The Rooftop Ski Chalet on West 78th

I was walking on West 77th Street when I saw it, poking through the trees…Something that seemed out of place…

I climbed up the steps of a brownstone and got the best view I could. Is this another of the mysterious Manhattan rooftop houses?

This glass-covered house isn’t on 77th Street…but it isn’t on 78th Street either. It’s located about halfway between the block. There’s a space between the buildings on Amsterdam, which gives you another rare view:

But from the front on West 78th Street, it’s obscured by the apartment buildings.

I circled around to Broadway, which gave me the final view possible.

What the heck is this thing? Just an addition? Or something that qualifies it as a rooftop house? The satellite image from Google suggests there might even be a full patio surrounding this structure:

Alert readers Rachel and Blimpboy led me to a NY Times article on the property, apparently the creation of architect Andrew Tesoro, whose firm was responsible for the converted church location for John’s Pizza on West 44th. Read all about Tesoro’s house here.

-SCOUT