February 1, 2005
Harlem Theater Design Showdown
The NY Times has an excellent feature on the excitement around the lovely Loews Victoria theater in Harlem. There are seven developers vying to take over the space at 125th Street (which is right next to the Apollo), and many of those designs include "boutique" or "luxury" areas, signaling the furthering of Harlem's real estate renaissance. However, there is the question of preservation, as the theater was built in 1917 with gorgeous interiors: The problem is that many of the designs proposed only allow for the facade to be preserved. Based on the little that Gothamist has seen from the NY Times pictures and accompanying chart, the Victoria Development Group's design calls for the most preservation of the theater (facade, interior space including columns, rotunda, stairs, proscenium, and various ceilings). Of course, it is the most expensive design at $150 million, and somehow, it's really ugly. Sure, high-rises will be part of Harlem's skyline, and modern design may have to be introduced, but this one is pretty gross.
Cinema Treasues on the Loews Victoria. Gothamist on old movie theater glory and Curbed on Upper East Side theaters going kaput.
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for the life of me, i dont understand modern design. it's enough to make me want to become an architect.
surely, there must be some way to build a highrise (office) space with windows that open, and plentiful light. and an attractive appearance. (think: gehry meets koolhaas?)
this particular theater issue recalls to me the city's much older loss of penn station.
robert moses did give us the beach, but he busted neighborhoods like nobody's business. it was sort of a mid-century road-rules strategy.
dude didn't even drive a car. but i digress.
nostalgically romantically yours,
b
The accepted level of mediocrity has simply spiraled downwards.
Time to hit bottom. How come the better buildings of yore are almost uniformly pleasing? Could it be some simple rules, ornamentation, and builder's and architect's civic pride?
Maybe we can even do better, how scandalous would that be!
Please, please, please let's hope RD Management doesn't get to build this. Why? Their idea for a Harlem-themed restaurant: "the menu might offer a Zora Neale Hurston salad, a Romare Bearden pasta, a Miles Davis omelette and a Denzel burger." That'll make it feel just like Harlem.