Schwarzman Gets Name on NYPL 5 Times

Rendering of the forthcoming Schwarzman inscription designed by Pentagram

Earlier this week, the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously agreed to allow the main branch of the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street to inscribe the name of a prominent donor, financier Stephen A. Schwarzman, multiple times on the library facade. The fabulously wealthy son of a grocer and co-founder of the Blackstone Group will have his name inscribed five times on the library’s façade as a shout-out for his $100 million unconditional gift to the NYPL.

But some critics argue that a Schwarzman naming quintet is excessive. Nadezhda Williams of the Historic Districts Council testified at the commission hearing that, “the amount of the inscriptions and their proposed language, design and location take away from the restrained classical, austere grandeur” of the Beaux-Arts landmark, built in 1911 with money from philanthropists John Jacob Astor, James Lenox, and Samuel Tilden. Those names are currently the only ones out front, to be joined by Schwarzman sometime next year as the library moves forward with extensive renovations.

Paul LeClerc, the library’s president, insists that Schwarzman’s name needs to be etched five times to maintain symmetry: It'll be added onto two center columns leading to the main entrance, on a gold plaque on the floor outside the front door, and on the pedestals beneath the lamps at the 42nd Street entrance. And while the founders’ names are a foot high, Schwarzman’s name will be a modest 1 to 2 ½ inches in height.

So at $20 million per inscription, could a less well-heeled donor slap his name up there one time – or maybe just his initials for a cool million? No dice, philanthropists; LeClerc promised the commission that there would never again be another name carved into the building’s facade.

Photo of NYPL Main Branch by wallyg.

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By John Del Signore in News on April 24, 2008 4:15 PM

Comments [rss]

sonyactivision

Calling all taggers: bomb this shit!

TimSPC

I mean, I liked Rushmore, but this is ridiculous.

angry_pickle

new money is SO vulgar!

As opposed to old money?

Dave Hogarty

On the upside, they're not reworking Patience and Fortitude as sphynxes with Schwarzman's face.

jaja007

If I were giving this money to the library and they offered to vandalize the building to say thanks, I'd ask for the money back

But you are not giving $100mil. You are posting on Gothamist.

fakenewyorker

how rich people tag up a building

tsol

Donor named Schwarzman... big gold plaque... "if one is good, five is better"...

new money is SO vulgar!

Snoopy

Yeh.. sure... right... have the city take over the library system. How about giving $100 mil to a bunch of jerk offs and see if they can create children with the money.

I could see if the dude gave a billion, but a lousy 100 mil? That's chump change today. He does not rank with the others up on the pediment.

Mr Mel

I think it would have been enough if they just waved any late fees whenever the Schwartzmans returned any overdue books.

Let us not lose sight of how these things work. High power fund raisers negotiate these things and they're dealing with other people who know what they want for their money. I think the Talmud says something about the right way to give charity - anonymously, but that aint hardly gonna happen.

Toby von Meistersinger

Perhaps none of this nonsense would occur if the city actually ran the libraries and not a private entity!

Kingpin

I have no objection to them naming Schwarzman once on the building in the same way Astor and Lennox have been honoured... but is a huge gold plaque really neccessary? Or renaming the main building?

It just stinks of politics and ego. Sure, a $100 million donation will help improve the library, but it'll be buying the place's soul if it's named after that Wall Street shmuck.

Don't suppose anyone's interested in getting a campaign rolling to retain the name as "The New York Public Libary"? I know it looks like a 'storm in a teacup' thing...

interlard

If I were giving this money to the library and they offered to vandalize the building to say thanks, I'd ask for the money back. I don't think it's much of a gift if it makes them f*ck the place up.

EastRiver

Why do these guys need things named after them? Should "giving back" be its own reward? Why would anyone ever again make a gift to the public library as large as Schwarzman's knowing he/she would not receive such a prominent reward?