A set of brownstones just north of 128th Street and 5th Avenue show how additional levels were added on back in the day when all the pieces were meant to match up aesthetically. The three identical townhouse on this block line up perfectly but the two on either end have added the additional floor at some point in time. This was done by a faux mansard roof lined with a few dormer windows so that the top floor looked like as if it was part of the building all along. Originally there would have been some slate shingles on the mansard part of the addition but the recently renovated white building to the right has decided to go with just simple stucco. Nowadays, most architects just add a glassy box on top or a plain box which does not always appear to be as contextual as the older method.
not a good look
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