tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502312000087595701.post5349571801646374876..comments2024-03-28T05:18:25.792-07:00Comments on Daytonian in Manhattan: The Lost New York Clearing House 77 Cedar StreetTom Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13542224816886418433noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502312000087595701.post-6722591840053109912015-07-14T13:43:42.793-07:002015-07-14T13:43:42.793-07:00ok i completely understand and agree with you on y...ok i completely understand and agree with you on your points. i never understood why they choice buildings were scrapped in lieu of parcels of non descript buildings that sat next door. why even go through the trouble of very expensive demolition for something that costs several times less?chauncy primmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17099894744964516223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502312000087595701.post-23666003178158628172015-07-14T09:48:40.828-07:002015-07-14T09:48:40.828-07:00There are good replacements and inferior replaceme...There are good replacements and inferior replacements. Here is a case of a horrendously ugly, black, spirit crushing glass box and its useless windswept plaza. Much like the US Steel black tombstone that marks the site of the wonderful Singer tower, developers often destroy what is easy to assemble, a large block of square footage, like in the case of the original Waldorf- Astoria Hotel and Penn Station, rather than buy up 20 or 30 or more small parcels. We then are left with new structures replacing the architecturally unique and sitting across the street, rows of ordinary buildings left for eternity. One rarely if ever sees any new structure being neighborly, taking into consideration contexturalism or a developer making the attempt to save and/or incorporate the old, which would make for a far more interesting street experience for all of us rather than walking past this black blot on the streetscape, devoid of any textural or human interest. Just cold, dull blackness. Lost is the incredible workmanship and architectural details that made this streetscape come to life. If you want good modern, look at the Ford Foundation building, it gives back to the city. The old Citicorp tower provides plazas and retail and interest to each of its varied street facades, The Lever Building provides similar street experiences under its arcade and in its plaza. NY and other cities deserve better than bland, but rarely ever get it with "modern". NYarchAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502312000087595701.post-60293876668040686342015-07-13T14:43:55.568-07:002015-07-13T14:43:55.568-07:00I am rather like the new building too; but like Ja...I am rather like the new building too; but like James, above, I would prefer we did not have to lose a remarkable building for it.Tom Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13542224816886418433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502312000087595701.post-10922285097022126392015-07-13T13:09:41.770-07:002015-07-13T13:09:41.770-07:00Never saw interiors before, thanks for the amazing...Never saw interiors before, thanks for the amazing photos, I'm sorry I love the replacement building, its so clean.chauncy primmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17099894744964516223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502312000087595701.post-15299764738869169982015-07-13T07:09:16.312-07:002015-07-13T07:09:16.312-07:00As a knee-jerk response (as opposed to an arm-flai...As a knee-jerk response (as opposed to an arm-flail response), I abhor the replacement of beautiful fin-de-ciecle architecture with what we often describe as "bland" boxes, glass boxes, or whatever offending term we want to utilize to describe our righteous disgust. The truth is, in recent years I've had a surprising reaction within myself where I often see me nodding in approval at the sight of certain post-World War II buildings, having replaced whatever masterpiece has been lost to time.<br />The Marine Midland Building with its familiar red-orange cube was one of the things I noticed with a certain awe when visiting the city in my late teens for an extended time, around 1981. It screamed modern to me. It was of its time and full of energy and hope. It was definitely New York. I think we must be careful not to draw bland conclusions that anything modern is an abomination while anything old is irreplaceably dear. What is more upsetting than losing certain buildings is losing the history itself - the fact that great beauty and classical revival was at the forefront of our physical vocabulary, like Penn Station. In that case, greatness was replaced with horrible blandness - almost cruelty. In the case of the gorgeous Clearing House, let us at least be grateful that we know of it, even if we cannot, with the best intentions, repress the city's need to throw steel up to the sky. I like both the modern block and the now-ancient one. I only wish they had occupied different spaces.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15565030682360603009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502312000087595701.post-67975453287232256592015-07-13T06:25:12.518-07:002015-07-13T06:25:12.518-07:00The demolition of that splendid building and seein...The demolition of that splendid building and seeing it's bland box replacement almost made me gag on my breakfastAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com