Oculus - Fall 2016 - 25
OPENER
Authenticity
and
Innovation
BY DONALD ALBRECHT
©LEESER Architecture
T
Coworkrs, page 30
FEATURES
26 Civic Purpose
Repurposed: Brooklyn
28 Civic Purpose
Repurposed: Bronx
30 A Study in Contrasts
32 WeLive on Wall Street
35 A Preservation Paradox
38 Industrial Strength
42 Innovation Rooted
in History
his issue of Oculus explores preservation in contemporary New York City, a particularly relevant topic for a metropolis characterized by perennial change. Here,
old buildings embody cultural memory and moor a rapidly transforming cityscape as it
is continually reshaped by development pressures and evolving architectural taste. How
these historic buildings respond to the fast pace around them - how they can be both
preserved and innovatively repurposed for our times - is the focus of this issue.
Two of the featured projects, a WPA-era post office and a block of 19th-century
tenements, are being given new life under the guidelines of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. This municipal agency was established 51 years ago to save New
York's architectural patrimony. Today it is responsible for protecting more than 35,000
designated landmark properties, most of which sit in 139 historic districts throughout
the city. The magazine's other four projects - a mid-century modern skyscraper and an
underutilized industrial building turned into an of-the-moment shared work environment, an armory transformed into housing and recreation center, and a waterfront
"Industry City" that's now a community of artisans and cutting-edge companies - are
not officially designated as "significant" by the commission, but their reuse represents a
phenomenon that can be called "preservation beyond the preservation law."
These four projects are among 24 others that are showcased in a new exhibition,
"Authenticity and Innovation," being presented at the Center for Architecture through
January 14, 2017. The reclamation of these 28 structures acknowledges their valued
role in communities and shows appreciation for their time-honored materials and
craftsmanship, durability, and generous scale. Creative developers, owners, tenants, and
architects recognize the potential of the buildings to house new uses never imagined
by their original designers and builders. These structures accommodate contemporary
patterns of living, working, and playing; help transform neighborhoods; and support
the city's capacity to embrace new and vibrant industries.
The projects in "Authenticity and Innovation" prompt questions about the role of
preservation in New York City. How can we balance increasing density and interest in
sustainability with valuing the city's historic character? What is the relationship between preservation and gentrification, as new uses displace both people and traditional
industries? What is stylistically appropriate when adapting old buildings for new functions? While demonstrating a variety of strategies for balancing change and preservation, the projects in the exhibition and this issue of Oculus also represent the dynamic
fusion of old and new that is at the core of what is authentically New York City.
DONALD ALBRECHT, guest curator of the Center for Architecture's "Authenticity
and Innovation" exhibition, is the Museum of the City of New York's curator of
architecture and design, and an independent curator. His exhibitions and books
include retrospectives on the work of Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen.
His next exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York, "Gay Gotham: Art and
Underground Culture in New York," opens on October 7, 2016.
Fall 2016 Oculus
25
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Oculus - Fall 2016
First Words Letter from the President
Letter from the Editor
Center for Architecture
One Block Over
Opener: Authenticity and Innovation
Civic Purpose Repurposed: Brooklyn
Civic Purpose Repurposed: Bronx
A Study in Contrasts
WeLive on Wall Street
A Preservation Paradox
Industrial Strength
Innovation Rooted in History
In Print
97-Year Watch
Last Words
Index to Advertisers
Oculus - Fall 2016 - cover1
Oculus - Fall 2016 - cover2
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 3
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 4
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 5
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 6
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 7
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 8
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 9
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 10
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 11
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 12
Oculus - Fall 2016 - First Words Letter from the President
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 14
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Letter from the Editor
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 16
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 17
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Center for Architecture
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 19
Oculus - Fall 2016 - One Block Over
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 21
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 22
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 23
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 24
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Opener: Authenticity and Innovation
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Civic Purpose Repurposed: Brooklyn
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 27
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Civic Purpose Repurposed: Bronx
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 29
Oculus - Fall 2016 - A Study in Contrasts
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 31
Oculus - Fall 2016 - WeLive on Wall Street
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 33
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 34
Oculus - Fall 2016 - A Preservation Paradox
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 36
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 37
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Industrial Strength
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 39
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 40
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 41
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Innovation Rooted in History
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 43
Oculus - Fall 2016 - In Print
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 97-Year Watch
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 46
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Last Words
Oculus - Fall 2016 - Index to Advertisers
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 49
Oculus - Fall 2016 - 50
Oculus - Fall 2016 - cover3
Oculus - Fall 2016 - cover4
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