Introspection

In 2006, the most active and closely watched areas were:

1. Atlantic Yards, Brooklyn, 2010 & 2016 (changing) See Atlantic Yards Superblocks.
2. The New Museum, Chelsea. It’s done. Good neighbor? Bad neighbor?
3. 80 South Street, Downtown, future (changing) approved in 05, so now what?
4. IAC Headquarters, High Line, 2007 (ceramic pebbles in the glass to save energy)
5. Silvercup West, Queens, 2009
6. Freedom Tower, Downtown, 2015!

Now approaching twenty years later for these areas time set aside for an assessment will prove instructive. Comments on the products regarding the social, economic, and environmental concerns are due. The public process used to promote the plans requires comparison with the end product requires analysis. The image source is New York Magazine 2006.

1. The Edge Stephen B. Jacobs; Master Plan FXFOWLE and TEN Arquitectos, Sept. 2008
2. Palmer’s Dock FXFOWLE, phase one, 2008; phase two, 2009
3. North 8: Greenberg Farrow Architecture, spring 2007
4. Domino Sugar Site: Rafael Viñoly Architects, Park opened in 2018 FEMA flood plan
5. Schaefer Landing: Karl Fischer Architects, 2006
6. Freedom Tower, David Childs/SOM; World Trade Center Transit Hub Santiago Calatrava; Tower 2, Sir Norman Foster; visitor center, 2011
7. 101 Warren Street; SOM, Ismael Leyva Architects, 2007
8. William Beaver House; Developer André Balazs, no completion date
9. Staten Island Whitehall Ferry Terminal; Fred Schwartz, 2005
10. Battery Maritime Building; Renovation, Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, 2006
11. Beekman Street Tower l Gehry Partners, Ismael Leyva Architects
12. 80 South Street: Santiago Calatrava
13. Pier 17; Beyer Blinder Belle, no completion date
14. Drawing Center; Architect TBA, 2011.
15. East River Waterfront; SHoP and Richard Rogers Ken Smith Landscape Architects, 2009
16. Brooklyn Bridge Park; Michael Van Valkenburgh, 2012
17. One Brooklyn Bridge Park/360 Furman Street Creative Design Associates, fall 2007

1. Javits Center; Rogers FXFOWLE Epstein, 2010.
2. West Side Rail Yards No completion date.
3. Moynihan Station David Childs/SOM, late 2010
4. High Line; Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, phase one, 2008; phase two, 2009
5. Chelsea Arts Tower Kosser & Garry Architects, Gluckman Mayner Architects, HOK, Fall 2006.
6. Vesta 24; Garrett Gourlay Architects and James D’Auria Associates, April 2006.
7. Marianne Boesky Gallery Deborah Berke & Partners Architects, September 2006.
8. West 23rd Street building Neil M. Denari Architects, Marc Rosenbaum, Gruzen Samton, 2008.
9. General Theological Seminary Tower The Polshek Partnership, no completion date.
10. High Line 519; ROY Co., late 2006
11. West 19th Street building Ateliers Jean Nouvel, no completion date.
12. IAC Headquarters Gehry Partners, March 2007.
13. 516 West 19th Street Selldorf Architects, 2008
14. The Caledonia Handel Architects, 2008.
15. Chelsea Market Residence Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects
16. The Standard, NY The Polshek Partnership, 2007. High Line Club Developers Charles Blaichman and André Balazs, no completion date
17. Pier 57 Michel De Fournier and Gensler, no completion date
18. Dia High Line; Roger Duffy/SOM, 2008.

The health and prosperity of the world are at stake in this century. Planning, architecture, urban design, and engineering must become one discipline. It must take power to build connections to a far broader set of responsibilities. The need to produce so we don’t fail our kids, and their kids are now. Are the steps taken by these projects enough?

Are public agencies overwhelmed? Can they force the building of the city that should be built, or managing the one that can be built by those this limited imagination and concise term interests. Our public bodies have enormous authority. They miss opportunities to correct imbalances, leverage resources, and eliminate errors for the lack of political will and the ability to take power?

Anyone what to upgrade this with a starchitecture review?