Model plane on the roof of 77 Water Street

[thomasjfletcher]

Does anybody know anything about the model plane on the roof of 77 Water Street? Who commissioned the work and was it made by an “artist”? Is it privately owned? Has anybody got a picture of this wierd thing??
http://www.nyc-architecture.com/LM/028A.jpg

tom
http://www.nyc-architecture.com/

[Jack Ryan]

Unfortunately, I have no photos to post but I CAN tell you that the sculpture was designed by some guy named Rudolph de Harak and executed by the sculptor William Tarr in 1969. It is cool, aint it?

[thomasjfletcher]

It is-I havn't actually seen it though, I've just heard about it. Apparently it's a full-size model of a WW1 Sopwith Camel, complete with runway. It was put there to amuse inhabitants of surrounding scyscrapers, notably the WTC.
Here's the only pic I could find, a satelite image------(you can see the plane and runway and "77")
http://img10.exs.cx/img10/5984/77_Water_alt.jpg

[Jasonik]

...the biplane on the roof of 77 Water Street in Lower Manhattan, a playful touch installed by the developer, the William Kaufman Organization.source (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/16/nyregion/16Blocks.html?ex=1105592400&en=10b58e63367815bc&ei =5070)

Proposed water tower enclosure. (http://www.jbharch.builderspot.com/page/page/750215.htm) :P

...77 Water Street. On each of the four corners of this modern, plaza-style building is a contemporary sculpture. We like the one directly in front of you on the southwest corner: William Tarr’s gentlyswaying Rejected Skin, 1969.source (http://www.theinsider.com/nyc/attractions/2LowerManhattan2.htm)

Are you sure Jack?

[ZippyTheChimp]

Nice research.

[Jasonik]

Thanx, I'm disappointed I couldn't find a photo though.
I'd have better luck finding a photo of the Lepus californicus jacalopus (http://members.aol.com/thermog2/shadowrun/creatures/jackalope.html) :wink:

[Jack Ryan]

We're both right! Rudolph de Harak and William Tarr are credited with both the biplane sculpture AND 'Rejected Skin'. The latter is indeed made from rejected pieces of the building's aluminum siding.

[asg]

I have a decent picture of the roof of this building, how do I post it here?

[NYatKNIGHT]

How to post a photo: http://forums.wirednewyork.com/viewtopic.php?t=1280

[asg]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/asg9000/77_Water_St.jpg

[ManhattanKnight]

Another one:

http://img140.exs.cx/img140/9900/77roof4us.jpg

[Jasonik]

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dieter-welzel.de/db_Fensterblick_links_gezoomt_von_DB_60_Wall_Stree t_10_06_20031.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dieter-welzel.de/Uber_mich/Fotos/New_York_2003/Fotoalbum_New_York_2003/fotoalbum_new_york_2003_1.html&h=301&w=400&sz=85&tbnid=RTn8Z_PqO4YJ:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&hl=en&start=15&prev=/images%3Fq%3D60%2Bwall%2Bstreet%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D% 26sa%3DN
http://www.dieter-welzel.de/db_Fensterblick_links_gezoomt_von_DB_60_Wall_Stree t_10_06_20031.jpg

[Jasonik]

http://www.wirednewyork.com/skyscrapers/40wall/wall40_s.jpg (http://www.wirednewyork.com/skyscrapers/40wall/wall40.jpg)

[philiph]

Here's a picture (http://flickr.com/photos/phrenologist/31351263) I took of the top of 77 Water St. when I worked in a nearby building.

[lofter1]

Nice shot ^^^

I wish they would do some work on the street level plaza at 77 Water Street ... it is pure 70s, all most to the point of kitsch, but currently looks a tad ragged around the edges.

nyc-architecture (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nyc-architecture.com/LM/lobby.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nyc-architecture.com/LM/LM028-77WATERSTREET.htm&h=445&w=603&sz=23&hl=en&sig2=buM5PcdlSFgxZpcoYsniLw&start=2&tbnid=IPp4UpIigC5JpM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=135&ei=tuLwRcmQD4SihgTSkr2RCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%252277%2Bwater%2522%2Bplaza%26gbv%3D 2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den) has images of how it looks now.

Here are some renders of ideas for the plaza (http://http://www.cameronsinclair.com/work/NYC2.html) from Cameron Sinclair (http://www.cameronsinclair.com/):

http://www.cameronsinclair.com/images/small/77%20water%203.jpg

http://www.cameronsinclair.com/images/small/77%20water%202.jpg