Starchitects Can Be a Positive Influence
Architect Jonathan Cohn, aka blogger Brooklyn Views, weighs in on why he thinks that the participation of a starchitect in the Atlantic Yards project is likely to enhance the quality of the end-product: It does help that Gehry is on the job. He will be more able to push for influencing the program and it’s…
Architect Jonathan Cohn, aka blogger Brooklyn Views, weighs in on why he thinks that the participation of a starchitect in the Atlantic Yards project is likely to enhance the quality of the end-product:
It does help that Gehry is on the job. He will be more able to push for influencing the program and it’s disposition on the site than anyone else could in that role. From the public’s perspective there is a real advantage to having a star architect working on a project; a renowned architect has more clout to influence the program. Well-known architects can pick and choose commissions, and if a client proposes a direction that is not of interest, they can always decline to participate. Lesser known architects work at the behest of the client, knowing that satisfied clients will give them more work. A star architect plays to a different audience: his place in history. It behooves him to do the right thing, or to not do it at all.
The Role of the Architect [Brooklyn Views]
betcha’ anything Ghery drops out…
I worked with Frank Gehry on a project he’s doing with Barry Diller. Even Barry Diller, who runs a 3+ billion dollar company, can’t push Gehry around. Gehry’s stature/ego/resume is great enough that he does not have to compromise very much, unless it’s purely a financial issue. By this I mean that he has no reason to make compromises regarding taste or design. He can walk away from any project he doesn’t like, and will if he feels it’s not going well.
Anon at 2:05 – That is 42,000 sq ft of available space out of 370,000 sq ft. I am not an expert, but an 11% vacancy rate does not seem like a failure to me.
Interesting factoid: checking out the FCR website, I see there’s still 42,000 sq ft of vacant space at the new Atlantic Terminal mall. I guess not all retailers have bought into Marty Markowitz’s “Brooklyn vision” thing yet.
While I’m no fan AY, I guess I’d rather see Gehry stay attached to this project if it means it will be more attractive than the rest of Ratner’s ghastly looking developments. And yes, kdog, as you rather sweetly pointed out, all the retail will go to the national chains and big boxes. No indies here. But perhaps this time the letting agent could aim a little higher than Marshalls, DSW, Payless, Mandee etc. How about Williams Sonoma, Restoration Hardware, Eddie Bauer, North Face, etc?
also, whatever one’s criticisms of gehry at least he’s got an interesting viewpoint and is a great supporter of Culture (w/ a cap C), which frankly for big huge spaces like that, at least mitigates the pain of it all. who knows, maybe it will end up just being a depressing extension of fulton mall…with a starbucks and old navy tucked in here and there…wouldn’t it be cool if it could be an old book dealer, a great record store, like earwax in billsburg, a funky old brasserie style cafe with outdoor seating in the clement months. now i’m salivating. but not bloody likely right? barnes and noble, startbucks, Virgin, TGI Fridays.
i think the ground zero situation was an entirely different one, where groups playing upon public nostalgia and with varying agendas, effectively muddied any notion of architectural integrity…i think people had to fight just to prevent hummel-like statues going up, much less get a structure of any historical significance built.
Right, and Dianel Leibeskin influences Ground Zero.