scarano-0309.jpgThe Real Deal has run a two-part interview with embattled architect Robert Sacarano over the past few days. A few highlights:

The buildings that we design typically have been a lot more successful…one of the reasons for that is that the aesthetic quality of the buildings, the livability of the buildings, has been at a higher level…That coupled with our ability to look into the code and the zoning and see avenues to pursue that haven’t been pursued are what give me the reputation.

Captain Bob’s anti-preservation leanings are also on display:

I’m not a big fan of leaving things the way they are…There are times when landmarking will help to preserve a certain character that people want to keep, the way you’d keep something in a museum, but generally there has to be a moving forward. If there isn’t there’s a tremendous amount of stagnation.

Plenty more where that came from on the links below.
Scarano Interview Part 1 [The Real Deal]
Scarano Interview Part 2 [The Real Deal]


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

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  1. pierre de taille,

    As your life involves the cleaning of toilets at grand central station your lack of formal training in these matter make your comments more off the wall than any he said.

  2. action jackson,

    Your narrow mindedness still has you trapped in an idiots body.

    See the awards behind him in the photo? see you name nowhere in site.

    Learn from him how to be a human being so one day you will get your dream job shinning his shoes.

  3. One should never underestimate the power of delusion and frank hallucination. Can you believe it? This guy actually thinks his work is aesthetically satisfactory. What a disgrace to architecture! Like we’ve always said poor Mies and Gropius are rolling in their graves.
    “The buildings that we design typically have been a lot more successful…one of the reasons for that is that the aesthetic quality of the buildings, the livability of the buildings, has been at a higher level…That coupled with our ability to look into the code and the zoning and see avenues to pursue that haven’t been pursued are what give me the reputation”.

  4. Slopefarm is absolutely right. In fact I’d take Scarano’s designs over any of the Fedders crap that parades as contextual. What really bothers me is his blatant disregard for zoning ordinances as they concern FAR. These are not interpretations, they are outright illegal and he (and the developers he worked for)knew it.

  5. After watching both clips I am intrigued that such a charlatan hasn’t studied some basic skills on lying to the camera…

    The eye rolls and body language is a total give away.

    But, not to be surprising coming from the Skipper at the helm of his sinking ship.

    And my goodness, has he aged 10 years?

    Perhaps we ought to toss him out as old stock, as he feels keeping things in a “museum” is stagnant.

    I seem to hear taps playing.

  6. Actually, it was Scarano’s “imagination” in interpreting the zoning laws that got him into trouble. Scarano outbid most of his ilk because he imagined mezzanines where everyone else saw only floors and imagined new ways to create additional living space without adding to the FAR. A little less imagination and a little more compliance with the zoning ordinance and he wouldn’t be in the trouble he’s in.

  7. Mr. B;

    To characterize this statement-

    “I’m not a big fan of leaving things the way they are…There are times when landmarking will help to preserve a certain character that people want to keep, the way you’d keep something in a museum, but generally there has to be a moving forward. If there isn’t there’s a tremendous amount of stagnation.”

    – as “anti-preservation” reveals more about your leanings than Scarano’s. I guess we all need a bogeyman in our life.