8 Spruce Street - Beekman Tower - by Frank Gehry

**BrooklynLove** · January 12th, 2009, 11:25 PM

Yet another reason to love the Beek.

**lofter1** · January 13th, 2009, 06:47 PM

More reason to be incredibly curious (and possibly concerned) in regard to the mysterious flat south facade ...

There is an exhibit currently on view at the AIA / Center for Architecture on LaGuardia Place -- + HOUSING -- that includes, among other developments which incorporate housing into the design, this Gehry / Ratner project on Beekman / Spruce. Almost all of the other projects on view at AIA are represented by proper 3-Dimensional models of the buildings and which are displayed inside cardboard boxes with sections cut-away so that the model can be viewed from various angles. However ...

The Gehry building is NOT represented by a model, but rather by a fully-closed cardboard box -- with neither cut-aways nor views of the non-existent tower model. And all of the images of the tower on display avoid showing the mysterous flat facade.

Verdict:

(1) Gehry must really hate what the value-engineered result looks like.

Or ...

(2) The flat facade is so F'ing Fantastic that Frank only wants folks to see it once it is fully installed.

**DarrylStrawberry** · January 13th, 2009, 06:58 PM

Am I seeing something that isn't there?

This is a picture Stern posted in May.

It seems like the flat side has a notch or some other indentation at the top...The top of the building isn't a perfect "T" shape...

**Derek2k3** · January 13th, 2009, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by lofter1

More reason to be incredibly curious (and possibly concerned) in regard to the mysterious flat south facade ...

There is an exhibit currently on view at the AIA / Center for Architecture on LaGuardia Place -- + HOUSING -- that includes, among other developments which incorporate housing into the design, this Gehry / Ratner project on Beekman / Spruce. Almost all of the other projects on view at AIA are represented by proper 3-Dimensional models of the buildings and which are displayed inside cardboard boxes with sections cut-away so that the model can be viewed from various angles. However ...

The Gehry building is NOT represented by a model, but rather by a fully-closed cardboard box -- with neither cut-aways nor views of the non-existent tower model. And all of the images of the tower on display avoid showing the mysterous flat facade.

Verdict:

(1) Gehry must really hate what the value-engineered result looks like.

Or ...

(2) The flat facade is so F'ing Fantastic that Frank only wants folks to see it once it is fully installed.

I was wondering that too. I'd imagine models of the tower are insanely expensive to build and it would be difficult to have a model of the tower at the tiny scales they have on display for the exhibit.

Why should a developer spend a few thousand dollars on a rendering that shows its least attractive side? So we can talk about it on the forum?

**Alonzo-ny** · January 13th, 2009, 07:41 PM

Seems the south side will have a setback in that massing from Stern's image.

**lofter1** · January 13th, 2009, 08:32 PM

Damn you, Frank Gehry!!!

We can't stop thinking about you!!!!!!

**Sherpa** · January 13th, 2009, 10:06 PM

Or ...

(2) The flat facade is so F'ing Fantastic that Frank only wants folks to see it once it is fully installed.

It might be a bright color ---- YELLOW perhaps?

**ablarc** · January 15th, 2009, 07:20 AM

Only 1300 square feet of retail?

**195Broadway** · January 15th, 2009, 11:06 AM

Where is Gehry's office? With all the talent available on this website, surely a successful break-in could be pulled off....... or you could just ASK GEHRY.

**TREPYE** · January 16th, 2009, 12:09 AM

And the Antinymby BS continues....Its basically a page of Shawn Hannity or Rush Limbaughs book way of distorting things.

When confronted with a challenge instead of just trying to seek clarification they try to turn it around to their detetractor:

Originally Posted by antinimby

TREPYE, you are the one full of crap.

Then they will counjure up any crap that basically molds their views and opinons and distortions with a sprinkle of condescendecnce and name calling just to give it some attention grabbing sensationalism:

Originally Posted by antinimby

Anyone with half a brain knows that your pic is deceptive. When you walk along the bridge, it is only at a certain point/angle does the Beekman tower obscure the Woolworth.

At the point where the pic you posted was taken, all one had to do was walk either closer to Manhattan or towards Brooklyn and the Woolworth would come back into view.

It's called perspective and any 10 year-old can figure that out.

I have been on the Brooklyn Bridge quite a few times. I know what the views look like. There is a mixture of good old buildings (Municipal Building, Woolworth, U.S. Courthouse, etc.) and there are the less flattering modern buildings (Southbridge, Pace University, and other faceless office boxes to the south).

Well thank goodness for research as it can help us sort out discrepancies. Any one who walks across the Brooklyn Bridge can very easily see that the claim that antinymby makes with respest to the views that me and lizbeth were referring to is just simply not true.

In case you dont want to take my word for it please find Brooklynriders assessment:

Originally Posted by BrooklynRider

I walked across today and the Woolworth is slowly and surely becoming obscured from the eastern approach of the bridge. It i still there, but it will be gone from the Brooklyn side of the skyline - only to reappear after crossing pass the Manhattan tower into Manhattan itself.

Once you cross the Manattan tower this view that I described earlier is aready lost.

Originally Posted by TREPYE

the Brooklyn Bridge gothic arches with the gothic style of the Woolworth Building as a back drop was one of the most special views and pictures you can take in NYC and Beekman is going to eliminate that vista.
Attached Thumbnails

(courtesy of sherpa)

And notice antinymby has still not yet answered my question.

Originally Posted by TREPYE

The left view IMO is in not going to be enhanced unless you honestly believe that Gehry's Beekman is better than the WW. Do you honestly believe that???? If you do then you are silly.

Why? Cuz if he answers it honestly then my claim that the views are not ameliorated as a reslt of beekman blocking the WW are correct and his are wrong. And if he answers dishonestly by saying that the Beekman will be a better tower than the Woolworth he will sound well.....silly.

**Alonzo-ny** · January 16th, 2009, 08:17 AM

Someone needs to walk across the bridge and take pictures. All I hear is whining.

**ZippyTheChimp** · January 16th, 2009, 08:56 AM

It's 12° F

**Sherpa** · January 16th, 2009, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Alonzo-ny

Someone needs to walk across the bridge and take pictures. All I hear is whining.

I did!

**Alonzo-ny** · January 16th, 2009, 11:05 AM

Did they show how the view changed from one point of the bridge to the other? Did you post them? If so which post number.

**Sherpa** · January 16th, 2009, 05:37 PM

Post #2576. See also post #2582 from a different spot (about 25 yards)

I took these photos quite randomly and had no idea they would spark pages of discussion, but I guess that's what discussion forums are for. Happy to put on my Mt Everest gear tomorrow and take a stroll for some more photos.