Iconic Venues: Losing Sight of the Program For the Building

Museums, once thought to be the triumphs of a City's in need of rejuvenation, have spawned a new era of iconic architecture; the perceived panacea that promises to resolve a dwindling civic patronage. To me, no one person stands more iconic in this 'galleria-revolution' than Frank Gehry. Driven not by the arts community, the proliferation of such cultural buildings have "[become] the way in which cities articulate their identity and vitality". To some the "Bilbao Effect" is no longer the solution for ailing cities but for corporations - a way to lure tourists and economic development - but a potential boon to corporations, whose identities are signified in their contribution to a city's architectural map of 'trophy buildings'.

(Bilbao Guggenheim, Spain)

I was recently reminded of the power Mr. Gehry and others command in the architecture and design world, but also the influence they have to affect public opinion and influence popular culture. With the recent construction of Barry Diller's IAC headquarters adjacent Manhattan's West Side Highway, and the nearly completed Beekman Tower (Gehry's first skyscraper), perhaps the most transformative piece of "civic" architecture in recent history has been that of the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain. Perhaps so progressively ahead of their time we are unable to see the immediate benefits of their presence. Arguably, these projects seem to backfire more often in their dissociation from their context; relating not to what's there now but instead to a new collection of "look-at-me buildings by global architects." Adrian Ellis, leading arts consultant and executive director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, recently referred to this form of museum building as "keeping up with the Joneses".

Fortunately, the economic downturn has given 'cause-for-pause' in this rabid quest for individuality and novelty. Scaled back or abandoned completely, current and proposed plans are being rethought. Where private institutions may have an advantage in raising capital for such projects - most financing for civic projects relying on donations and city funding - all are concerned with the increased maintenance budgets required to operate such 'iconic' facilities.

Exquisitely inventive and materially ground-breaking, a great deal of the architecture that steals headlines and stimulates the salivary glands of architectural students worldwide loses sight of its obligation to a cities social and environmental impacts. While "sensuous, almost feminine facades" are appealing in their own right and offer a refreshing complement to the orthogonal domination of our cities' urban faces, merely intending these new structures to spur surrounding development in areas is simply rhetoric. Too often, these buildings offer little to the public realm. Opaque or barely transparent glazing, oppressively 'thin' concrete walls, and undulating floor-to-roof facades not only lack the formative qualities of public space at their edges, but almost arrogantly turn their back on the surrounding life it seeks to attract.

(IAC Headquarters, NYC)

(Experience Music Project, Seattle)

Am I the only one to find it strange that in seeking pictures for the 'Walt Disney Concert Hall' there appears an absence of people? Traditional notions of the Agora may have long since passed. However, the attraction of and migration to cities only promises to increase a demand for livability, community, and interaction. 'Build it and they will come' may work in the short term but often results in isolated pockets of urban space that, over time, dissociate themselves from the surrounding fabric they seek to weave. Is thoughtful contribution to our public environment too heavy a demand for our policy makers to make of developers and designers in addition to simply providing recognizable jewels that enhance the skyline?

(Seattle Public Library, Seattle)

Architecture and public open-space design have long-since offered innovation in human comfort, passive and active recreational programming, social engagement, and city building. This is evidenced in the illustrations of designer's concepts religiously. Unfortunately the key ingredient that is so often illustrated - one that supports and nourishes these places and spaces - is so often lacking in the photographed realities of such creations - people!

Apres L'Orage

On the dawn following the first major snowfall of 2009, New Yorkers and I 'head to the hills' of Central Park, seeking to celebrate the 'official' arrival of Winter and Christmas. While curious as to how our southerly neighbours associate christmas with their environment, I feel a certain attachment to the changes in clime that evoke childhood memories, teenage experiences, and adult aspirations.

As I stroll, the caustic allure of the charcoal, burning while slowly roasting the proverbial chestnut, has a strangely nostalgic appeal not dissimilar to petrol. A gusting and swirling breeze is no match for the ear-to-ear grins of all that I pass on my way to Central Park. The sounds of laughter and playfulness are softened by the fresh blanketing of snow that has transformed the city's ground-plane. Runners, cross-country skiers, sledders, aspiring (snowman) architects all seem to be elevated, lightened in mood, as if it were the first day of spring.

Within the parks lowlands and hollows, there lurks a more animated life. Hills - large and small - are sought for the sleds and tubes of children and adults alike. A park landscape that appears, from the outside, so relatively flat exudes an immense variation in topography at the finer scale of the user. While scaled-down snowplows keep the grand-prix circuit of pathways clear for onlookers, racers glide on back, belly, and butt toward imaginary finish lines. The Parks Department - in its pursuit of health and safety - has even gone so far as to carefully and strategically locate hay bales around the bases of all 'course hazards'.

From the Belvedere Castle, one is afforded a tremendous view of the surrounding city - a backdrop against the sparse but strikingly sculptural landscape of Central Park. Gazing out across the Turtle Pond I'm struck by the power of this vernacular landscape. The City contrasts in form but integrates in colour; the apartments that line the park exhibiting their earthen tones complemented by the bark, and branches of the parks paysage. Unlike Vancouver which takes its cues from the outside world, New York's architecture peers inward. As a result, programming and activity is focused toward, and revolves around this natural gem at the city's core.

I return home refreshed and appreciative of the natural world, humanity, and our ability to shape it. Far from an anthropocentric endorsement, I merely take pride in association with a family of designers around the world that possess this learned talent and ability, but more importantly a visionary quality that eludes time. Time is where nature finishes the job in continuing to transform our experiences with landscape. Through a series of repetitions, rhythms, and sequences - over a duration of time - change is rendered, and we are brought to life just when we seek it most.

Nourishment at Brighton Beach

As the N-Train weaves itself through the social topographies of Brooklyn - destination Coney Island - we are treated to what must be one of the world's longest paintings. Certainly an act of 'youthful collaboration', the artwork we will aptly refer to as "The Tag 'Scape Project" seems to be the only piece of this sub-grade exposed-to-the-sky cut through the urban landscape that is maintained. This is likely due to the MTA's perpetual efforts at "streamline costs" (echoed by an equally resounding protest of geographical discrimination). It is, again, a cool but fantastically bright sunny day and an opportune, albeit dwindling opportunity to explore one of New York's more historically celebrated cultural sites. Little did we know that the carnival began as soon as we emerged from the underground, already well into Brooklyn. A series of mostly numbered streets and avenue stops provided colourful vignettes throughout our entire "on-line" experience. As we were entertained, our anticipation built as we drew nearer the amusement destination of Coney Island.

Currently resembling more of a graveyard for rusting roller coaster rides and fading ferris wheels, Coney Island embodies an aura of nostalgia that even a newcomer can still get into. This may, in fact, be in no small part to the long-established and critically acclaimed 'Nathan's Hot Dogs' (yes, they are worth the visit). The reach of the Riegelmann Boardwalk and the unobstructed expanse of beach front that immediately captures ones attention upon arrival to the waterfront are equally matched by, and contrasted with the apparent neglect of its more colourfully random and long-running 'stage set'. Unfortunately much of what made Coney Island familiar to generations of visitors has already been torn down. We do not let this fact deter our exploration and enjoyment of this edge. The decaying and frenetic condition of this 'scape is an experience in contrasts and contradictions - an evolutionary landscape where survival of the opportunistic and 'visionary' (?) reigns.

What is not immediately apparent by most visitors is the fact that Coney Island is an artificially constructed landscape that continues to simply undergo a process of transformation that defies architectural intervention. In 1922-23, 1.3m cubic feet of sand was dredged from the nearby seabed and deposited on its shores. Like the built landscape that was once associated with the amusement landscape of Coney Island, it is unlikely that the offshore deep water landscapes - "borrow sites" - will return to their predisturbed condition. The search for a viable sediment source through "beach nourishment and protection" is a fitting metaphor for the Island's current search of a viable funding source, and a renewed interest from the "speculators, swindlers and scoundrels who developed — and demolished — Coney".

With the beaches groomed and replenished on a regular basis by the City, Coney Island promises to live on as a destination that continues to pique interest from a lengthy list of stakeholders, investors, and tourists alike. Human targets may no longer be sought as candidates for the paintball shooting gallery ("shoot the freak"), colour may continue to fade on the storefronts revealing a decaying patina of authenticity, and the hardwood boardwalk may continue to burst its bolts. Inevitably this place's pop cultural references and accreditations will live on to see a landscape that is as sordid as its past.

Erecting the Urban Forest: Seasonal Signifier and Vernacular Practice

Shortly after seeing the last remaining leaves fall like confetti - freed from the clutches of their limbs - a familiar but surreal landscape appears throughout New York's streets. Signifying the impending fervor of Christmas, these migratory forests seemingly emerge overnight and transform the City's hyper-illuminated, and otherwise barren glow.

What strikes me as so powerful about their widespread sale is the intriguingly symbolic and metaphoric history the lowly Christmas tree has - deeply rooted in a middle-European folk-rite long forgotten. Contemporary society has unequivocally rooted it within a commodified culture of consumption and status. A constructed and temporary landscape lasting no more than a few weeks every year, it's artificiality is not only supported with elaborate scaffolding, but by it's disposable equal; an iconic representation in colour (pink, silver, red), texture (nylon, or plastic), and shape (coiled fibreoptic light rods). 'Real' trees are produced (harvested) like chicken and cattle for their immediate demand, and appear in the most creative of locations: hanging precariously to construction cranes above the city, erected as objets d'art that enhance the stark entrances of private institutions, or in the windows of penthouses and apartments that compete with even the most exquisite of retail displays.

This ritual of erecting temporary forests throughout the City is not unique to New York but, noticeably commonplace throughout much of the world. An eerie return of the ancient forests that once stood where dendritic limbs of concrete, glass and steel now reside, the return of this seasonal landscape is no more prominent than the semantical value represented in the sign that is "the Tree at Rockefeller Centre". A modern day reenactment of its historical folk-rite, the lighting of this tree on 2 December initiates the overwhelming rise of this migratory forest.

The commodification and sale of Christmas trees is an image that remains stuck with me. It competes with and, perhaps, has even replaced the nostalgic act of combing the surrounding landscape of my childhood home for "that perfect specimen". Arguably, however, Christmas and its omnipresent signifier - 'the tree' - have simply evolved with urbanization and the unprecedented growth of cities, to be treated as a kind of vernacular forestry practice more than an (historically) religious event.

Patronizing Bronx Patrons: A $64M Park in Need of People

With the pull of gravity and the often whispered fears of wandering the neighbourhoods of the Bronx on one's own, it is rare for me to catch the 4-Train headed North in New York. However, with news of a "significant [new] City park . . . open on the Bronx bank of the Harlem River", my dwindling chances to see the 'Tree Museum' (extended to 3 January 2009) that runs the length of the 'Champs D'elysees of New York' - more intimately known as the 'Grand Concourse' - were assuaged with a cold but brilliantly sunny day.

(Grand Concourse at Bronx Museum)

While continuing to strive to meet the laudable goal of replacing "every inch of parkland [and more?] displaced by the construction of the new Yankee Stadium" the City's redevelopment of this particular section of the Harlem River seems either misguided or in place for a plan that will successfully manifest itself in the distant future. With the Major Deegan Expressway looming above (6 at-grade lanes beneath) and a big box development - Gateway Centre at the Bronx Terminal Market (an oxymoron at best) - to the north, the 145th street bridge to the south, and an existing train trestle that floats above the water enough to feel like an immediate impediment to one's view to Manhattan, Mill Pond Park seems isolated and out of place. Without the preexisting knowledge this place, in fact, existed, in addition to the trusty guidance of google maps on my iphone I'm sure most would be unwilling or unable to seek this as a place of refuge or recreation.

(Mill Pond Park - View to MD Expressway and Gateway Centre)

Master planned and schematically designed by Rogers Marvel Architects, the link between this project and the other the redevelopment sites throughout the area seem a stretch at best. Apart from contractors touching up the concrete beneath the "outdoor classroom" (an interesting but rather predictable T. Balsley intervention) I was the only one here enjoying the sunny aspect the site is afforded, offset from the canyons of Manhattan nearly a stone's throw across the River.

(Outdoor Classroom/Shade Structure)

Trolling the streetscape adjacent the park beneath the decaying steel ceiling of the Major Deegan Expressway one is quick to observe the lack of human traffic here. Whether it was the six lanes of traffic and parking, a lack of building articulation or animation, including street trees, or the fact that Applebee's needed to populate their false frontage with mannequins pretending to converse over plastic dinners, it was clear that this stretch was a clear and present danger to the popularity of this park. The brutalness of this streetscape was further exemplified by an attempt to paint over the artwork that once adorned the expressway's structural columns.

(Beneath the MD Expressway)

(Dining Mannequins and False Frontage)

(Dwindling Local Traces)

Seemingly programmed to accommodate a well-balanced cross-section of activities I am particularly warmed by the number of barbecues that stand amidst the gravel picnic area - an area that in time and with luck will become a more humanized alternative to dining in the neighbourhood. Circuitous paths that ebb and flow with the undulating shoreline and restored (?) estuaries do make for a pleasant stroll on a sunny day. While the craftsmanship is questionable in many areas throughout the park, what strikes me as more curious is the seemingly random placement of site amenities. Faux wood decks (made from recycled plastic) are scattered along the shoreline of the park calling for adirondack-style furniture or chaise lounges for summertime tanning. While falling short of a precarious but desirable extension over the water, allusion to a pier-like structure is made by some. Others frustrate the user and have been ostracized from use behind shoreline plantings.

(Picnic Area)

('Pier')

(Errant 'Pier')

Perhaps the saving grace of the park's apparent lack of people will be the restoration of the park’s historic Power House. An attractive building that absorbs and re-radiates the sun's colour and warmth, this facility promises year-round programming to the park environment and facilities. Not only will it sport a green roof, rendering it a living counterpoint along the otherwise hardened landscape of the Major Deegan Expressway above, it will serve as the last built reminder of what the Bronx Terminal Market once was.

(Powerhouse)

A tourist (seriously debating if I'll ever be considered a 'local') with an agenda to consume places and spaces, I find myself becoming increasingly obsessed with uncovering everything about this City. While serving as fodder for conversation with native New Yorkers (at least within the design community, but also beyond) I find the openness and willing support of public art, development, and public amenity/open space (certainly slow to come in less-than-desirable areas of town) refreshing on a scale that is so foreign to my career and life in Vancouver. Perhaps this will run its course in due time, but for now I continue to enjoy the journey and remain curious.

"For the People" - What People?

(Wow!)

Recent visits to Government offices have left me pondering the overall experience - from arrival to departure. Am I the only one to leave frustrated and unsatisfied? Perhaps even a little beleaguered? If at all confused as to the address or location of your next visit to a Government Agency, simply look for a brutal structure that resembles little more than a concrete home depot store (given Home Depot's recent and successful attempts at establishing an increased urban presence and the shopping experience of its customers this may be a poor comparison). A foreshadowing of things to come on the inside, there is little left to look forward to.

(Sidewalk Security - Hudson Street)

(Sidewalk Security - Varick Street)

(Sidewalk Security - Madison Ave)

By no means are Government Agencies the only suspects in their manslaughter of public space, they may be found guilty more often than not as evidenced by the large (empty) weathered concrete planters carelessly scattered out front. Not only do they lack any sense of their primary function as planters, they possess a wielding and flagrant dismissal of our very arrival. Once inside it is not only the lack of greeting and direction - textured vertical or horizontal planes, coloured accents and/or wayfinding cues, or personal welcome - but a sense that, yes, we are simply an entity (as evidenced by the anonymous, generally white or green, queues) called to attention by a flashing digital number. Where are we? What have we done to have deserved such an impersonal experience? To me, there is little about this experience that is any different from entering a system of incarceration (not that I would know from firsthand experience). What happened to government being "for the people"?

While there remains a great deal of weathering infrastructure with an embodied energy mass that begets immediate renovation, there are signs of hope, I think. It can be said that private industry and businesses would not last treating its customers to an experience such as that described above. As Government evolves to meet the demands of its consumers as well as its workers, they are beginning to take heed of such lessons, ultimately trying to restore accessibility to the people. Unfortunately, the existing institutions bare the cost of these changes in the form of 'security' setbacks, often involving less-than-creative solutions. Recent movements to build new agencies outside the City may create others problems, however, while solving those currently being addressed.

Creative solutions to providing public space while providing workplace security have been evidenced here and elsewhere. The spatial layout of the front entry plaza to the Phillip Burton Federal Building in San Francisco, as well as innovation in streetscape security architecture that also serves as site-relevant public art can be seen throughout Lower Manhattan - more specifically through the streets adjacent the NYSE. Such levels of thoughtfulness to the importance of the functioning of public space as a precursor to experience, as well as an inexperience in its own right, are on the rise. Nearing, or at least aspiring to the level of quality evidenced by the rest of the built environment, Government architecture and experience will, with any luck, surpass the banal thinking of the past and respond to the citizenry it serves.

(Nogos)

(Turntable)

For a City that has so enthusiastically embraced PLANYC - yes, even our block b/w Lexington and 3rd Avenue has benefited from the recent addition of 5 new 'American Linden trees - I am left feeling confused as to the empty promises offered by such Governmental establishments. Actions speak louder than words and in this case, at the very least, would result in some additional colour.

(Having) Time for Introspection

In these down times, fraught with worry about how long the hiring freeze may last, whether there will be further 'leaning-out' and/or dissolution of existing firms, I find myself most focused on fostering a daily schedule that reflects "deepest values". Wait! What are these exactly?


For the past seven years, contributing to a design firm that has seen tremendous growth and international success as well as participating in the professional responsibilities of the BCSLA, I saw little opportunity to explore and reflect upon the importance of being conscious of these values; ultimately as a critical part in influencing the direction of my career. Recently, the thoughts of one of my favourite speakers on leadership - Robin Sharma - resounded within. Emphasizing the importance of "visualizing a visit into ourselves, not as we are now but as we want to be at the end of our careers" (if there ever is an end) I am inspired to entertain such a visit.


BE PASSIONATE: This comes in many forms but ultimately reinforces my thoughts on the notion of an 'aura' or 'energy' that embodies each of us. I believe that this is outwardly expressed also, in a manner that cannot be mistaken for hyper-activity but an unmistakeable lust for something(s).


BE CURIOUS: The world is a large place, with an overwhelmingly infinite and exciting number of things, places, and people to experience. While novelty may be possible in form - sometimes bordering on overtly oppressive - the nuances of context ultimately shape the uniqueness of each of these experiences. A passion for learning ultimately drives my insatiable curiosity of the world.


SEEK PERFECTION (BEAUTY): Of course all things natural embody an inherent beauty that often defies explanation. I seek to exact these same principles in all that I do. While perhaps a disabling pursuit at times, perfection, I believe, coincides with beauty. Whether the sensuous lines of an Aston Martin, an exquisite culinary presentation, the mercurial reflection of a quiet lake, or the most tenuous contrast between rusted metal and bronze grasses, all herald of perfection. Some are born others; others are created; all simultaneously strive for perfection and are perfect. I can only hope to achieve and uncover both.


HAVE FUN: "If it ain't fun it ain't worth doing". The power of laughter and humour is increasingly critical in a hyper-sensitive and globally fearing state-of-mind. It is also clear to me that fun is an excellent initiator for innovation and behavioural change in the world. While there is no laughter to be had in the atrocities committed against humanity, an oppressive culture of seriousness in seeking retribution and revenge will certainly not lead us in a direction that is conducive to closeness as 'humans being', or positive change as a society. 


HAVE COMPASSION: I find great satisfaction and reward in seeking to better understand others - likes, dislikes, thoughts, perspectives, and outward signs of intelligence (emotional and intellectual). for me, recent reading on the prerequisites to "design thinking" reinforce the notion that to truly excel at innovation, we must first understand that we are no longer consumers put participants in our purchases of experiences and not just products. Not only will compassion benefit a more civilized state of co-existence, compassion will seek to change the way we design our world and the way we inhabit it.


MAINTAIN INTEGRITY: Being true to oneself, reinforced through a consistency to owning ones thoughts, feelings, and actions. With competitiveness on the rise due to the rise of an unemployed but skilled work-force, opportunity for misrepresentation to gain a competitive edge against ones fellow job-seeker increases. Whether a false claim of work as one's own, a failure to acknowledge another's contribution(s), or a fraudulent representation of character, all such acts ultimately manifest themselves in their inconsistency of action. A strong belief in one's karma reinforces a motivation toward honesty, truthfulness, and a higher sense of purpose in all that I pursue, particularly as a newcomer to a foreign professional community. 


CONTRIBUTE: Obama's recent election and accompanying speeches have reinforced my own desire to leave the world a better place than when I first entered it. This is really a contemporary reminder to JFK's "what [we] can do for [our] country". I would like to take this notion even further and look beyond the confines of legal or political boundaries and extend this selfless call of duty to the entire planet. As the recipient of many influential forces throughout my youth, academic and professional career - most notably my parents - I also seek to be remembered as having a positive influence on those around me. Through many small wins, pursuing a 'lead by example' approach to life will, I hope, reinforce in others some of the more positive aspects of holistic living listed above. 


What is your legacy, and where will you be? It would be an honour to share in your thoughts also.