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The Times' Herbert Muschamp gives an appraisal of Frank Gehry's design for a new Chelsea building to house various Internet properties owned by Barry Diller. Muschamp's enthusiasm for the building, which he likens to a ship's sails, is apparent:
With typical Gehryesque frankness, the design appears to reflect New York's present preoccupation with ornamental building tops. If the top is what counts, why bother with the base and shaft? Just go for the crown! Seen in this way, the low-rise Diller building evokes the grand tradition of skyscraper design epitomized by the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and 70 Pine Street. It has all the romance of those towers, but at a more human scale, as befits the horizontal sweep of the riverfront location.
Muschamp goes on to riff about windows and their role on the city's psyche, which is interesting as well. Gothamist likes this design, especially since it does not involve titanium. (Titanium is nice, the Guggenheim Bilbao is cool, but it gets boring when it's overused.)
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The "Gehryesque frankness" of Frank Gehry? I'm hoping to god that Mushchamp did not do that intentionally.
"Titanium is nice, but it gets boring when it's overused."
hmm...
it's interesting that there are so many beautiful brick and stone buildings in the world, and yet two gehry buildings (they all look the same) in the same material are boring.
could it be because gehry is all novelty and no substance?
They look like salt licks.
Cheers to Infant!
I have been one to generally defend Gehry's work because I do believe he has added a different perspective to architecture. Love it or hate it, Bilbao is amazing.
BUT, I do like to call him my favorite one-trick pony.
I like Gehry's early work, like his deconstructed house in California (Santa Monica, maybe?), and his furniture design, but lately, because everyone has been loving Bilbao, it seems most of his commissions insist on the titanium. It must be a weird position, because as an architect, I'd imagine he'd want to expand his repertoire, but how can you turn down the money?
Also, props to his engineers, because without them and the technology, these shapes wouldn't be possible.
He can come up with a truly craptacular design, like Paul Allen's Experience Music Project in Seattle. Of course we Seattleites are used to having 1st rate architects build us 3rd rate buildings (fingers crossed re: new Koolhaas library). Or, it may have to do with the patron. Paul Allen is a middle aged man with a 12 year-old's aesthetic. He wanted the BatCave (tm). At least New Yorkers have cool moguls that build stuff.
i worked for EMP in seattle and I think that building is not far off the mark. it's a rock and roll museum... a colorful bloom in a grey city.
like guitars or saxophones or music itself, the outside is vibrant and unpredictable. and the spaces inside are tall, flowing and surprisingly not distracting from the artifacts. to step into skychurch, their concert space, is pretty damn cool. it extends up a few floors and creates this vessel of sound.
there are always interesting stories of the challenges that come with the materials that gehry('s team) uses... whether it's about what seattle's weather does to all of that curvy metal and how they fit it together in spite of that, to how many times the specially-made, conde nast cafeteria glass broke on its way over from italy because of its unusual shapes...
i'm not a big fan of the uber-designer-one-trick-pony schtick, but in the sameold sameold, it's refreshing to see (or be surrounded by) something unusual. and if it wasn't for gehry('s team) pushing the shapes, the engineers wouldn't be pushing the technology... and pushing technology isn't 3rd rate.
Good or bad, New York could use some innovation and something new. Berlin, Hong Kong, London, even LA have left NY in the past with regard to architecture
Its like a chunky plexiglass/plastic ring I bought on a trip to europe 10 years ago.. I love it. Its like a man made crystal, semitransparent, must look great with a stormy sky in the background...Trully like flotilla of sails in Hudson autumn fog.
I live in the area and am excited about our new neighbour.