Last week, we took a trip around the block from the AN office to go to an open house at 55 Warren hosted by Legrand, the French systems management company. While we were impressed with all the gizmos and glitzy gadgets, it was OCV Architect’s clever renovation of the old cast-iron building that grabbed our attention.

That’s not to say that Legrand didn’t impress. Vantage, a subsidiary of Legrand, came in after the walls were painted and moldings affixed before fitting setting up the control network for everything from the shades to security by using radio and wifi. No plaster was destroyed in the effort. An iPhone app allows owners to adjust their Tribeca lighting while in the Hamptons.

The glitz factor came with a presentation of Legrand’s latest acquisition, Bticino, the Italian fixture company. Their Swarovski-encrusted light switches are tempered by more tame choices of wenge, granite and marble. But back to the architecture…

OCV received the necessary Landmark approvals to scoop out the center of this historic structure to create a courtyard light well. Often, these old industrial buildings are quite dark at the center of the floorplate. While losing 2,050 square feet might make the any developer cringe, OCV replaced square footage by plopping it back on top in the form of a $14 million penthouse that’s set back far enough from the facade to appease Landmarks.