188 Lafayette Street – Awning & Exterior Modification Guidelines

188 Lafayette Street – Awning & Exterior Modification Guidelines

Landmark District Notice

188 Lafayette Street is located within the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District, a designated New York City Landmark district regulated by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC).

Because of this designation, the building façade — including storefront elements such as awnings — is legally protected.

Awning Policy at 188 Lafayette

Important

Any change to the exterior awning — including color changes — requires prior approval from the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.

This includes:

• Changing the awning fabric color
• Replacing the awning
• Adding signage to the awning
• Modifying awning dimensions
• Altering materials

Even if the structure remains the same and only the fabric color changes, it is still considered an exterior alteration under Landmark rules.

What Is Required for Approval?

Typically, Landmark review requires:

• Formal drawings
• Fabric and color specifications
• Material details
• Filing through an architect or expeditor
• Several weeks for review

Approval is not guaranteed.

Because of these timelines, Landmark approval is generally not practical for short-term pop-ups.

What Is Permitted Without Landmark Filing

• Use of the existing approved awning as-is
• No changes to color, size, or materials
• Interior branding only

Unauthorized Changes

Changing the awning without Landmark approval may result in:

• Landmark violations
• Fines issued to the building
• Required removal or restoration
• Security deposit forfeiture
• Liability passed through to the Licensee

Summary

At 188 Lafayette Street:

The exterior awning may not be altered — including color changes — without formal NYC Landmark approval.

For short-term activations, we strongly recommend designing branding elements within the interior of the space to ensure full compliance.

Note: This article is a general summary for convenience only. The executed Parasol Projects License Agreement governs in all cases.