly trickles a spray of warm water down the geometric angles of the stepped fountain, and its surface is perfect for sunbathers. It also includes an arm that juts out into the pool itself for diving.
    • Hot Tub Lanai: Raised some eight feet above the pool's surface is a round wall-less, roofed construction supported by round pillars. Two gentle staircases rise to a shaded lounge area decorated with furnishings and plantlife, and then ascend another step into a large, four-foot-deep hot tub. Hot water constantly overflows the edge of the tub, rushing down a small stepped descent to fall as a waterfall down to the pool's surface below.
  • Outdoor Kitchen: A full outdoor kitchen - including a massive fifteen-foot wide grill flanked by a smoker on one side and a full oven-and-range on the other - is set on a platform some five feet above the pool level (flush with the loggia across the rooftop). It has room for plentiful seating, as well, and is often the center of parties during the warm summer months.
  • Sauna & Steam Room: Constructed with the same smooth-stoned pebbled floors as the outdoor showers, the sauna and steam room are constructed in traditional Swedish style, with natural woods, albeit on a larger scale.
  • Poolside Bar & Lounge: Just off the loggia is a large bar space, with not only a bar that opens out onto the outdoor portion of the roof, but also an indoor bar space that opens onto a glass-walled lounge that overlooks the city vista. Though the bar is often used informally at Teodor's parties, it's also been the site of several fundraisers since it was built.

Sixtieth Floor

Frosbrand-60.jpg

The sixtieth floor is Teodor's personal domicile, with a positively extravagant amount of living and personal entertaining space. The atrium area is most of his personal living and working space, with the first tower acting as the center for his household's dining and provisional needs. Tower two acts as space for his personal guests, such as friends and family (compared to the guest suites on the xxx floor, which tend to be for acquaintances and business associates, or associates of his father's he's been forced to put up).

Atrium

Most of the rooms in the atrium are decorated in the white and silver style that Teodor's decorator favored for the interior design of this portion of the floor.

  • Elevators: There are several elevators scattered throughout the atrium. The main bank of three elevators doesn't even stop on this floor. In order to gain access to the floor, a guest has to be admitted via the security protocols used in Teodor's home: someone entering the elevator and pressing the button for any of Teodor's floors sends a message to the security system (usually monitored by the building security, who check to see if the guest is expected and if not, the request is routed to the butler, Ludwig Kramer or Teodor's assistant Helena Aeldenstodt) which gives them a snapshot of the elevator interior, immediate telephone access to the speaker in that elevator and the option to either give the go-ahead to the elevator to bring them to the floor or to summon security to deal with the issue. Teodor can opt-in on the elevator security if he chooses.
  • Storage Foyer: The set of elevators that lead to this foyer are considered "behind the house" function, usually used by maintenance, security, domestics and the like. This foyer is also where Teodor's luggage is stored when he is at home, or where it is staged if he is preparing to depart.
  • Storage: Large industrial shelves line these walls, with large crates of valuables and furnishings in the center of the space. This room serves as general household storage, and only Ludwig and Helena have keys.
  • Morning Room: A wide open floor plan, with a central dining table, meal buffet against one wall. The curving glass wall gives a view of the Manhattan skyline, and a large screen above the buffet often displays entertainment or news.
  • Personal Library: Decorated with shelving that displays none of the stodgy literature that "should" go in a library, and plenty of the strange books that form the corpus of Teodor's eclectic taste in reading, the library also features a large touch screen table top with easy access to a variety of e-media and websites.
  • Office & Conference Room: Probably the least used areas of Teodor's personal space, the office and conference room are done in identical decor, with glass table tops and chrome finishes. A salt water fish tank separates the two rooms. Helena is far likelier to be found in the office or meeting with persons of importance in the conference room than Teodor is.
  • Sitting Room: A long, curved social space decorated in the whites and silvers of the atrium's interior design.
Atrium-design.jpg
  • Master Suite: A huge bedroom space, with a central king-sized bed on a platform, plus a full suite of electronic entertainments.
  • Dressing & Wardrobe: A dressing chamber with different walk-in wardrobe rooms, each for a different atmosphere (casual, professional, elegant social, sports, etc) up against the back wall and a vanity space that looked out over the cityscape. The room also includes a valet's station for quick clothing repair and preparation.
  • Master Bath: The most noticeable feature in this room is a rough stone wall. On one side of it, toward the center of the room, it forms one wall of the otherwise glass-walled shower, with a cascade of water pouring over its edge as a waterfall. On the other side, the stone wall serves as the backdrop for a recessed bath that abuts the glass wall. A pair of toilets, ample sink space and a host of other amenities (all electronically controlled) finish off this room.
  • Kitchen: A well-appointed personal kitchen set up with plenty of ingredients for snacking. Though Teodor doesn't really cook, this kitchen is set up for simple food preparation. Most of the time, though, it is stocked with already-prepared foods and the like.
  • Garden Room: A room decorated with well-maintained foliage, the garden room's main feature is a small plunge pool, which is set into the floor and abuts the glass wall of the room.
  • Cocktail Lounge: A beverage station with a king's ransom in alcohols lines one wall, and a saltwater aquarium separates this lounge from the office. There is a clear glass bar with stools along the curving glass outer wall, and a few scattered armchairs and small side tables in the middle of the lounge.

Tower One (Dining)

  • Large formal dining rooms still prevail and are a must for indoor formal entertaining.
  • A butler’s pantry between the kitchen and formal dining area that may be equipped with china cabinets, lined flatware drawers, crystal storage and wine refrigeration.
  • An oversized and well-organized pantry in the kitchen that has room for a freezer.
  • A temperature-controlled wine room that might even accommodate a tasting table or two.
  • kitchens everywhere in the home
  • One of the most expensive homes sold in 2010 featured a swan pond. While a swan pond might be the ultimate, nothing is making a bigger splash outside than water features. Koi ponds, fountains and waterfalls enliven sight and sound, adding sparkle and a dimension to landscapes that few other amenities can deliver. In the last 10 years, pools have gone from being eyesores to eye candy, blending artfully with the landscape, often valued more as a design feature than a place to play. On everybody’s wish list are cocktail pools — small pools that look pretty and are the ideal backdrop for drinks.

Tower Two (Guests)

  • Personal guest rooms.
  • A sunroom may be located anywhere in the home, but provides a casual place to enjoy sunshine and views.
  • salt-water aquariums
  • kitchens everywhere in the home
  • Beverage centers are a new activity zone in the kitchen. Located away from the cooking area, they might include a built-in espresso machine, beverage chillers and some wine storage.

Tower Three (Amenities)

  • Personal gyms are a common requirement in luxury homes. They are typically located off the master bedroom or near outdoor amenities.
  • The plush home theater with cushy seats, popcorn machine and huge screen have become very popular.
  • A home library offers a quiet room for books, reading and reflection.
  • A sunroom may be located anywhere in the home, but provides a casual place to enjoy sunshine and views.
  • beauty salons
  • salt-water aquariums
  • kitchens everywhere in the home
  • Perceived as the place to renew mind, body and soul, homes today are also called upon to facilitate well-being. A home gym or exercise room is a must-have. The most elaborate have additional space for yoga and Pilates, along with all the basic equipment. No home gym would be restorative without the additional pampering of a home spa. Not too long ago, a sauna and perhaps an indoor hot tub were considered ample enough, but today steam showers, a sauna spacious enough to accommodate several people, a massage room and a hot tub are considered essentials. And, whether it’s a modest resistance pool or a grand affair reminiscent of a roman bath, an indoor pool is nirvana for many.
  • Fencing salle
  • Can anything be as nurturing as a library? As beautiful as they are utilitarian, libraries are as much a place to strategize, plan and recharge as they are a home for books. Lately, almost every upscale home seems to have a library, even if it’s just a cozy spot for cognac or port at the end of the day.

Fifty-Ninth Floor

  • Guest Floor. This has a number of mini-apartments, as well as a grand set of simple guest rooms.
  • Suites: 4 bedrooms, kitchen, dining, baths, study/office
  • beauty salons
  • One of the most expensive homes sold in 2010 featured a swan pond. While a swan pond might be the ultimate, nothing is making a bigger splash outside than water features. Koi ponds, fountains and waterfalls enliven sight and sound, adding sparkle and a dimension to landscapes that few other amenities can deliver. In the last 10 years, pools have gone from being eyesores to eye candy, blending artfully with the landscape, often valued more as a design feature than a place to play. On everybody’s wish list are cocktail pools — small pools that look pretty and are the ideal backdrop for drinks.
  • No matter how many rooms or how many square feet, the kitchen is still the heart of the home. Here, the ideal is a mix of finishes, several different places to hang out and to dine, and a warm ambiance. Wood is back in vogue with natural or dark tones on some of the cabinetry or exotic varieties such as rosewood or Tasmanian Blackwood topping a peninsular or counter. A stove such as La Cornue’s Grand Palais 180 may be the ideal for some, but there never have been so many options for the cook. Some of the newest appliances combine steam and convection or conventional heating. For many, the newest “must have” in the kitchen is an induction cooktop.
  • Beverage centers are a new activity zone in the kitchen. Located away from the cooking area, they might include a built-in espresso machine, beverage chillers and some wine storage.

Fifty-Eighth Floor

  • Entertainment Floor. This has a wide expanse of social and entertainment space, including a personal theater, gym, social areas, a small ballroom, a grand dining room and similar spaces.
  • A game room that might hold a pool table, arcade games and even a karaoke stage.
  • A high-ceilinged music room for the grand piano and other musical enjoyment.
  • indoor shooting ranges
  • ballrooms
  • In spite of ubiquitous flat screens, builders, architects and real estate professionals tell us home theaters, still very much in demand, have become a luxury mainstay. The word game room may conjure up flashbacks to rec rooms of the 1960s, but there is nothing dated about the video and arcade games found in these spaces today, unless of course it’s a classic such as billiards, which has always found a place in luxury homes. Homeowners today are asking for full-blown pubs, complete with darts and a full poker table.
  • High on some wish lists, particularly in cold climes, is an indoor sport court. And even with a couple of feet of snow on the course, golf addicts can still get their fix and hone their game with virtual golf. Plus, how else can one get the opportunity to play a number of legendary courses, all in the same day?
  • Can anything be as nurturing as a library? As beautiful as they are utilitarian, libraries are as much a place to strategize, plan and recharge as they are a home for books. Lately, almost every upscale home seems to have a library, even if it’s just a cozy spot for cognac or port at the end of the day.
  • One of the most expensive homes sold in 2010 featured a swan pond. While a swan pond might be the ultimate, nothing is making a bigger splash outside than water features. Koi ponds, fountains and waterfalls enliven sight and sound, adding sparkle and a dimension to landscapes that few other amenities can deliver. In the last 10 years, pools have gone from being eyesores to eye candy, blending artfully with the landscape, often valued more as a design feature than a place to play. On everybody’s wish list are cocktail pools — small pools that look pretty and are the ideal backdrop for drinks.
  • Nothing symbolized glamour more than ballrooms. Ballrooms are rare today, but that doesn’t mean the penchant for glamour and grand entertaining is passé. Living rooms, grand salons and conservatories still host large-scale events that spill out to terraces and patios. Formal dining rooms, spacious enough to seat 20 or more, are another must-have, especially as the price of the home increases. Wine cellars continue to be an important feature of upscale homes, not only to display wines and sip vintages, but to also ensure top-notch libations. A catering kitchen, or at the very least a working pantry, is a must to facilitate large events.

Fifty-Seventh Floor

  • Domestics Floor. This floor has a lot of the "behind the scenes" spaces for his home, including pantries, domestic living spaces and storage areas.
  • A large laundry and project room may have multiple washers and dryers, a steam closet, and cabinets for project storage. It should also have space for a large, multi-purpose table.
  • professional laundries

Fifty-Sixth Floor

  • Buffer Floor. Teodor consider this a "buffer" from the rest of the building, a wide open vacant floor with no features other than support structures. He may choose to use it to expand into in the future, but for now it sits unoccupied.

Amenities

  • The feature most in-demand today, according to real estate professionals and designers, are smart home technologies that monitor and manage systems inside and outside the house. Whether the task is making sure the doors are locked, turning on heaters under the driveway to clear the snow, adjusting shades, changing the indoor temperature or turning on or off an appliance and light, owners now can get the job done from anywhere in the world using their smart phones. Lighting a room today requires more than switching on a lamp; rather, layers of lighting from ambient to task are mixed to match the different functions of a room. Lighting controls make it easy to switch from one to another with touch screen or remote.