Though the concrete grille of intersecting squares and circles covering the front of modernist architect Edward Durell Stone's Upper East Side townhouse is undoubtedly its most striking feature, the facade has seen its fare share of criticism. The first wave came after Stone added it as part of his 1956 revision of the 1878 home, which also included ripping out interior walls and putting in a large skylight and a glass-covered patio. (As Curbed NY notes, Stone was no stranger to taking flak, as his Gallery of Modern Art was described as a "turkey" by one critic. Noteworthy standouts from his long list of other works include MoMa, Radio City Music Hall, and one Wright-ish A-frame that could be facing demolition.) The second threat to the home's eye-catching facade came when Stone's youngest son, Benjamin Hicks Stone, attempted to remove it during a renovation but was thwarted by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, who deemed it worthy of protection in 1981. The home's current owners—Knoll CEO Andrew Cogan and his wife, Lori Finkel, who bought it in 2004 for $4.95M, when it was apparently "a bit of a wreck"—hired Hicks Stone to do another year-long restoration after they acquired it, and listed the place last fall for $9.995M.
· Architect's Once-Controversial, Modernist Home Wants $10M [Curbed NY]
· Historic Edward Durell Stone Townhouse [Sotheby's]
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