William Beaver House - 15 William Street - Condo - by Tsao & McKown Architects

**Harvick2933** · February 14th, 2009, 10:46 PM

Even if they paint over the yellow bricks, the Beaver won't look any more like the Monadnock Building than the Stuyvesant and Cooper Village apartments.

**kz1000ps** · February 15th, 2009, 04:19 PM

Should we start taking bets on how long it'll be before the yellow gets painted over?

**tone99loc** · February 15th, 2009, 05:12 PM

There's a lot of cool things about this building, but 1) the base is bad and 2) it just looks so out of place in downtown - I would want to give it some cool funky lighting scheme, maybe add some more colors and plop it down elsewhere, like LIC

**Tectonic** · February 15th, 2009, 05:46 PM

The right architect for a building in a location like this would have been Robert A M Stern.

**Alonzo-ny** · February 15th, 2009, 06:26 PM

A good architect and good architecture doesnt need fake historical buildings to fit in.

**Troyeth** · February 15th, 2009, 06:29 PM

What exactly is "fake historical?" Does such a style exist?

Also, if I may add, Quinlan and Francis Terry would have been superior Classicists to enhance this block.

Furthermore, it is time they expand their repertoire to include high-rises.

**Alonzo-ny** · February 15th, 2009, 07:13 PM

Oh, Im sorry, I forgot everything has to be named in its correct 'style' or it doesnt exist. Fake historical is a style of buildings that look like historic buildings but are not, in fact, historical. Some people like to pin incorrect terms on this style like 'classicism' but they are in fact referring to the fake historical style.

**Fabrizio** · February 15th, 2009, 07:43 PM

At least the 60's international-style buildings while fat and flat-topped kept the local color palette and their less-is-more designs did not compete. A nice simple modern building would have been fine here.

**Troyeth** · February 15th, 2009, 08:04 PM

Absolutely, Fabrizio, you are correct.

The Modernist buildings of the 50's and 60's maintained more of a Classicist aesthete than do more recent constructions. Modernist failure, however, rests upon the rejection of ornament and 'superfluous' architectural decoration, as well as their anti-urban utilization of space. Of course, I preach to a splendid choir.

Lastly, Alonzo, I fail to see how my comment could have provoked such an embittered response from you, but please note my intention was not to make you upset. I simply desired to point out a common tactic employed to render Classically inspired architecture obsolete, which is to label it historic and fake, and consequently stuck-in-the-past, never to be seen again. This is, I feel, inaccurate.

In truth, some architects have adopted the principles of Classcism and have produced quality designs that enhance their city. These structures are handsome, harmonious and modern.

All of the designs below are within the past twenty-five years:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Bringing the discussion back to 15 William Street, a building designed in a Classical tradition may have been most appropriate for this block.

**Alonzo-ny** · February 16th, 2009, 06:01 AM

Sorry, misjudged your tone. I do see RAM Stern's work as fake. To me it is a bad attempt to emulate something that was in itself an emulation. That isnt to say other architects dont do it better.