For the Polish-born architect Daniel Libeskind, the crossroads of west Tribeca in lower Manhattan have been the nexus of his private and professional life for over a decade: his 2,100-square-foot loft sits just five blocks north of ground zero, and in 2003, Libeskind won the competition to be the Master Plan architect for the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, which today stands in finished form. 

Known for his daring, angular constructions that almost always sit in stark contrast to their urban surroundings, some of Libeskind’s most well-known works include the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Denver Art Museum, and the Wohl Center in Israel. 

As jarring as his architecture can be, Libeskind’s own home is arguably an understatement, a discrete space full of classic modernist furnishings—from the likes of Le Corbusier, Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe, Alvar Aalto, and Arne Jacobsen—and little else. The views, forever changing, imbue the space with a constant sense of evolution, and keep Libeskind captivated year after year. 

“I love it in the evening, because you can see how beautiful New York is; every building is a sculpture,” says the architect. “They’ve got plumbing, so they’re not pure sculpture, but they are really abstract works of lives… In this condensed environment, there is so much richness.”

Natalia Rachlin is Design Editor at Large at NOWNESS.