What buildings in New York City would you like to see go? It seems like we are forever witnessing developers (and our government) tear down our architectural and historic gems only to erect big box glass buildings (and worse)! amNY asked some architects and critics what buildings they’d like to see taken out of our collective space and replaced.
Not surprisingly, NYU had two of them! (I’m certain there are more that could be listed.) And, unfortunately, they both are on the south border of Washington Square Park.
*NYU Kimmel Student Center asserts Andrew Berman, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation: “The NYU Kimmel Student Center on Washington Square South. UUUUGLY. And it now blocks the view through Washington Square Arch down Fifth Avenue; you used to be able to see the downtown skyline (including the World Trade Center pre-9/11) framed through the arch; now the arch is more or less engulfed by the Kimmel Center.”
*NYU Bobst Library is designated “most reviled” by Rick Bell, executive director of American Institute of Architects, NY, who said: “It is one of the most reviled buildings in New York City, eliciting negative comments from people who are usually fastidiously polite. Tearing down Bobst, the library, a funereal hulk inappropriate to the scale and extroverted character of Greenwich Village, should be part of the re-envisioning of the need for NYU to have a more community-friendly character.”
You can read the full article here.
As of today, I see no mention of Bobst in the article referenced. It would be my #1 ugly building, of course, not least of its adverse effect on its neighborhood, ie, casting a cold shadow over 1/4 of the park in the winter, but what happened to Rick Bell’s commentary in that article?
http://www.amny.com/news/local/am-blow0619,0,4777023.story
Hi Gene, this is many years later that I came across your comment again. That whole article seems to have disappeared but, strange that when you saw it, not too long afterwards, that mention from Rick Bell was gone (american institute of architects being quite near NYU *campus* ). I wonder if any pressure was applied? Hard to say.
Thanks (belatedly) for your comment.
Cathryn