Quote of the Day
This is why developers build eyesore POS’s all over the place – because whoever objects is termed elitist and these concerns are dismissed. Demanding higher standards from developers altering our neighbor- hoods with the shittiest, cheapest condo buildings they can build is not snobbery. And I’m not suggesting city regulation – if more people spoke…
This is why developers build eyesore POS’s all over the place – because whoever objects is termed elitist and these concerns are dismissed. Demanding higher standards from developers altering our neighbor- hoods with the shittiest, cheapest condo buildings they can build is not snobbery. And I’m not suggesting city regulation – if more people spoke up then developers would maybe, maybe, give aesthetics 10 extra minutes of thought.
— by squaredrive in Horror Show Friday: 170 Clermont Avenue
Maybe brownstoner should add a feature on new developments done right, just to show that it’s possible….it could be called “the good, the bad, and the ugly” fridays…
Whew! I am so glad it wasn’t my eyesight going all wobbly. I know they looked off but rather than risk going down in flames again today i took the cowardly way out and didn’t say it. However, now that the cat is out of the bag- yes! you’re right!! And really- how hard could it have been to make the windows line up better?
Brooklyn is famous and desirable because of its brownstone neighborhoods. They’re an asset- I have yet to see a fedder go up in Manhattan. I’m sure there are some but Bloomberg is not the type to allow one to go up in his neighborhood.
BRG – I have one semester of art school education under my belt, so I feel comfortable in my ruler-aligning skills.
CWB…you think it’s that easy lining up windows? It requires laying the parallel ruler straight on the drawing board.
An ugly facade like this doesn’t even make sense.
Why would you want to have such small windows on a long, deep building? Why not add a little transom or something above the door to make it seem grander and to bring a little natural light into the entrance hall? Why pick varigated beige brick in a city where the tradition is red brick and brownstone? Why not align your windows? why leave large expanses of blank brick on the facade?
“There’s a huge area between being snobbish about architecture and just wanting some basic, logical designs. Hell, these guys could pay me $500 and I could spend an hour sketching up building facades that might not win any awards, but would look five times better than today’s horror show and not cost a dime more to produce.”
EXACTLY. And I think that’s the only point that Mr. B is trying to make.
I don’t care what style of construction you like, you can’t tell me that “windows that don’t even line up” is on your list of things you want to see in a new building …
There’s a huge area between being snobbish about architecture and just wanting some basic, logical designs. Hell, these guys could pay me $500 and I could spend an hour sketching up building facades that might not win any awards, but would look five times better than today’s horror show and not cost a dime more to produce.
tybur6, – i understand your point and it’s largely true. as long as people buy in these buildings, that’s the bottom line for developers, and calling out developers on a blog doesn’t do too much. I’m not sure what the answer is, if there is one. I deal with landmarks and i don’t wish that on the whole city.
Mainly i was just venting because i see buildings like the NOVO on this site yesterday, and in person, and it blows my mind. That shit is going to be there for a long-ass time. Maybe other people don’t think it’s so bad, but g-d! that building is ugly. and big.
You just don’t get it do you, crimsonson?