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Design:The Iconic Home Designs That Define Our Global Cities
Artists took over loft spaces in what came to be known as SoHo — an area marked by five-story buildings with big windows and cast-iron frames.

Artists took over loft spaces in what came to be known as SoHo — an area marked by five-story buildings with big windows and cast-iron frames.

Photographer: Orbon Alija/E+ via Getty Images

CityLab
Design

How the New York Loft Reclaimed Industrial Grit as Urban Luxury

Once an affordable, makeshift choice for artists in need of space, New York’s lofts have become some of the city’s most coveted homes.

(This article is part of Bloomberg CityLab’s ongoing series exploring the iconic home designs that shaped global cities. Read more from the series and sign up to get the next story sent directly to your inbox.)

In the decade after World War II, a two-block-long street called Coenties Slip in Manhattan’s financial district was the center of the art world.