Gehry Backtracks, Softens Plans for Yards
Lost in last week’s holiday shuffle was Frank Gehry’s revision and qualification of his plans for the Atlantic Yards project. According to Brooklyn Papers, the famous architect even went so far as to call his original renderings “horrible”. So what’s he doing to change the design? Basically, with Ratner’s blessing, he’s softening it: Replacing shiny…
Lost in last week’s holiday shuffle was Frank Gehry’s revision and qualification of his plans for the Atlantic Yards project. According to Brooklyn Papers, the famous architect even went so far as to call his original renderings “horrible”. So what’s he doing to change the design? Basically, with Ratner’s blessing, he’s softening it: Replacing shiny facades with brick and adding more green space to the mix. All this goes a long way toward explaining why both he a DDDB stalwart Patti Hagan are both grinning ear-to-ear in the photo above. Gehry promised to tour Prospect Heights with Hagan, despite what his boss on the project might think about who he’s consorting with.
Gehry: My Design Was “Horrible” [Brooklyn Papers]
If Gehry isn’t going to design the high-rises, does that mean they won’t be built or will we get a 40 story Fedders building?
more telling is Dan’s signature on his 3:24 post.
sorry for the double post.
Hey anonymous. Its Goldstein, not Goldberg, but a jewish name is a jewish name, all the same i guess.
Newswalk was left out, in my opinion, because it would be too epensive to buy the building out, too expensive to condemn, the people there have money to fight, AND politically difficult to condemn a building with so many residents. what I have NO explanation for is why so many Newswalkers are silent about Ratnerville. I can’t imagine they like the idea of first a 15 year construction site in their front yard and then being surrounded, literally, by much larger buildings not just blocking their views, but blocking their sky and light.
more astounding, is this:
Two years into this project Gehry seems to have no solid plan for the project’s design and its clear from his presentation that his focus is on the arena. those who think we may get 17 buildings designed by Frank Gehry and find that appealing, its unlikely. One of the panelists, wandering off script, said “everybody knows that Gehry isn’t going to desing most of the buildings.”
Hey anonymous. Its Goldstein, not Goldberg, but a jewish name is a jewish name, all the same i guess.
Newswalk was left out, in my opinion, because it would be too epensive to buy the building out, too expensive to condemn, the people there have money to fight, AND politically difficult to condemn a building with so many residents. what I have NO explanation for is why so many Newswalkers are silent about Ratnerville. I can’t imagine they like the idea of first a 15 year construction site in their front yard and then being surrounded, literally, by much larger buildings not just blocking their views, but blocking their sky and light.
more astounding, is this:
Two years into this project Gehry seems to have no solid plan for the project’s design and its clear from his presentation that his focus is on the arena. those who think we may get 17 buildings designed by Frank Gehry and find that appealing, its unlikely. One of the panelists, wandering off script, said “everybody knows that Gehry isn’t going to desing most of the buildings.”
There has been no decrease in prices due to AY. Prices are comeing down everywhere due to the market normalizing
I think Newswalk would have been much to expensive to include. Remember any ’eminent domain’ has to pay for properties – its not that they just ‘seize’ and owners left holding bag.
Besides developer 1st tries to buy/negotiate price before using eminent domain.
And with Atlantic Yards a real possibility in some form – and all its supposed disasters that will create – anyone notice a decrease in prices in surrounding blocks and Newswalk?
What I see is realtors highlighting fact that properties being near Atlantic Yards.
I don’t think Newswalk is landmarked. Boymelgreen (Newswalk’s developer) used to be friends with Ratner, which many suspect played into the decision to spare the building. They have since had a public falling out.
Isn’t Newswalk already protected as a landmark building? Maybe you mean protecting its views or the quality of life of its residents (and those of the surrounding community).