Edward Durell's design for 2 Columbus Circle in New York City was never a masterpiece of architecture, but its idiosyncratic character expressed a unique vision that raised it to landmark status. The famous architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable, who hated the building when it was completed in 1964, came to love it over the years, describing the "sense of pleasure" she had when walking by it's quirky, curved and monolithic facade.
The redesign by Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture for the Museum of Arts and Design has been completed. The result is a boring, slick wrapper that swallows up the old building, but offers little in return. The giant letter "H' that is unintentionally spelled out on the facade, is particularly awkward, but then again so are most of the design choices. This is a loss for not only architectural history, but for the citizens of New York.
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The new one is freaking hideous. Everyone involved, including Landmarks West, who failed utterly to protect 2 Columbus Circle from this, should be completely ashamed of themselves.
I’m lost for words. I can’t even describe how painful the “new” look is, I’m doubt it even looked like a good idea on paper.
Maybe it’s the beginning of an ad campaign for a friendlier NYC. See the “H” has a companion on the other side of the building, an “I”. I think you’re supposed to wave when you walk by.
Hideous. Absolutely hideous.
This is heartbreaking…I feel so sad. I wonder who thought this was a good idea?
I think that the original building was kitch. And if history needs a place for kitch it belongs in architectural history. On the other hand if context means anything this is a building without context and therefore “meaning”(or perhaps it is humous and sarcastic)
A truly unique accomplishment especially in the “new” world.
Like the other commenters, I’m not a big fan of the building, but I find the “strategic” (is that the right word for it?) placement of the windows to etch out a design to be a very interesting way of styling a building.
Let’s hope there’s a better application out there somewhere…
Okay so we’ve discussed how the building “looks” (a slice of the overall equation), so how does the new renovation “work”.
this demonstrates what happens when someone with NO imagination becomes an Architect. What an awful piece of crap!
Let’s not kid ourselves– the original building was a monstrous piece of crap as well. But it was a period piece and deserved to be preserved like anything else.