New Cooper Union Campus - Third Ave @ East 7th Street - by Thomas Mayne of Morphosis

**pianoman11686** · February 19th, 2008, 03:15 PM

^Don't underestimate its size. This thing's gonna be massive on the inside.

**pianoman11686** · February 19th, 2008, 05:16 PM

I wish we had more renderings of this thing. I tried looking online but turned up nothing. Maki doesn't have it listed on his website.

I think this has the potential to be a real gem of a building. A sort of jewel box for the Cooper Union area - much more subdued than either Mayne's new academic building or Gwathmey's Sculpture for Living. I see a direct reference in the design to the Black Cube, which makes this instantly contextual.

Still, it looks deceptively small in that rendering for a nearly half million square foot building. Need to see alternate views.

**NoyokA** · February 19th, 2008, 05:26 PM

This is much better than 4 WTC although that's not saying much, Maki continues to bore...

**Fahzee** · February 19th, 2008, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by pianoman11686

....deceptively small in that rendering for a nearly half million square foot building. Need to see alternate views.

Ah! half million square foot - I totally missed that.

**DarrylStrawberry** · February 19th, 2008, 06:31 PM

Limp.

**czsz** · February 19th, 2008, 06:46 PM

I think this has the potential to be a real gem of a building. A sort of jewel box for the Cooper Union area - much more subdued than either Mayne's new academic building or Gwathmey's Sculpture for Living. I see a direct reference in the design to the Black Cube, which makes this instantly contextual.

If anything, I like that the black cube was offset from the rest of its surroundings. An aloof piece of contemporary art adrift in the city. The irony and poignancy is lost when the city starts designing itself in deference to it.

I find it unfortunate that Maki's building is so deferential in general. This part of the intersection always needed to be built up to define the missing wall of the street - this building doesn't really go far enough to achieve that. It also replicates a lot of the battlement-obtuseness of the current engineering building.

Overall an improvement, but far from ideal.

**pianoman11686** · February 19th, 2008, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by czsz

I find it unfortunate that Maki's building is so deferential in general.

Well, look at it the other way. The area is already playing host to two very non-deferential buildings. Did it necessarily need a third?

**czsz** · February 19th, 2008, 06:58 PM

Understood, but the point I was trying to make is that the cube itself is an attention-grabbing instrument, and that a building that tries to emulate it seizes this attention for itself and diminishes the impact of the cube - so we gain some interesting design where we perhaps don't need it, and lose it where we would like to see it remain.

Mostly, though, I think his building is too deferential in terms of its massing moreso than its design. I would have rather seen it bump up against the street more.

**pianoman11686** · February 19th, 2008, 07:04 PM

Fair enough. I'm hoping the design will turn out to not so much emulate the cube, but rather subtly reference it.

**ablarc** · February 19th, 2008, 07:31 PM

Not much to like.

**MidtownGuy** · February 19th, 2008, 08:27 PM

Standing next to the Cube yesterday I was looking around and couldn't help but think the square is one of New York City's biggest missed opportunities for an awesome public space. The tragedy of the block long Chase branch makes me mad every time.
From the small rendering it doesn't seem Maki's treatment of this building's base will be much better. Unarticulated blah. Looks ripe for 2 or 3 big chain stores with perhaps a Subway sandwich shop wedged in.
Could some rebel please deposit a chair, table, and geranium somewhere near that illuminated crypt? Some of the people in the rendering could use a seat.

**antinimby** · February 19th, 2008, 08:39 PM

Seriously, is there anybody still in awe or amazement at buildings with angular cuts and slashes anymore, especially squat ones with a lot of blank walls?

It has gotten so tired and just a big bore.

Fumihiko Maki you old man, do us all a favor and give your tired act a rest and retire already.

**infoshare** · February 19th, 2008, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by antinimby

Fumihiko Maki you old man, do us all a favor and give your tired act a rest and retire already.

In my view the design is sublime: and besides, something understated needed to go there - given the already imposing combined presence of both the Curvy Gwathmy Building and the Traditional Cooper Union buildings across the street.

A bit like a small version of his new building downtown.

Even in group photos: Maki keeps a low profile.

**ablarc** · February 19th, 2008, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by antinimby

...so tired and just a big bore.

Fumihiko Maki you old man, do us all a favor and give your tired act a rest and retire already.

How does this guy get his clients?

**antinimby** · February 19th, 2008, 10:07 PM

Ask infoshare, he would know because he buys into all that sublime and understated BS.

Fact of the matter is, from what I have seen of his work, pretty much all his schtick is "sublime and understated."

At what point do we just say the guy just don't have much vision or creativity instead of that sublime excuse?