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  #1  
Old Posted Mar 7, 2014, 9:46 PM
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Extreme Makeover Skyscraper edition- Verizon building, NYC

So here's another Skyscraper makeover for you- the Verizon Building of Bryant Park, NYC, designed by Kahn and Jacobs.

Here's how it looked originally:





Here's how it looks now:



So which do you like? Before or after?
Personally I'm a bit conflicted on this one. Pics taken shortly before the reclad show how grungy the marble of the original facade had gotten, and maybe it was time for something fresh, perhaps something that wouldn't show city grime as badly, or was easier to maintain. And maybe the glass was looking dated.
But I did like those pinstripes, they gave the building character and made a flat facade interesting.
I think this makeover would have looked better had they combined elements of the before and after- that spiffy new green glass combined with a reclad of the pinstripes- perhaps brushed or textured aluminum. That way the facade wouldn't look quite so much like a plain green wall- it needs a little something to give it contrast, or visual interest.
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  #2  
Old Posted Mar 8, 2014, 7:53 PM
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I'm surprised nobody's chimed in here, with so many views. Do you guys like the before, the after, or would you have gone with something else if it were you doing the makeover? I'd love to know what everyone thinks.
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  #3  
Old Posted Mar 8, 2014, 8:31 PM
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They should have kept it as it was or at least stayed with black glass and white pin stripes somehow. The green doesn't match well with any other building there.
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  #4  
Old Posted Mar 8, 2014, 9:55 PM
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it looked much better before. it makes little sense to me as to why they found it necessary to change, at great cost, the old, perfectly fine look.
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  #5  
Old Posted Mar 9, 2014, 12:09 AM
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False choice. Both looks are terrible. Sad face for New York.
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  #6  
Old Posted Mar 9, 2014, 12:50 AM
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Yea the older cladding was way more classy
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Old Posted Mar 9, 2014, 6:42 AM
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They should have renovated the ugly building they have by the Brooklyn Bridge, that one is such an eye sore.

As for this one, last time I was over in that area, the new recladding looked fine, it didn't really stand out, but it didn't look awful either.
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Old Posted Mar 10, 2014, 1:34 PM
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I vote for the original facade. It's different and I like how the pin-stripes staggered going up the tower.
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Old Posted Mar 10, 2014, 6:30 PM
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There was a lot of whining here and elsewhere when it was being reclad. Personally, I would have linked to see the piano key facade kept with new glass to get the energy efficiency improvements. Kept in mind though, that a big part of this project was renovating floors that used to house telecom equipment into Class A office space.
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  #10  
Old Posted Mar 10, 2014, 11:51 PM
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I liked the original facade. It looks like a C- building with the cheap looking glass.

Why don't they start over at that site?
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  #11  
Old Posted Mar 11, 2014, 6:44 AM
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I still think they should have left those pinstripes, even if they needed to be covered with something else, as climates like NYC's aren't kind to marble. Look at what happened to Aon of Chicago and First Canadian Place of Toronto.

I can understand if that marble was getting worn, but those vertical stripes really did add some character and visual interest.
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  #12  
Old Posted Mar 11, 2014, 2:02 PM
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What's that brick skyscraper in Lower Manhattan that has practically no windows? That one, to me, is in DESPERATE need of a makeover.
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  #13  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2014, 7:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JDRCRASH View Post
What's that brick skyscraper in Lower Manhattan that has practically no windows? That one, to me, is in DESPERATE need of a makeover.
You mean the building that could survive a nuclear holocaust? LOL that thing isn't going anywhere.
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  #14  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2014, 7:37 PM
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It's also made of stone, not brick. Frankly it's about the nicest looking it could be without windows.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/33_Thomas_Street

375 Pearl on the other hand, is quite ugly, and there were plans to reclad it a couple years ago.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/375_Pearl_Street
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