ENG 1101: Composing Abstractions

I would like to preserve Newtown High School because of its age and importance to its community. Newtown has served as a high school that turns down no student and has fought to stay open with improving grades of graduation rate and behavior . Newtown is over a century old and the government wants to knock it down to build a new shopping center . i feel that this is a horrible atrocity of an idea because the Queens Center Mall is only a few blocks away from Newtown. this would be a waste of money time and history.

The Rockefeller center is a celestial structure. It shouldn’t be changed under any circumstances. Its historical value alone is worth preservation. The unethical Michael Graves has sinister plan to turn the wondrous building into a casino. How low and malicious can one be? The thought of this aesthetic structure turned into some mediocre gambling warehouse is sickening. The brilliant Raymond Hood and his classic and elegant style of Modern Art Deco helped establish this structure , but most importantly the one responsible was none other than John D. Rockefeller Jr, who at wanted to build an opera house but changed his mind due to the stock market crash. This $250,000,000 structure built in 1930 and completed 1939 brought new unimaginable images to manhattan from its extraordinary sight on July 4 to illuminating, warm, and comfortable view during the holidays. Michael Graves has clearly forgotten this extreme complexity of this building. Your everyday average building doesn’t employ 40,000 people to construct in almost a decade. This historic landmark shouldn’t have absolutely no future intentions of change this building belongs to the Rockefeller Clan, Hood, and all the other worker who strived and dedicated themselves into completing this building. Does Graves think that combining a casino with a historical landmark is going to make them both dovetail? Or is he trying to make a quick dollar? Have you not realized that if your messing with the Rockefeller Center your messing with not only New York but America as well. If Graves wants to play with fire by turning this palpable structure in to a casino then America will give him burn he will never forget. Please back off our Rockefeller!

The Monumental Rockefeller Center during the holidays.

The cathedral of Saint John the Divine is a beautiful old piece of architecture. Recently, Major Bloomberg decided to reduce the cathedral’s size to decrease traffic congestion in its surrounding. The reduction will take away most fundamental elements of architecture that were inspiring for many famous architects. This project is insulting and offensive to any cathedral around the world because if this happens, others will suffer from situations similar to this or even worse. We can definitely treat this as a danger of extinction to other Gothic styled buildings. It’s been a privilege that we still possess Gothic cathedrals that are becoming scarce. Because of the Gothic invasion, several architectural elements were introduced and explained how complex design relates to building structure. There is no excuse that can demolish such an artistic building.  Let’s save and preserve this cathedral to its very last piece of stone.

The Church of The Dominican Convent is a jewel to America. The Dominican Convent has been stand for more that 3 centuries, to be exactly since 1510s, is one of the most important, oldest buildings in America, a masterpiece. As the time pass, by the years the church suffered changes. In 1517 the church was occupied for frails, then in 1937 became the first university of America known as University Saint Thomas Aquino. Actually a museum that have safe and save all the hysterics secrets. This apotheosis was the beginning of the history of believers and is absurd and irrational to think that the church should be torn down to construct recreation in a colonial zone. You might be thinking, Who can think is a good thing to do? Do they want to approve this decision? Well! this is the most ignorant, insensate and irrelevant proposal I ever heard before, destroy a masterpiece full of history  to build a recreation park. Although the president declare this building as a worth preserve building complement of America and The Dominican Republic  history.

We are presented with the question “what is worth preserving?” in the third chapter of Writing About Architecture. This question is regarding what buildings or structures should be preserved, whether its their historical, artistic, or sentimental value. Most buildings or structures that are landmarks are preserved due to their historical value, such as libraries, churches, museums, etc. I believe that landmarks should remain unaltered to preserve their historical value, along with their artistic value because the person who made that building or structure made it that way for a reason. I also believe that the decision to preserve something of sentimental value would be in the hands of whomever that structure has effected, because not all buildings or structures have had an impact on everyone.

I believe the preservation of an architectural structure should depend on its connection to the architect, how it serves the people, and the age of the structure. Even though we, Americans, are on the verge of experimenting with new and different architectural designs, we should not completely demolish our history. When the building is a landmark and many people attend to it each and every day, it would need a lot of maintenance. If the exterior or interior structure of the building is out dated, it should not be changed. I think our history of architecture should always remain so that people can notice the progress that we made throughout the years in architecture. I think we should really try our best to preserve buildings, but if the building does not serve to the people the way it was meant to, it gives a reason to demolish, or renovate the building. If a building that is out dated but is still used on a daily basis, serves the people right, it should not be demolished just because it is history. An architect can have a very deep connection to a structure. If someone wants to come in and demolish or build over what the architect created, it is a slap in the face to the original creator. The creator or who ever owns the structure, should have the decision if the building gets preserved or not. There is always another way of bringing life back to a building without completely taking away its key architectural aspects.

In chapter 3 “What’s Worth Preserving” We learn the difference between formal, experiential and activist critique. While Formal and experiential critiques describes, demonstrate and give you a tour, Activist critique argue, fight or defend  what they want; if a building should be torn down or if it should be saved.

We should preserve New York major structures, that are strong significant to the future. Architect will continue innovating, will be many discussion about to preserve or not buildings. In pursuance of Alois Riegl  there are five steps to decide if a building or structure should be preserve. Historical value, Artistic value, Age value, Use value, Newness value. These five will put you through the right track to decide if it should be preserve or not.

There is always debate on whether something should be preserved. Whether something should be preserved depends on a couple of things. Some are whether it is neccesary, whether the majority want it, or its histroical value. I believe that if something or original it should be preserved, since it is a prime example of an original idea. Mostly whether something is preserved is based on opinion, and majority of opinion. If one says something should be preserved, another might say it doesnt have to, so the debate is who is correct. Most of the thins that are preserved today are because of sentimental value or neccisity. Overall the idea of preservation and what should or should not be preserved is based on majority opinion.

Blog posts – preservation

Michael Sorkin, “Save the the Whitney”

“What is Worth Preserving”
— types of architectural criticism
— tone
— argument
— values for conservation

Assignment

—

preservation of an apartment building — cf. a skyscraper

community value — major building in area

what makes a building worth preserving — value – worth preserving if it served an important purpose
— theater –

Sorkin essay as example of activist essay about preservation
— introduction: strong, declarative statements (“the Breuer Whitney is a masterpiece”
— he says what’s for and against (Graves’s plans are hostile, do violence to Breuer’s building)
— a defense of what he wants to save — Breuer Whitney — trying to show you the positive aspects of Breuer’s structure
— explain how the threat to the building would damage it

types of writing about architecture
formal
historical
experiential
activist

rough, strong, solid, durable, stable,

1. What building do you want to write about?
2. What values do you want to use to argue for preservation?
3. What is threatening it?

The perspective on the central question of what is worth preserving should have a significant part of the buildings that there historic structure. The landmarks around the buildings are able to explain and support the environment or community. The surrounding by Each of these edification been built in the past has a main purpose in our society. it does not matter how historically old or small, big the buildings are it insignificant these structures as they have a strong impact in the modern Architecture even if  people may disagree to keep them structurally standing.