Don't Like the Flatbush Flatiron? No Worries
We’ve got nothing against the upzoning and resulting building boom on Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn; in fact, it makes a lot of sense to us. We also think that the derogatory implications of the term “Manhattanization” are overdone (usually in the process of opposing the Atlantic Yards project). That said, Ismael Leyva’s design for…
We’ve got nothing against the upzoning and resulting building boom on Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn; in fact, it makes a lot of sense to us. We also think that the derogatory implications of the term “Manhattanization” are overdone (usually in the process of opposing the Atlantic Yards project). That said, Ismael Leyva’s design for the 108-unit condo destined the triangular lot bounded by Flatbush Avenue Extenstion, Tillary and Duffield is a downer, we think. It feels soul-less, robotic even. We aren’t going to get to worried about it though for reasons one commenter on Curbed summed up very nicely:
It’s one building by one architect for one developer. And when another building by another architect is built next to it — blam! — you start to get an interesting streetscape and diversity. and the people who didn’t like the first building may like the second. And problems that are encountered after the first building can be addressed by the second building. It’s not like, oh, say…16 skyscrapers designed by one guy being dropped in one fell swoop on top of an entire neighborhood.
And, there, folks, you have our biggest objection to the Atlantic Yards project.
Flatiron on Flatbush [Brooklyn Papers] GMAP
Alien Spawn of Flatiron on Flatbush [Curbed]
Doesn’t anybody else look at this building and see one giant screw?
I think Flatbush bythe Manhattan bridge is a world away from AY. AY very well may overwhelm the low rise neighborhoods it borders. This part of Brooklyn coming off the Manhattan bridgeis busy budy and economically depressed- high rises seem perfect here to me. And I’m opposed to AY.
I actually like the building (surprised the heck out of myself!)- I like that it is a modern take on the flatiron building in Manhattan. DOn’t know if that was intentional or if all flatiron type buildings tend to do that. The flat planes glass reflect the surrounding neighborhood- it almost makes the walls disappear and blend into the surroundings. Metaphorically neat. Not like Ms. Brooklyn. That’ll reflect a fractured neighborhood and make everyone look like a bad Picasso.
The plus side to the design is that it’s at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge and sort of “out of the way” of the more residential parts of Brooklyn… but, seriously, that intersection is never quiet… who is going to want to live there? When the Manhattan Bridge gets backed up the horns alone are deafening…
Then again I think people living beside the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo with trains going by outside your window every 2 minutes are nuts…
But that’s just me.
🙂
Nope :*)
Anon 12:06 pm, aren’t you doing the same – “shrieking like a 2 year old in the sandbox”?
The battle is over. Downtown Brooklyn and the Brooklyn waterfront will be developed according to plan. All the scare tactics and character assassinations in the world will not change this incontrovertible fact.
It’s no political accident that Bloomberg’s a Republican. This zero-sum game of winner-takes-all is what the high stakes real estate development scene is ultimately about here, and AY represents the pinnacle of the most rapacious capitalist aspirations. Team Doctoroff/Ratner are the latter day Robert Moses, reshaping by soviet-style executive fiat outscale developments. Surrounding neighborhoods, user perceptions, communities all be damned. Brooklyn’s being invaded. War of the Worlds indeed. Communities should totally fight this, a la Jane Jacobs. It’s a land grab.
If there’s one thing AY does NOT represent it’s the “organic” growth the city (SuperAnon’s laughable 2:09 characterization of Downtown Brooklyn redevelopment.)
(Rant over.)
very true, yer. It’s all about the technique, not the substance. At least, like Lincoln said, you can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time. I think the GOP is seeing that now.