Category: Short Writing Assignment (Page 5 of 14)

This short writing is about the classic skyline in the 1900’s New York. It focus on the relation between the Empire state building and the Chrysler building.

since the dawn of time people were alway competitive. sometimes the competition has been shown to be useful to certain level and brings out all that is the best. To me those building really embrace the competition between them to achieve greatness. The Chrysler building was designed by William Van Alen in the 1900’s, it’s a great example of art  deco architecture. It’s located at the intersection of 42nd and Lexington Avenue. It Held the title of tallest building for only 11 months before the Empire state beat it flat in heights. It is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel framework. It also look like a big wedding cake with a beautiful arch front door, and the top design sort of illuminated when the sunlight reflect on it. Not to far from the Chrysler, the Empire state building present almost the same features, it was designed by Shreve, lamb & Harmon and completed in 1931 right after the Chrysler building. It is also an art deco design of pre World War II architecture. The multiple setbacks reduce the level dimensions as the height increases making the top part much more smaller then the bottom. those setbacks also allow the sunlight to reach the street. they used limestone and steel to built this masterpiece. Despite what people said about the building and all I got to say that I didn’t feel amazed by it.

For this week’s trip, we visited several buildings that displayed and what also started the language of modernism in office buildings. Some of these buildings include the Lever House, Seagram Building, Lipstick Building, and the United Nations. All these buildings expressed themselves in different ways through massing, materials, and relationship to the ground plane.

Most of these buildings were similar in massing and the relationship they had with the public and its ground plane. They varied in shape but were similar in geometry. They were either square or rectangular. All the buildings except the UN had a much more inviting and even monumental atmosphere. This was done by recessed entrances, so when you walk to it, you end up under the main massing of building cantilevering over you, that is being supported by free-standing columns. These are great examples of one of the five points of architecture established by Le Corbusier, Pilotis. In addition to this pulling factor of the buildings, specifically the Lever house and the Seagram Building, they both had privately owned public spaces, allowing the public to stop and rest with the seats provided. This was great features that added to their designs and helped them stand out from all the other surrounding buildings. The Lipstick Building, on the other hand, with the same Pilotis stragtegy but at a smaller scale, had a different approach which made it stand out. This was done by an elliptical massing, unlike the other buildings with rectangular and squared masses, the Lipstick’s circular mass gave the buildings a delicate and gentle feel to its façade all around.

Two great examples to compare materials are the Lever House and the Seagram Building. both are very minimalist buildings, but the language of materials being used for the face of the buildings are ornamental. The Lever House used two different tones of glass, one acted as the vision and the other as a spandrel. What stands about the Lever House is its green color. Many buildings around it mimicked this color scheme but not as good as the Lever House. Another material used on the Lever House is, I believe, the aluminum structural beams running vertically along the facade, creating a visible grid. The Seagram Building also uses beams but aesthetic purposes. The glass and steel colors are unique. For its glass, amber tinted glass panes were used which gave a subtle and calming vibe when looking inside the building. The steel being used was colored black.

When a city planning project is introduced, many things need to be considered by the city officials. Lincoln Center had a huge impact on the neighborhood in both negative and positive ways.

Lincoln Center is an imitation of Campidoglio square in Italy. There are two buildings on the sides and one main building in the middle, creating a big open space. Many buildings were demolished to made room for Lincoln Center. Meaning that many families were forced to move out. This is a good example of gentrification. Removing the poor and create wonderful open space for the upper and middle class. Many of the families now live in Harlem and South Bronx. It is just like when Central Park was built. Many poor, native people were removed to make room for open space, where rich people can take advantage of the new space. Lincoln Center can be considered as art center because of the usage of the surrounding buildings. It can be a good thing, but many areas will be lacking in art centers. People from different neighborhoods need to come to Lincoln Center, but they don’t have to go to many places to enjoy different forms of arts. Because of the way the buildings were arranged, people come to one point as they finished up with the art shows, which is the open space in the center. This creates an opportunity for people to socialize and share their thought about the shows.

It was my first time in Lincoln Center and I had a positive feeling about the space. It is compact but not cluster. Each building is different but similar. I wonder if the interior of the buildings is different or not.

During this site visit we walked around observing the Seagram Building, Lever House, Citicorp, Lipstick Building Ford Foundations and the United Nations. These buildings were all built relatively around the same time, mid to late 1900’s. A specific style or design language is being developed for office/institutional buildings which is still noticeable in today’s typical office/ institutional buildings.

All with the exception of the Lipstick building, the massings were very similar but not exactly the same for the buildings we observed. They were all very rectilinear in massing. Not including the United Nations building, all the building’s massings are lifted up by the building’s columns. This was due to the fact that Le Corbusier’s five points of a new architecture heavily influenced and led the twentieth century modernist architectural movement, around the time the buildings we observed were constructed. The massing of the Lipstick Building is different compared to the other buildings because the architectural style is no longer modern but actually post modern. It’s elliptical massing was done on purpose to help it stand out among its neighboring buildings. 

The first two buildings we observed, Lever House and the Seagram Building, sort of set the standard for design in the area of Park Avenue and not only that but also set a precedent for future office buildings to follow. A striking feature of these building is the absence of ornamentation on the building’s exterior. However, it could be argued that the mullions and different types of glass have become the ornamentation/decorative feature of the building’s facade. In the Lever House, there are two different tones of glass used, a darker non-transparent green glass which helps hide floor slabs, dropped ceilings and all mechanical work happening under the floor slab as well as a greenish transparent glass which allows you to peak into the different rooms/spaces within the building. Meanwhile in the Seagram Building, the facade consists of alternating bands of bronze plating and amber tinted glass that gets separated by the bronze toned I-beams which run vertically, imitating mullions. Uniquely for the Citicorp building, there’s less sense of transparency between the interior and exterior of the building until you’re higher up in the building because of its extremely thick and un-aesthetically pleasing columns, which are hard to miss walking along the streets.

When we talk about the evolution of the exterior skin of a building, we have to keep in mind that every building’s facade is unique in conception and that the way in which we design is constantly changing per discoveries made. The point being that the evolution of the exterior skin of a building is a process which is currently still occurring because we’re still designing unique building facades and not just making the same building over and over again.  However, in the case of office and institutional buildings,  I’ve noticed that no matter what massing the use of a curtain wall and the alternating between transparent glass and spandrel glass (or other non-transparent material) has become prevalent for these buildings. Which in a way has become a signature or identifying feature of the modern office/institutional buildings from both the present and the past. 

20^th Century Planning Experiments in the City

Because of the suburbanization of the city and change in architectural style, new urban challenges made city officials to consider different planning in the city development. That is how the urban renewal movement was started. All the planning was concentrated around the increasing car industry and development of the road grid. This made city officials accept planner projects to demolish vast neighborhoods, large enough to reshape the block and street pattern. The obvious example is Lincoln’s Center and its neighborhood.

At the place where we have a Lincoln center today, was an area called San Juan Hill. It was destroyed and thousands of families were displaced, and most of the people in the city do not even know that San Juan Hill ever existed. Robert Moses named this area slum and area for redevelopment, all in the name of urban renewal. This transformation of San Juan Hill neighborhood is an early example of urban gentrification where we have a creation of superblock with higher middle-class housing while removing multi-ethnic lower-income families, and creating a space for today’s Lincoln center.

Moses was trying to create an elite cultural venue. And he succeeded. It is consisting of several buildings which include Metropolitan Opera, NY Philharmonic and NY Ballet. The place is built on a model of Italian rationalism, where architects create smooth minimal modernist buildings of concrete, steel, and glass, but they also retained admiration for ancient classical elements like columns, pediments, porticos, domes, and arches. At the Lincoln center, we can see these elements in a carefully organized grid of buildings with reliefs and massive outside columns spreading from the ground all away to the top of the building. Lincoln Center also consists of the big open space in-between the buildings, filled with water fountain and sculptural elements. We can see also elements of brutalism, with the use of massive and monolithic appearance. Overall, the structure was used as a dominant element and also as a part of ornamentation, which gives this aspect of brutalism.

Buildings that surround Lincoln center were built in a tic tac shape with a lot of open space which was used for car parking space. Also, this tic tac layout creates the disappearance of the original city grid with the small shops, clearly defined lot and block size, and the existence of city tumult. It is attempted to create suburban conditions in the center of the city, and it failed. It is not what the city represents, which would be a pedestrian-friendly city with a grid of easy approachable streets and avenues.

Even though we get this priceless cultural area with elite venues, on which any city in the world would envy, the creation of the Lincoln center and neighborhood around it have created several “dislikes” in a form of architectural planning of the city. We have a concentration of cultural venues in one place which brings revenues just to this area instead of spreading it out and creating several smaller areas with cultural events. Also, the architecture of this place creates a filling that this area does not belong in the city like is it an independent island in the ocean, end everything that is happening in the city can’t co-exist within this place.

As people living in the city sometimes we forget to observe our surroundings due to the rapid pace environment NYC demands. We often overlook things and as a result we don’t appreciate them. For instance, architecture in the city; sometimes we may recognize an edifice is beautiful but we won’t try to understand why or why not it’s aesthetically pleasing.

The exterior skin of a building is the first that you observe while you walk pass it or while you drive pass it. The skin is what intrigues the average person on whether they like the look of the structure or not. Many buildings in Midtown have this modernist international style look. Such as the Lever House, Seagram Building and United Nations. They skin for these buildings seem very lightweight compared to the concrete previous building had. All of the buildings I mentioned previously are rectilinear in their massing and often have a play with light since their facades are most commonly made of glass and steel. Although these buildings reach great heights they have this weightless feel to them. While personally standing in front of the Lever House you can observe the reach for superiority, while buildings like the Empire State may seem like structures and breaking out of the ground with their historic significance. The Lever House feels like a building that expresses the demand of stature. Another major observation is the lack or excessive ornamentation. I feel like the facade of these international style buildings becomes the ornament. For example on the Lever House the play of curtains each cell has gives the building a unique and different style every time you may visit it since there are people who will open the curtains while others may close them.

When we talk about Historical sites/neighborhoods and preservation of areas. Washington Square Park is the epitome of 19th century architecture in NYC.  This is an area that is familiarized with revival and excellence nowadays.

First let me briefly mention that Washington Square Park was a burial site prior to becoming what it is today, a public space with greenery that allows the community to gather and enjoy the outdoors while still being in the city. The park is also in homage to Europe since the arc may be known to resemble the Arc de Triomphe, which is an emblem of triumph and prosperity.

As you walk around the SOHO neighborhood you encounter buildings with similar beauty to the ones in Brooklyn Heights only taller. One of the major architectural distinctions used during this period was the effect of rustification on the lower parts of the facade of a housing unit and the revival of the Italian style.  As you keep observing you can see some irregularity on the streets where two streets meet and create a triangle that often becomes this miniature space for greenery and appreciation. A notable feature is the fact that NYU campus sits throughout this whole neighborhood embracing the value of its name with the value of its streets. It’s zone that embraces excellence whether it’s past or present. The churches here have a great example of what Gothic architecture is. The art of creating awe and mystery within the celestial space in order to satisfy the idea of Christ’s grandeur. Therefore, walking through these streets encompass the greatness of a city in the past decades that still thrives today and noted as one of the most expensive neighborhoods in all the city.

New York City became a sprawling city in the 19th century. As more people came into the city for economical satisfaction this resulted in more demand for housing.  As a result the great idea landlords decided to embrace was to immediately go against the law. Housing that was mainly for a single family was not meant for two or three families. The overcrowding became an immense issue besides that people no longer had the peace of mind everyone deserves. Landlords were satisfied as long as the money got into their pockets so they morally didn’t care about the sanitation and plumbing issues people were facing. The amount of waste that was amounted on the streets and the fact that for every 20 people living in an apartment they all shared a water hole which was known as the toilet; is detrimental due to the fact that this led to spread and growth of diseases.

One of the major architectural elements that the apartment buildings had to change was the poor quality of sunlight. Landlords and the government was okay with having sunlight being passed by interior window frames only having access to windows from the front and back of the structure. The reason why the buildings provided poor sunlight and air quality was because lots were all built extremely small distances form one another.

At least from my perspective New York City is still a city that carries on the overcrowding factor. This is especially true in lower income neighborhoods families bundle up together in order to pay for rent since NYC rent is reaching for the skies. So while people are here because there is a wider opportunity of employment there is still a need of mutual dependence i being able to pay for housing.

In order to further understand the function of a civic center let me define what a civic center is  — a civic center is prominently a land area meant to be a focal point with significant buildings surrounding it.  Thus the Lincoln Center is a perfect example of urban renewal. Robert Moses in the 1950’s was in the surge of going against preservationists architecturally. He created many public parks and promoted new infrastructure. Nonetheless, the Lincoln Center is now the world’s leading performing arts center. it unites 11 designated art buildings together altering the scale of New York city back in the 60’s and still maintaining that prestigious value in its name and area. While back then the Lincoln Center may have looked forced onto where it stands today because  this project displaced more than 7000 low-income. Furthermore, the assistance promised to the people whom resided there never happened. However, in the present day Lincoln Center quite fits well in the neighborhood it sits at since Central Park is not too far away from it and the iconic Broadway st leads to the view of the center.

The Lincoln center has a definite influence from the public spaces that existed in Europe. A definite influence is “Piazza del Campidoglio” located in Rome, Italy. Similarly, to the Campidoglio the Lincoln Center is a point where people are meant to gather whether it’s from the city or students from the halls and schools situated on it. The organization of the center follows Il Campidoglio  from the two buildings on the side to the geometries on the floor. It’s definitively one of those places where you walk with the respect towards prestige and the knowing of differences in society. It’s a center constructed for the best and built by some of the best architects. It’s a space that invites you to take it in yet it’s also a place to reflect on its upbringing and dedication.

In the 1920s and 1930s, New York City really sparked because of two great high-rise towers, both were a big influence because they helped make the power of automobile industry known: the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. While both towers show off beauty in its architecture, surely, they had their differences in massing, materials, and details.

The Chrysler Building, located on the Turtle Bay neighborhood of East Manhattan, at the intersection of 42^nd St and Lexington Avenue, was an art deco styled office skyscraper that stood at a height of 1,046 feet. It was the world’s tallest building for 11 months before the Empire State Building surpassed it. However, is it the tallest brick building in the world with steel framework. Its mass was rather basic but purposeful. Starting with a rectangular base, it has several setbacks that were compliant with Zoning Law of 1916, it gave the impression of a wedding cake but really, William Van Alen, the lead designer of the building, was influenced by the massing of a ziggurat and also has a palazzo at the northwest side of the building. These setbacks were extruded rectangularly until at the very top, where you have arches and each four side, that gradually shrunk and shrunk to form an overall massing of a triangle. The materials used for building was stone at the bottom floors, then white and black bricks above it and for the cap, bronze and glass. One of the interesting detail was the horizontal striations that the black bricks were creating at each window, it was smart to use the color black because it made this language of horizontality pop out, despite the dominance in verticality that was expressed by the modules. Another detail of the Chrysler Building that catches everyone’s eyes is the lustrous, chromed ornaments. Gargoyles overhanging at each corner of the 31^st floor and eagles at each corner of the 61^st floor, were designed to signify flight.

Also, an art deco styled office skyscraper, the Empire State Building, located in Midtown Manhattan, it stands at a roof height of 1,454 feet, defeating the height of the Chrysler Building but defeated by One World Trade Center. Its mass is like the Chrysler Building, the wedding-cake, with a common reason: the 1916 Zoning Law. What’s different is the forms that the setbacks create. It features one major setback and several smaller ones, this allowed for sunlight in the top floors and to the street. The building has a steel framed structure just like the Chrysler Building. The materiality of the exterior façade of the structure is a mix of marble for the storefronts, limestone and granite for the rest. The detailing was done such that everything about the building expresses verticality. The aluminum mullions that striate upwards creates an uplifting feeling that guides the eye to the top of the building. Another detail is the spandrel, art deco is expressed in these spandrels by a series triangulated geometry. Although, not much of the art deco is expressed on the exterior, it is more shown in the interior by many ornamentation especially for the elevators and also, an art deco mural all across the lobby ceiling.