The “Bubble House”, one of New York’s rare examples of Space Age architecture, is up for sale — but it may end up ruined

If it were not known as one of the very rare examples of the Space Age era in New York City, one might safely assume that the "Bubble House," whose photos have been circulating so much on the web in recent days, was generated with artificial intelligence. Completely different from the neoclassical mansions and brownstones of the Upper East Side, this architectural object pops up at 251 East 71st Street as if it were an intruder. It has been there since 1969, when architect Maurice Medcalfe of Hills & Medcalfe decided to demolish a 19th-century building with a typical stone facade to make way for a residence inspired by the futurist imagery of the space race. Pink plaster facade, convex oval windows resembling portholes, and an almost Martian aura dictated by the aseptic interior. Barely a year had passed since the historic moon landing.

It is because of the elliptical portholes that it is called the "Bubble House." It is spread over four levels totaling about 440 square meters, with four bedrooms, five bathrooms and a study. The sober and bright interiors retain original fixtures and finishes, but as of today require complete renovation. The house was owned by Maurice Medcalfe for only seven years, then was purchased by Arthur Schneier, senior rabbi of Park East Synagogue, who has owned the home ever since. Today it is on the market for the first time in over fifty years at a price of $5.75 million.

Because it is not historically listed, once purchased the building could be remodeled, an operation that would probably end up causing a great loss of identity and historical memory of the house. Not so long ago, in December 2024, the New York Times published an article titled "The Fight to Save Googie, the Style of Postwar Optimism," which denounced the disappearance of some buildings and the preservation actions carried out to stop their destruction. The "Googie" style, an architectural expression of postwar confidence and the American Space Age, developed mainly in California between the 1950s-60s, with John Lautner's Chemosphere in Hollywood or more simply the Miami Beach motels. In New York, one example is Eero Saarinen's TWA Flight Center, a futuristic-looking airport terminal located in John F. Kennedy Airport, as well as, of course, the "Bubble House," New York's legacy of this optimistic drive, which, at this point, we hope will end up in the right hands. With the skyscraper of the new Fantastic 4 movie in pure Googie style, we will probably hear a lot about it in the coming months.