Reply With Quote6/10/12
Woman Falls to Her Death at Midtown Hotel
A Queens woman fell to her death from the swank
Cassa Hotel and Residences in Midtown Saturday night.
DNAInfo
By Tom Liddy
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
May 1, 2011
MIDTOWN - A young woman fell to her death from a posh Midtown hotel Saturday night in an apparent suicide, according to officials.
Sources said it appears that Svetlana Barcia, 35, fell from the roof of the 45th Street building, near Sixth Avenue.
Her body was discovered face-down on a 10th floor terrace at around 9:30 p.m.
Officials said that foul play does not appear to be a factor in the death.
The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
Barcia was not a guest at the hotel, according to a spokewoman, Kathleen Duda.
"There was no foul play at the hotel," Duda said.
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6/10/12
What a stupid looking building. I'm pleased that after Solly Asser eliminated elements of the design (e.g., the slanted roof) that it had lousy sales.
I like it.
I highly doubt sales were affected by not having a slanted roof.
I didn't say they were. I said that I'm glad that they were.
maybe it's because of the exposed black painted cinder block base, and missing screen attachment elements (both ugler than sin)?!
From a distance to the south, the lack of a sloping roof here leaves the mechanicals exposed, and makes the building look cheaper than it should.
In this day and age any building of consequence should include in its design (or re-design) masking features to hide cooling towers, etc.
However, a well-placed water tower, preferably set atop an open framework, can always be shown in its full glory.
In front of the building now: after about only a year this one has turned into the architectural equivalent of 'elevator music'.
The metal curtain wall panels have faded into a sooty grey; and they now look like prefab grey granite slabs - it is of solid, even attractive in an understated way.
I get the impression sales are picking-up; judging from the window coverings the building appears to be fully occupied.
And at street level it still sports cinder blocks, painted black with an unfinished base rising above.
Value engineered to point of resembling a dumpster scooted beneath the tower.
I think they may have actually outdone Kaufman.
That window arrangement is ridiculous. If they'd created some waves going down the building (better than their attempt on the left), it mightn't have looked so bad.
If I recall correctly somewhere there was an interview where the developer said the window arrangement was done with the idea that foreign buyers would combine apartments and wanted the variety. I don't understand, but then I guess I also don't develop highrises.
Well, I don't understand either on much of that RE development. Moments after Posting below I went into the building for a meeting with one of the developers ( Sol Assa) managing partners for a walk-thru of a couple of the apartments on the upper floors: regarding some work to be done on the interiors. I mentioned that I had 'read somewhere' that initial sales on the building were "slow": his response was that the development was never 'intended' for sales, but hotel and rental - whatever.
I also mentioned that unsightly looking cinder block (painted black) wall on street level, he said that the 'finish' of that wall is entirely up to the commercial tenant leasing the ground floor space.
He told me that he always reads WiredNY & Curbed, so I hope he will not be too upset with my little revelation here: I am sure he will be much more displeased with some of the disparaging remarks below regarding the architectural design of the building.
Believe me, that building - read the history - has had many difficulties to overcome in order to get where it is today: so I am certainly not going to add insult to injury and just say I do not find this building to be 'all that' unattractive.
That is my honest opinion: despite my current work prospects with this particular developer.
OH also, about the slanted roof line that was nixed: apparently that feature was not feasible - I think because if the roof top mechanicals, I did not inquire further.
Last edited by infoshare; October 27th, 2012 at 06:25 PM.
If it rose to double its height, narrowing all the way to a point, it would look simultaneously grand and overbearing.
So... yeah.
So yes: so much said, about so little. It's a nice looking building, some are even nicer looking: many other buildings - not so nice looking. What a lovely bunch of lunatics we have here: never a dull moment.
The 'interesting' thing here about this new construction building is that it has hit every posible unfortunate bump in the road that one could imagine - again, read the history - one of the oddest is the street closing 'oil spill'. There is plenty of detail to be found in this thread regarding the various mishaps and setbacks: but the Story on the 'blown gasket' posted here is one of the best ...... http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showth...l=1#post271536
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