Quote:
Originally Posted by Fabb
I think that the residential mini-me has the wrong proportions... not the office tower.
The placement of the residential addition is also uninspired... too rigid.
|
Actually, although I'm not a big fan of the residential portion myself, one of the things that the project does right is assemblage of the three parts. The project, occupying an entire block, was intended to make a smooth transition between Midtown's highrises on 8th Avenue and the lowrise residential Clinton neighborhood on 9th. Notice the third diamond to the left of the residential tower, right along the roofline of the rowhouse neighborhood. Also notice how the three diamonds are on the same diagonal axis. although it is indeed rigid, I kind of like this almost neo-Classical sense of rigidity and balance. When facing the project from 9th Avenue, you see a rather regular residential block topped by a green diamond that foreshadows the grand scale that lies behind.
On an interesting note, the residential component was not designed by Childs, but by a different architect, same guy who did Righa Royal Hotel, the Marc and the never-built South Ferry Tower, all in New York.