Portzamparc is reportedly doing Extell's 157 W 57, not the one you're referring to at 225 W 57 (the possibly to be landmarked BF Goodrich site).
I can't imagine that de Portzamparc is designing a lame box though in this ridiculous city, there's a first for everything.
Portzamparc is reportedly doing Extell's 157 W 57, not the one you're referring to at 225 W 57 (the possibly to be landmarked BF Goodrich site).
Portzamparc's website says he's doing two buildings on W 57th.
All this assorted mishmash is on the next block and yet they want to tear down this classic hotel.
It just wouldn't happen in a more sophisticated city. What a dumb city this is.
It's like they learned nothing from the Penn Station lesson just across the avenue.
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I agree with you, Antinimby. Vornado owns a lot of that crap. I hope that they can acquire all of the parcels. This block is an utter eyesore.
And the ones that they don't own they can acquire so easily.
Even tearing down something as huge as the hotel would take longer and cost more while all these mostly one and two-story taxpayers would be so much easier to bring down.
So senseless.
I'd be happy if Vornado just built above the H&M. That block-front has some great energy at night and it's as quintessentially NY as the Hotel Penn. Of course if I had to choose, I'd choose that site though...
A nice compromise regarding the redevelopment of the Hotel Penn would be to demolish the rear 3 wings of the hotel, only leaving the westernmost wing fronting 7th Avenue with the colonnaded entrance. That would leave plenty of room for an office tower to rise behind and they could somehow reprogram the current hotel entrance into an entrance for the tower.
Restore that remaining wing to its former glory, ballroom, bars and all. I'd imagine it'd be a great amenity to have a hotel directly connected to your office building. Look at Sachs and the Embassy Suites downtown.
Unfortunately both sites will probably be wiped clean and developed with office buildings.
Last edited by Derek2k3; December 5th, 2009 at 08:27 PM.
Do you like the hodge-poge of crap posted above?
Before we go on any further, let's make one thing clear.
I don't have any problem with the "hodgepodge" of stores there now. I am against the buildings in which they're housed in.
I'd just prefer all those same stores be located on the lower floors of a tall office building.
As for the type of stores, this stretch was never and should never be "high end" which ultimately is what londonlawyer would only approve of.
I don't see it that way. There's already places that caters to more expensive tastes (Fifth, Madison and Lexington Aves), they don't have to be here also.
And these days Madison Avenue is hurting bad.
What amount of air rights do those other lots have?
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