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June 7, 2007
New Development: 5423 Seventh Avenue
A reader emailed us a photo of this six-story, ten-unit development at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue in Sunset Park yesterday and we're still trying to figure out how someone who graduated from architecture school could have oriented the building like this. Actually, it probably wasn't his fault: The developer must have wanted to get a few extra bucks per square foot by having an extra floor rather than shifting that cubic footage to the front of the building where it could have been used to align with the adjacent facade. Of course, now he's stuck with a silly-looking building and the job of convincing potential buyers that looking out from their terraces at a brick wall of graffiti is a good thing. Are we just being crotchety or is does this seem like poor design to you too? GMAP P*Shark DOB
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Comments
Very, very strange. That wall is a ridiculous canvas for graffiti- hope someone cool like Swoon gets to it before all the taggers. That will be a nice view from the balcony! What about security? Someone better slow down all this new building- the only new thing that I have seen that doesn't completely defy logic is the Richard Meier building.
Posted by: anon at June 7, 2007 12:08 PM
That's R6 zoning for you...assuming there's not a commercial overlay on the first floor. Then it is a whole other story.
Yucky.
Posted by: ActionJackson at June 7, 2007 12:11 PM
The very definition of a shit sandwich.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 12:16 PM
Looks like they are ready for a diner downstairs. I hope there is a little jukebox in every booth.
Posted by: Breakfast All Day at June 7, 2007 12:16 PM
The wall can be painted and it's farther from 7th Avenue which helps the noise issues. It's a pretty good looking building for the area. Bear in mind, it's also aimed at a Chinese buyer, so some of the aesthetics may be more attractive to that buyer.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 12:17 PM
Not pretty for sure, but I've also seen more egregious offences.
Posted by: bpk at June 7, 2007 12:28 PM
1) Swoon is art school CRAP; you must be moved by greeting card sentimet as well. Just because you don't get good graffiti doesn't mean her insipid shit should be any more tolerated. You like it so much, commission her to wallpaper your kitchen.
2) It's ** by ** Chinee ** for ** Chinee, as one person suggested above. This is a tough concept for some of the people here to understand-- & it does NOT make the architecture any better-- but guess what...
rich white $$$ is STILL a minority in BK & will be even if, say, Ratner gets everything & Williamsburg does become the new Jersey City (wretch).
Popeye Doyle
Posted by: Popeye Doyle at June 7, 2007 12:44 PM
"it's also aimed at a Chinese buyer, so some of the aesthetics may be more attractive to that buyer."
Oh please, I beg you...elaborate further. I'm dying to know what a "Chinese buyer" would find aesthetically pleasing about this sh*t-hole.
If ignorance is bliss, you must be one pigtail-swinging, lacey-sock wearing, lollypop-sucking, skipping mother-f'er.
On a side note, if they're opening a diner on ground level, it appears that there's plenty of room for a giant rotating hamburger right on top of the protruding roof above it. C-lassy!
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 12:45 PM
"Chinee for Chinee"?? "Chinese buyers"???? Add that to yesterday's "orient express" crack and I guess we've found the latest ethnic group we can stereotype on this site.
Can't stop you from thinking it, but for God's sake, can people manage to do some self editing here? You don't have to post every derogatory utterance that is puked up by your narrow little minds.
Posted by: Sterling Silver at June 7, 2007 12:53 PM
The existence of a wireless cell site on the roof of the adjacent building may have been a factor / consideration. The two wireless antennae can be seen mounted on the corner. Perhaps the carrier provided an $ incentive not to build immediately adjacent to the cell site, or there was some concern about RF radiation from the cell site.
Posted by: graybeard at June 7, 2007 12:56 PM
The new owners can lean out their balconies and write their own graffitti
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 12:59 PM
This building is right by the post office in Sunset Park. It is by no means an attractive building, however I've seen much worse "Development Watch" examples on this site. As for Chinese buyers, I'd be willing to bet this building is geared toward the Chinese of the neighborhood. It is not a prejudice thing to point out at all. If you know anyting abount 7th Avenue in Sunset Park, specifically the mid 50s to mid 60s, you would know that the whole area is more and more being settled by Chinese immigrants. I live in the neighborhood and have seen this change on 7th avenue over the past two years.
As for Chinese aesthetics, walk around the neighborhood and look at all the horrible (in my opinion) chrome doors and bars on the houses in the area. I would bet 99% of the houses with these chrome bars are owned and occupied by folks of Chinese desent. While the majority of people on this site would never remove period exterior doors from the houses in this neighborhood, the Chinese do it almost all the time. It definitely appears to be something that is attractive to the Chinese and not necessarily to some others (especially people on this site, interested in historical townhouses).
There is a time and place to scream about a potentially racist post. This isn't that time. Familiarize yourself with the area where this building is located and you will see what I'm talking about.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 1:04 PM
I'm chinese, and agree with 1:04pm.. (by the way, we also love flourescent lighting inside the house). Some of you folk should take off your "racial" blinders - stereotyping isn't good if it's to prejudice, and I find it helpful in understanding other cultures.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 2:37 PM
The extended first floors are probably terraces/gardens for the second.
Immigrant community real-estate seems to focus on features and function (and the idea of "buying a piece of the American dream") over urban aesthetics which evolve over decades or centuries ("I don't know the difference between Federal style and Greek Revival. I want X bedrooms. I want granite. I want a Sub-Zero. I want a porch. I want it for Y dollars")
Posted by: Stubborn at June 7, 2007 3:15 PM
I agree with the poster who said the bottom floor looks like an old streetcar diner....I was going to say the same thing. Of course this is Chinese construction, there have been a number of ugly 6 story buildings built recently catering to the Chinese. 8th Avenue is fun to walk on though!
I've seen uglier....but it aint pretty.
Posted by: hi! at June 7, 2007 3:32 PM
Very silly design indeed. It kind of reminds me of the Washington Condos on Wahington Ave (Scarano). To this day I can't understand why anyone would buy in that building.
Posted by: anon at June 7, 2007 3:38 PM
Brownstoner has asked the question and answered it himself, WRONG.
The building, you idiot, is oriented this way so that the entrance is not on the short side, but on the long side. This allows the vertical ciculation to impose less on the space (You know, since you live in a typical brownstone where the long stair makes a 16' wide feel 10'?).
Also, by placing the entrance there, the designer thought about adding a symetrical value to the long facade, but you wouldn't know that
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 4:50 PM
How is it racist to point out it is built by chinese for chinese? Is chinese a racist term?
and "puked up by your narrow little minds"??? What? Do you feel better now? What are you, twelve years old?
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 7:18 PM
A Chinese family bought my home in Sheepshead Bay and I then purchased my home in Victorian Flatbush. I listed with a Chinese Broker who specifically told me what I needed to do to "Feng Shuei" my home which would make it more appealing to Chinese buyers. Ii may not be aesthetically pleasing but perhaps it was built with this in mind.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 8:57 PM
7:18, "Chinese" isn't racist.
"Chinee" is (moronic post by Popeye Doyle at 12:44)
Posted by: Anonymous at June 8, 2007 1:01 AM
It's a nice building, what's wrong with it? It's got clean lines, and seems well balanced? Just because it doesn't look like a brownstone, so what? This is progress from what it was before. If you don't agree with revitalization, move out into the woods and live like a caveman... Living space is living space. Lets see you build something nicer.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 8, 2007 8:18 AM
the bottom line here is the building is not an architectural gem. unfortunately, the developer cheap out on hiring a design oriented architect and wanted only square footage. is there a way to educate developers that a good design will get him/her a higher return/sf.
it is too bad that another ugly building has gone up and it is going to stay for another hundred year+ in our urban fabric.
Posted by: anonymous at June 9, 2007 10:38 AM
NEWSFLASH: A quick tour of recent developments in Chinatown and Flushing Queens will bare out the archetorture that this eyesore is really about. This has been built with a xenocentric focus. No self-respecting whitey would be caught dead buying one of these units.
BTW: In China, you don't order chinese food...it's just food.
Posted by: Lighten up Francis at June 9, 2007 8:21 PM
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