Sculpture for Stripping?

The New Yorker's architecture critic Paul Goldberger reviews the scary Astor Place building that Charles Gwathmey has inflicted on downtown New York: The Sculpture for Living. Basically, Goldberger feels the outside is too complicated to be anything good but the inside is beautiful. This was our favorite quote:

For a while, the base of the building was surrounded by scaffolding on which was painted the words “sculpture for living—undulating, provocative, reflective, iconic, curvaceous,” which is surely a more sophisticated approach to marketing than “4 rms river vu,” even if it left you wondering whether it referred to a condominium or a stripper.

Hee. Strippers! And Curbed says the apartment will be expensive.

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By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on April 25, 2005 11:06 AM

Comments [rss]

tt

It's the other buildings that are out of place; they're from the 19th century. The new Astor building is finally bringing the neighborhood into modern times. The other buildings should follow suit, if only the local community board fascists would get out of the way. This city used to be the place where no one would hold another person back. Now, it's riddled with envious rent-control squatters who refuse to let anyone improve their lives.

Captain Midnight

More of the godforsaken Gehry-ization of architecture. When will this silly fad pass?

King Hippo

Well, it doesn't look like it's going to be the only glass structure in the neighborhood. Didn't Gothamist and Curbed report that Cooper Union is going to build another shiny building on the Bowery?

The Cooper-Hewitt Replacement

scrappy

The Cube is not back yet. The Parks Dept. is fixing it up and will have it back "soon." Word is they're trying to make it a bit more graffiti-proof (although that sounds difficult) and spin-able, as it was meant to be.

Kevin Walsh

When you compare that thing to Cooper Union next door...

there's no comparison

www.forgotten-ny.com

S.D.

mmonk, that's a great shot demonstrating how it clashes with the Surrounding area.

That building might look better in Mid town, but IMO, is **realy** out of place there.

Anyone know if the Cube is back yet?

mmonk

i wonder how many multi-millionaires/exhibitionists are willing to pay usd 3.5million to live in this hideous creature. immense sorrow for the cooper union students though.