Ouroussoff, Tell Us How You Really Feel
New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff doesn’t mince words in reviewing the new design for the Atlantic Yards Arena. “The recent news that the developer Forest City Ratner had scrapped Frank Gehry’s design for a Nets arena in central Brooklyn is not just a blow to the art of architecture,” he writes in today’s…
New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff doesn’t mince words in reviewing the new design for the Atlantic Yards Arena. “The recent news that the developer Forest City Ratner had scrapped Frank Gehry’s design for a Nets arena in central Brooklyn is not just a blow to the art of architecture,” he writes in today’s Arts section. “It is a shameful betrayal of the public trust, one that should enrage all those who care about this city.” But wait, there’s more: “In a stunning bait-and-switch, Forest City Ratner has now decided that it can’t afford an architect of Mr. Gehry’s stature. Neglecting to tell the public, the firm went out months ago and hired Ellerbe Becket, corporate architects known for producing generic, unimaginative buildings. And although it has refused to release details of the design, the renderings, obtained by The New York Times, tell you all you need to know.” Indeed they do.
Battle Between Budget and Beauty, Which Budget Won [NY Times]
What an incredible article. It manages to really bring home what a hideous dead zone an arena will create, especially one as massive and boring as the one being proposed. At this point we are definitely better off just having that space sit vacant until such time as more money is available and better designs are in the works.
Shoots and Leaves
Are those the only choices ? artistic super modern over generic ?
Think about applying those rules for choosing ; music, art, cars, homes, museums, breakfast cereal, sports teams, women, vacations, restaurants, friends, careers, TV shows. I would have to go for artistic super modern and that is what would be better for BKLYN.
Now if we were talking about socks and shorts then generic would be fine.
If you were against the arena from the start then keep quiet. Because you are part of the reason the bldg was dumbed down.
Those who supported it can express their disappointment.
I just thought of new The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. It was built on the edge of one of Europe’s great cities with Georgian townhouses,neo-classical and of course castles and Palaces. It does not mimic but intergrates and speaks for the time when it was buiilt. It is an amazing building both inside and out, it is an original although it’s Spanish architect refers to Gaudi.
The problem is that it went so far over budget it is what everyone first says, like the channel tunnel and the Boston development. But when all the bills have been paid Scotland can be proud of an addition to their city.
I don’t see any Brooklynite expressing any pride in this box of a building with a rotating name and sign. It will be a statement of what we though of our city.
I just loved that architectural review, move over Paul Goldberger.
That’s Miss Brooklyn’s runner up?
Shoots and Leaves does have a good point. With architecture, you can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time….
Cases in point would be the Guggenheim and the Louvre.
you’ll need a www in front of that. I apologize for being technology-deficient
panoramio.com/photo/14453569
If Queens has got one (even tho its a BJs) then so can we.
“Architecture is an art form that we (the people) have to live with and unlike other forms we can ignore or allow to go out of fashion.”
That idea should hold for the entire spectrum of development. Which is why Fedders buildings and others of the same ilk are such a “horror show.”