Ghost of Vetruvius
Someone’s mad as hell about the crappy architecture on Fourth Avenue and they’re not going to take it! Remember the craptactular rental building that went up at 126 4th Avenue a couple of years ago? Someone with the moniker “The Ghost of Vitruvius” posted the above screed on the side of the building recently, and…
Someone’s mad as hell about the crappy architecture on Fourth Avenue and they’re not going to take it! Remember the craptactular rental building that went up at 126 4th Avenue a couple of years ago? Someone with the moniker “The Ghost of Vitruvius” posted the above screed on the side of the building recently, and a tipster sent it in over the weekend. The text says “ARCHITECT: Is this really the best you can do? This building is UGLY, and therefore IRRESPONSIBLE” and a logo in the corner reads “NYC Building Aesthetics.” Has anyone spotted more of these around town? GMAP
Couldn’t we have a contest, an event, a brainstorm, a crowdsourced game, something, where a bunch of architects (or whoever) submit building designs that a cheap-o developer could actually develop realistically here in Brooklyn, and then put them into the public domain where the developers can use them for free? Seriously. It would be a great service to the community.
What Cornelius said to dirty hipster!!
I think this is great, and I love it when people actually stick up signs to protest stuff they don’t like. Much better (imho) than just sitting around bitching about it under your breath.
Crap buildings like this make people’s lives lamer for no real reason; if the architect were simply less of an idiot, you could get the same program into a much nicer and more pleasant building.
…but the font choice may very well earn a similar sub-sign from the graphic designers out there.
geezer harriet – the AIA is in no position to enforce aesthetic standards, even among its members, nor should it. Like all organizations, there is no end to petty politics in the AIA, specifically at the local chapter level. Maybe you should write a letter to the Brooklyn AIA chapter if you are concerned that they are not doing a good job of monitoring the aesthetic output of their members.
Anyhow, just for kicks (yes business can be kinda slow for us architects these days – and yes it does make me angry to see people building hideous buildings like this one,) I checked DOB records, and it appears that the building was designed by an engineer, not an architect. For some reason, the NYC Department of Buildings allows engineers to serve as applicants of record for new buildings.
Curiously, the “designer” bills himself as an architect – which is a no-no. Only registered architects are entitled to call themselves architects in NY State. It is probably just a misunderstanding, but maybe you could actually get the guy in some trouble for it.
You said it, dirty hipster. Completely agree with your last sentence. Just remove the question mark and add an exclamation point.
“I’m backing up Ghost of Vitruvius by giving an example of the professional organization of architects who supposedly encourage architects to strive to improve the environment. ”
Based on what? Your personal definition of what ‘asthetic excellence” means?
What was here before, some sort of garage? So nothing should EVER be built if it isn’t asthetically pleasing?
@squaredrive:
Okay, so I’ll restrain myself from demanding that the architect be expelled. I’m backing up Ghost of Vitruvius by giving an example of the professional organization of architects who supposedly encourage architects to strive to improve the environment. Ghost of Vitruvius seems more effective at enforcing professional standards than the AIA.
I wonder how long the top window in the middle section is going to have plywood in it…who would have thought the building could look even worse than when completed? (around the neighborhood it is referred to as “the VA building”, a fitting nod to the style)
harriet – That “code of conduct” first of all is extremely subjective and secondly is not a professional oath. The AIA is a professional organization which licensed architects join voluntarily, or don’t join at all.