Located in a beloved historic neighborhood, Adam Sokol’s striking modern apartment makes a bold statement. 

Located in a beloved historic neighborhood, Adam Sokol’s striking modern apartment makes a bold statement. 

Photos: Alexander Severin/ASAP. Illustration: Stephanie Davidson

Design

Managing a Modern Makeover in a Historic Buffalo Neighborhood

The designer of 15 Allen Street needed to navigate neighborhood history and new zoning rules to complete this 12-unit apartment building. 

(This story is part of “Look at That Building,” a weekly Bloomberg CityLab series about everyday — and not-so-everyday — architecture. Read more from the series, and sign up to get the next story sent directly to your inbox.)

In the Buffalo neighborhood of Allentown, known for its quaint homes and messy nightlife, fans of the city’s NFL team occasionally modify the sign at the entrance to its anchor street to honor Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, plopping a cardboard cutout of number 17 doing his trademark hurdle over the sign or changing it to declare “Welcome to Josh Allentown.”