Fotografiska International, the world’s largest photography museum, has leased RFR’s 281 Park Avenue South in its entirety, with plans to establish its first U.S. location in the distinguished landmarked building. The 45,000-square-foot Midtown Southproperty, formerly known as the Church Mission House, offers an outstanding array of interior spaces with high ceilings and abundant natural light, set in a unique historic building envelope.
Fotografiska, founded in Stockholm and well known for solo exhibitions with major international artists and a commitment to social issues through the “Fotografiska for Life” series, is currently expanding to select major cities. The first two international locations are 281 Park Avenue South andthe new White Chapel Building in London’s Whitechapel neighborhood. Led by artist and investor Yoram Roth, Fotografiska International is evaluating additional locations in Europe and Asia.
“We acquired 281 Park Avenue South with thebelief that this incredible building required a special tenant,” said Aby Rosen, Co-Founder and Principal of RFR. “Fotografiska is a great institution, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing this fine photography museum open its doors here to establish its first U.S. presence.”
RFR,along with an investor group from HQ Capital Real Estate LP,purchased 281 Park Avenue South from the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies in 2015. The building enjoys a sought-after Midtown South location on the Southeast corner of Park Avenue South and East 22nd Street, adjacent to a subway station.
Geoffrey Newman of Newmark Knight Frank represented Fotografiska International.
About Fotografiska
Fotografiska is the world’s largest photography museum. Founded in Stockholm by the brothers Jan & Per Broman, the museum includes one of the city’s leading restaurants, as well as event spaces and a retail store. Fotografiska has presented nearly every major photographic artist in solo shows over the last eight years, as well as several shows a year around its “Fotografiska For Life” series committed to raising social issues.
About RFR
RFR is a fully integrated real estate investment firm based in New York City with a core focus on select urban markets in the United States and Germany. Founded by Aby Rosen and Michael Fuchs in the early 1990’s, the firm has been an active force in the New York City and German real estate market for much of the past two decades. RFR’s portfolio has grown to include more than 100 properties located in select domestic and international markets. While its property portfolio is anchored in the Manhattan and key German commercial markets, RFR also has significant commercial, residential, hotel, and retail holdings. RFR has a proven track record of adding significant value to the properties it acquires through property-level repositioning and strategic financial engineering. RFR has created an organization with deep experience in all phases of the property life cycle and is positioned to take advantage of market opportunities.
About HQ Capital Real Estate
HQ Capital Real Estate is a member of HQ Capital, a leading independent alternative investment manager focused on providing investors with attractive investment opportunities in both real estate and private equity. Since its inception in 1989, HQ Capital Real Estate has invested in $14bn of US real estate on behalf of domestic and foreign institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals worldwide. The firm sponsors and actively manages U.S. multifamily residential funds, while also providing separate account real estate investment advisory and asset management services for commercial and residential properties. Our portfolio of investments, both development and acquisition, includes multifamily residential, office, industrial, retail and mixed-use properties totaling over 68,000 apartment units and nearly 22million square feet of commercial space located in more than 30 states, with a focus on the coastal markets.
