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Better : Worse : Same
Let’s play a game called ‘Better, Worse, Same’. In this game you choose a building. Then you research and locate the building that was on the site prior to the current building. You compare the buildings and then state whether the current building is BETTER (an improvement), WORSE (a mistake), or SAME (no change, both buildings are equal). If for example a parking lot was the prior site, then 99.9 percent of the time the current building is BETTER. If a prewar trophy was torn down for a crappy box, then the current building is WORSE. Finding buildings in the SAME category should be a doozy, for many.
I’m not picking any sides, or abhorring, but if we can, let’s try to stay in NYC as much as possible. To get things started I’ll start it off. Current: Empire State Building http://www.nyc-architecture.com/MID/073_EMP.jpg Prior: Waldorf Astoria http://www.nyc-architecture.com/IM-1...%20Astoria.jpg BETTER Current: Brooklyn Bridge Ramp http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eRampsMANH.jpg Prior: Park Row Buildings (NY World Building and Tribune Building) http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GON/world2.jpg WORSE Current: Bank of NY Mellon Building (Irving Trust Building) http://www.nyc-architecture.com/LM/051-irving.jpg Prior: Number One Wall Street http://www.nyc-architecture.com/IM-1...-GON088-03.jpg SAME |
1. same (after a lot of thought. Tough one, since the ESB is one of my faves)
2. worse (access needed to B'klyn Br., but the beautiful unique domed bldg was demo-ed :( :( ) 3. same (both pics have old fashioned NY bldgs)... wellllll, leaning a little towards better (Irvine Trust is more attractive) |
Great idea for a thread. I'll be back with one after doing some digging.
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I like the idea of the thread. Though do we have to stick to just NYC?
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Here's one from Los Angeles.
Current: City National Plaza (1972) http://www.you-are-here.com/los_ange...ional_bank.jpg Previous: Richfield Tower. 1929, demolished 1969. http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9...mtg4o1_500.jpg WORSE |
Well, seeing as I've been making 'then and now' photos for a while now, I'll throw in a few of my faves.
Los Angeles Blog post: http://urbandiachrony.wordpress.com/...aza-1939-2011/ http://urbandiachrony.files.wordpres...ngsquarene.jpg Previously: Pershing Square central plaza (John Parkinson design) Now: Pershing Square central plaza (Ricardo Legorreta and Laurie Olin design) WORSE Blog post: http://briangoestotown.blogspot.com/...ive-moved.html http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...w/ce9eac52.jpg Previously: The Brown Derby Restaurant (Wilshire Boulevard) Now: Brown Derby Plaza WORSE Philadelphia Blog post: http://briangoestotown.blogspot.com/...-art-club.html http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...w/c23cc2a8.jpg Previously: Philadelphia Art Club (by Frank Miles Day) Now: Bellevue-Stratford sports club and garage (by Michael Graves) WORSE |
That's a though call on the ESB. The old Waldorf was a great looking building for sure.
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Quote:
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How can you play this game without mentioning the singer building and one liberty plaza.
WORSE! |
I guess for a lot of these, the former will be always better.
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Quote:
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Current: Chrysler Building
http://www.nyc-architecture.com/MID/...ysler-scan.jpg Prior: William H Reynolds Buildings https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-W...p5no1_1280.jpg BETTER Current: General Motors Building http://www.wirednewyork.com/parks/ce..._park_rink.jpg Prior: Savory-Plaza Hotel http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GON/GON024-A01.jpg WORSE Current: 50 Broadway http://www.cpexecutive.com/wp-conten...nhattan-v2.jpg Prior: Tower Building http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GON/....5_ft_wide.jpg SAME |
Prior:Medical Arts Building
http://www.cardcow.com/images/set184/card00641_fr.jpg http://www.cardcow.com/131319/medica...maha-nebraska/ Now: First National Bank tower http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/5731561.jpg http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=10498.0 Better |
Big Apple, quick question...
In that "before" shot of the Chrystler Building, I see open parcels (open as in, no development, but apparently "no ground" either) in the vicinity of Grand Central. Are those cut-and-cover subway tunnels? If they are, holy heck! More on-topic, I didn't see one yet for NY Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. It's probably not even worth it to mention. I'm sure our opinions will be close to 100 percent agreement. One for Pittsburgh: Former convention center to the behemoth of one they have now -- BETTER!!!! Sorry, I do not possess any pics of either one. :( |
Waldorf Astoria to Empire State Building
Worse |
Current: New World Trade Center
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ersey_City.jpg Prior: Old World Trade Center http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ade_Center.jpg Prior: Hudson Terminal and Radio Row http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._view_1919.jpg Same |
^ I love that last photo. :D
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why oh why did you have to bring up the Brooklyn Bridge ramp and Park row? I would give my first child to be able to sit in the park and stare at the Tribune and World buildings for an hour.
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Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Current: One James Street North Tower http://i49.tinypic.com/2a82r1u.jpg Source Prior: The Birks Building Oscar Wilde called it "the most beautiful building in all of North America" http://www.raisethehammer.org/static...uilding_01.jpg Source http://www.raisethehammer.org/static...uilding_02.jpg Source Current = WORSE |
^ Wow I didn't know about that! And I worked down the street from that for 4 months.
Toronto: Current: Queen-Bay Centre http://www.emporis.com/images/show/289754-Large.jpg Source. Prior: Temple Building, 1896-1970 (One of Toronto's first skyscrapers and at one point Canada's largest building) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...2C_Toronto.jpg http://www.blogto.com/upload/2011/06...temple-60s.jpg Source. WORSE |
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