Gross.
I vote Kaufman for mascot of WNY. Everyone loves this wacky, cartoony, over-the-top character and the crazy practical jokes he plays on the city's people.
We should send him a wny t-shirt . . .
On the back it could say:Originally Posted by Radiohead
or this ...
Good thing Amanda Burden is looking out for the good of the city by preventing the likes of Jean Nouvel from realizing their designs. That way, the bureaucrats can stay out of Kaufman's hair (i.e., the stuff that covers his neck and upper shoulders) and give him free hand in turning New York into something resembling a Baghdad suburb. Thanks, City Hall, for your brilliant prioritizing!
Maybe a set of WNY t-shirts, honoring those who do so much for our fair city.
Given THIS Plan, the first edition might lead off with this ...
(someone else can feel free to take a stab at the AB version)
Hehehe.
Gene Kaufman's Resurrected Soho Plan Denied at Landmarks
by Pete Davies
A proposal by architect Gene Kaufman for a new mixed use building at 341 Canal Street in Soho, resuscitated after languishing during the economic freeze, was slapped down by the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday. The same plan, seven-stories of aluminum and glass in a quasi-cast iron mode with 58 residential units on top and retail below, was previously approved by the LPC in 2007, but then stalled when the real estate market crashed. Bankruptcy followed in 2009, but now the development team at Judo Associates has secured some cash and is ready to go once again. Just one problem: LPC approvals are only valid for 3 years, forcing the developer to start the approval process all over again. So Kaufman and crew dusted off the old renderings of 341 Canal, aka 11 Greene Street, and brought them in for some show and tell. But the current commissioners, many of whom weren't on board for the prior approval, didn't like the show and weren't shy about saying so.
The flatness of the plan, which shows long expanses of unarticulated yellow painted aluminim, was a key complaint. Kaufman tried to explain that the configuration of columns and spandrels would offer appropriate shadows, making the design just right for this prominent Soho corner. But one commissioner, picking up on testimony from The Society for the Architecture of the City regarding the flatness of the plan, agreed that the Kaufman proposal "looks like an old loft building through the wringer" and found the plan "woefully lacking in design and presentation." Another commissioner knocked the aluminum cladding, voicing concern about visible seams and other detailing. Yet another declared that the expired application was an opportunity to get things set right, and the perfect chance to push for better materials and design. In the end, the Commission sent Kaufman packing, his 2007 plan unapproved. A whole new application for the big lot at 341 Canal Street will be required, with hearings to be set for a future date.
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/0...marks.php#more
How about a better architect.the perfect chance to push for better materials and design
Or even just an architect.
What really pisses me off right now is 516 Fifth. Used to pass it every day going to work. It's a stunner, one of the most beautiful buildings around.
And now that 100-year-old beauty will get replaced by a Kaufman hairball. WTF is wrong with this city?!?!?!
Kaufman needs to go back to LensCrafters before his vision deteriorates further...
Last edited by DUMBRo; June 29th, 2012 at 03:06 PM.
just a "A" will do it
What would the cost differential be for a developer to hire an actual Architect in the true sense of the word?
^
It depends what they design. The developers want cheap and easy to build and (apparently) that's what Kaufman gives them. If they wanted to be more adventurous (and spend more money), they'd hire different architect.
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