Vauxhall
780 Riverside Drive
George & Edward Blum
1913-14
Audubon Park Historic District
Named for the 17th century Vauxhall Gardens in London, this 11-story apartment house was distinctly designed in the Arts & Crafts style. Faience tiles are strikingly used to create colorful geometric patterns that stand out from the building’s brown brick façade, and molded terra cotta was utilized in elaborately detailed cornices, window surrounds and balconettes. A projecting bay on the building’s north side conforms to the irregular lot line formed by the sharp curve of the original Riverside Drive. Abutting Audubon Terrace, the Vauxhall boasted “permanent light and air” that was guaranteed by the low-rise museum buildings next door. While its views remained stable, the building itself evolved over time. It was one of several buildings in Audubon Park to convert to tenant-ownership in the 1920s, and in the 1940s the building’s interior was comprehensively modernized.