I’m embarrassed to tell you that I started this post months ago. I was in New York in May when I went by the building site, and at that time the building was still at the stage where the contractor’s were doing sitework. This new building will be the New Academic Building for Cooper Union, a superb arts and letters college. I really have little to say about this building as of yet, and maybe that’s why I should have held off on the post, but If you want to know more about the building here are a few links:

• Cooper Union Builds
• Morphosis Website
• A Quick History of Cooper Union

About a month ago, now, a friend of mine and toured New York for the latest in architectural works. I had been told that the design duo, Herzog & de Meuron, had been commissioned to design a new condominium building in Noho. So, we went to take a look. My first impression when we arrived was that I was not the only architecture geek in Manhattan. There was nothing special going on at the building. It was just a random Sunday. And yet, there was a small crowd gathered just opposite of the construction site all snapping pictures and gawking as if this building were Lindsey Lohan. The building is not Lindsey Lohan, though. If it were personified, the building would be more like Dieter from Sprockets.

This is an overused comparison, but I didn’t want to offend any real life people that are more than just caricatures. The building, just like Dieter is austere, angular, rigid, boxy, and somewhat cold. Where the building diverges from Dieter is it’s zest for trying something new. Dieter is caught in a stagnant world of black turtlenecks whereas this building’s facade is about as innovative as any I’ve seen. The facade is made up of what appears to be translucent green glass and steel mullions with clear glass panels. The mullions are like ghosts. They are illusive in their physical makeup and are hard to pin down exactly what they are.

Another diversion from the stodgy Dieter is the gate to the project (which I do not picture here, but should be seen in at Flickr to be believed). The gate, I believe is either made from a massive CNC router that carved out the piece or from a massive 3D printer that built up the piece. However the gate was made the effect is it looks like limp spaghetti draped over a form and then sprayed with lacquer. I’ve heard people complaining that it’s ugly. I do not feel this way. I love it, and I think of it as an artistic expression of technology that could not have existed at any point in history that made this gate happen. If you’re in New York, you need to see this building.

For more about 40 bond, check out:

• 40bond.com
  
• Herzog & de Meuron on Wikipedia
• 40 Bond on Flickr
• 40 Bond Gate at Curbed.com
• Sprockets Videos

A couple of weeks ago, my brother in law, Scott, dropped me off at the ferry terminal in Hoboken, New Jersey. I had to wait about ten minutes for the Ferry to make it over, so I spent some time just gazing over at the skyline of midtown Manhattan. Something looked new to me. Something big. As the ferry took off and we got closer and closer to the city I realized that the building I was viewing was the new New York Times building designed primarily by the Renzo Piano workshop. This would be a building I would see up close and personal later in the day as part of an architectural walking tour my friend Kevin and I were doing.

I’m embarrassed to say that I really don’t have anything insightful to relay about this building. I haven’t studied up on it’s shading system which not only covers the building (with thousands of ceramic tubes each looking like a fluorescent bulb) but covers the air above the building for a height of 40 feet above the top floor (don’t ask me why).

I guess the only thing I can offer is my gut reaction as I came off of the subway in midtown. This was: ” Wow, it’s crowded with tourists here!” I hope for the sake of the people having to work in this building that there are great services and food stalls within the building because having to step out the door several times a day would suck.

Looking up at the facade, I was glad to see the beautifully crafted shading device which Renzo piano has chosen. I hate to say this because his projects are always so different from each other, but this shading device is so Renzo. It seems unavoidable for him to use these panels on a building anymore. He must have a tight relationship with the manufacturer. I know this is kind of a stupid and thoughtless comment, but I don’t give a crap because it’s design crack, after all.

I wrote a bunch more but my browser crashed. I hate life right now.

To find out more, check out:

• NewYorkTimesBuilding.com
  
• Flickr photos of New York Times Building
• Wikipedia entry for the New York Times Building
• Google Map of New York Times Building

One Bryant Park by Cook + Fox is probably the first really “green” tower I’ve heard of. What I mean by “green” tower is that the tower has implemented a number of techniques to lower the amount of materials wasted in constructing the building as well as creating the least amount of impact on the usage of city power and water resources. In effect, the building comes as close as it can to sustaining itself without outside city services.

That’s pretty big talk for a two million square foot tower, but after you here a number of items the tower has implemented, it may seem more impressive. To begin with, all the concrete in the building is made with 45% recycled slag which dramatically cuts down the energy used to build the structure. As well, the building will have a number of systems, such as an extremely clean energy co-generation plant which means less waste in transmitting energy to the site. A rainwater system will collect all the rainwater flowing off the building and will be recycled to feed all the toilets and landscaping in the building. Another ingenious device generates ice at off-peak hours which is then used to cool the building at peak hours saving tons of money and reducing taxing power plant loads.

There’s actually quite a few more “green” implementations, but one of the greatest assets of the building is it completely changes perceptions on the aesthetics of green buildings. The structure looks as if it was a carefully cleaved crystal. It has a Dallas quality to it, a skyline known for its all-glass energy wasting monstrosities. This shows that the aesthetics of excess are possible without actually having to waste nearly as much.

A recent walk by this structure revealed a couple of neat things going on with the construction. First, it appears that the columns in the first few floors of the building are inset quite deeply which leads me to believe that the ground facade may be built to appear as if the tower above were defying gravity. And speaking of defying gravity, Check out the shots of the tower under construction posted on Flickr (link below). The contractors have built this wild contraption. Basically, there is no space to put a crane because of the location of the sidewalk. What the contractor has done is to build a temporary set of massive steel beams about 20 feet above the sidewalk that cantilever out far enough to support the crane which brings all the materials to the site. It’s quite impressive.

To learn more, check out these resources:

• The Wikipedia Entry
  
• The Durst Organization (co-developer)
• Cook + Fox (architects)
• Flickr photos of One Bryan Park
• YouTube video of the site

I have very little time this morning to get this post up, so please excuse my brevity and bad grammar. This is the High Line (seen above), a multi-mile strip of elevated railroad track running straight through some of Manhattan’s hottest neighborhoods. It was originally used as a means to transport goods out of factories and the Meat Packing District, but for a long time now it has been sitting idle and growing weeds. Few people ever took notice for a long time, until the real estate market in the area skyrocketed. Then, developers looked at this land as the ultimate opportunity to tear down the High Line and build condos like crazy.

At the same time the developers were licking their chops, along comes a group of very influential neighbors (called Friends of the High Line) who have been in love with the High Line and would do everything to keep it. They, in fact wanted to go further and rehabilitate it. So now, one competition and several thousand hours of community input later, and we have what looks to be the High Line beginning to transform under the design of Diller Scofidio + Renfro (see rendering below).

I was over at the High Line a couple of weeks ago, and change is apparent. There are several potions of the track that are sporting new paint jobs. There are also a number of new construction stairs up to the High Line. Outside of this, nothing was apparent from the street. What was apparent was developers embracing the High Line as a civic amenity unlike any in the country. The first development to respond with a bold statement has been the Standard Hotel designed by Polshek Partnership. The day I walked by, all I could see was this curving concrete wall on one side of the HL tracks and a massive truss bridging the High Line.

I looked into the project more and dug up this rendering of the Standard Hotel. I will reserve judgment of the design for now, but the project looks pretty nice to me, so far. Also, judging by the Standard Hotel’s other properties across the country, this will be opulent, fun, dramatic, and everything else you would want in a rich person’s hotel. I’m not rich, so I will never stay here, but I’m looking forward to having a drink while I look over the green fields of the High Line.

For more information, check out these links:

• www.thehighline.org
  
• Polshek Partnership website
• Diller Scofidio + Renfro website
• Curbed on the Standard Hotel
• Google Map Street View of the Standard Hotel
• The Standard Hotel Chain

Yesterday, I wrote about the IAC building in Chelsea, New York. Today, I wanted to point out a building that is just underway right across the street from the IAC called 100 11th Ave. It’s a condominium project designed by another world famous architect, Jean Nouvel. My feelings about this building (at least how it’s shown on the boards) is much more hopeful than the impression I had with the IAC building. This my first impression of this building is it looks like a curved Tetris puzzle come to life.

The facade is made up of thousands of oddly shaped panels that jut slightly in and out creating striking shadow patterns within the interiors of the units.  The concept to create such a facade, I believe, is inspired by the sculptural quality this building will have as the sun passes over the building from morning to night. Another way of looking at this project is because of its faceted jewel-like quality it could be described as the worlds largest piece of bling. Regardless, of what people’s opinions are of the building, it appears to be extremely experimental on a grand scale and I commend the architect and the whole design team on taking a chance.

For more information about this building, Check out these links:

• 100 11th website
• Curbed’s Sneak Peak at the building facade
• Jean Nouvel’s Website
• Google Maps Street View of Building Site