Frank Gehry's Spruce Street
"Your best work is your expression of yourself. Now, you may not be the greatest at it, but when you do it, you're the only expert." -Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry's Spruce Street [formerly The Beekman] project is getting ready to debut!
The New York Times published an article entitled "Downtown Skyscraper for the Digital Age" this week. The article detailed the development, construction and collaborative effort needed to produce this unique building on the outskirts of New York's Financial District.
The beauty of the Spruce Street building is that "[T]he building's exterior is made up of 10,500 individual steel panels, almost all of them different shapes, so that as you move around it, its shape is constantly changing" [Ouroussouf], and I feel fortunate to have been able to witness the construction project thanks to D.'s photographic forays.
Today I'm sharing the pictures again because I thought it would be nice to see the evolution all in one post.
Spruce Street - 2009. Photo by DMT
Spruce Street June 2010. Photo by DMT
Spruce Street September 2010. Photo by DMT
Spruce Street January 2011. Photo by DMT
I wish that I could afford to live in such an aesthetically beautiful piece of architectural magic! It is a testimony not only to Frank Gehry's architectural knowledge and skills, but also to his refusal to let anyone tell him his design dreams can't come true.
For me, Spruce Street serves as a reminder to keep dreaming – and to believe that dreams can come true.
Last year, Gehry raised more than a few eyebrows when he said that he felt LEED certification was often awarded for 'bogus stuff' and that climate change and sustainable design are "political". He also mentioned that he didn't feel that the costs associated with green buildings would pay for themselves "in your lifetime." The legendary architect later appeared on Need to Know, a PBS current affairs show, to clear things up saying that he actually never said he was opposed to green building or to LEED but that LEED is just one way amongst many to measure and encourage environmentally conscious design. (Point taken Mr. Gehry).
Given Gehry's thoughts, it would have been surprising if his new tower were going for LEED, and according to Cityscapes, it won't be. "It won't be LEED certified," a spokeswoman for the project told journalist Blair Kamin over the phone. "It is, in many respects, a green building. We [are] not going to go through the formal process." We contacted the sales office ourselves to get word on what those sustainable features will be, and while we're still waiting on the official word, a spokeswoman did tell us that the tower will have low-e windows, Energy Star appliances and greywater filtration. Bravo! Well, at least it is a step in the right direction. The greywater filtration is significant anyways, given the looming issue that water will become in the next decade.
The 870′ tall building will also have lots of green/outdoor space including a 6th floor grilling terrace with views of the Woolworth building and dining cabanas, picnic tables and café seating. Rents start at $2,630 for studios, $3,580 for one-bedrooms and $5,945 for two-bedrooms and apartments are available for viewing now.
Dr. EMAD H. ISMAEEL
University of Mosul
Mosul - Iraq
Web Site: http://sites.google.com/site/emadhanee/
Tel : +964 (0)770 164 93 74
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