Already the overwhelmingly largest landlord on Center Boulevard, I’m sure they’re more than happy to wait it out and see how the absorption (and NYC housing market) plays out on this new project in a year or so when it opens. Most significantly TF Cornerstone, the named developer of the middle parcel (city-owned) and previously named developer when Amazon was in play, is already in the midst of constructing the largest and only new property along the waterfront, 1200 units just south of Borden Avenue. Most significantly the NYC housing market is somewhat overbuilt, lending a not-pressing underpinning financially to any negotiations for the developers/owners of the properties. To my mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if this big issue muddled along for several years without anything conclusive. Which largely defeats the purpose – of both the talks and the article. Except according to that article, published yesterday by Politico, Plaxall is currently not involved. Finally, there’s talk of movement and collaboration on the tri-parcel waterfront of Hunters Point North. Or more likely a color du jour, all of which I expect to be very, very bright – possibly due to the overly thick nature of the spire? Did anyone else notice the new blue spire emanating from behind the U.N.? Its attached to a new ~100-story office building on 42nd Street called One Vanderbilt and would be very, very hard to miss at night when it’s spire is lit up in bright blue. TWO steps forward and one step back, architecturally that is. Agree or disagree I expect the article’s cache will signal to the rest of the media that something big is happening, and that this is only the beginning of the frenzy. Kimmelman then goes on to highlight many architectural details, all favorably, as well as touch on the transformational aspect and the questions of how and if the City should be doing these types of projects (yes). Grand projects that may come across as impractical or wasteful at onset, can sometimes transcend their original purpose, as well as transform a neighborhood if the conceptualization of it is on target. Throw in a pair of ferry stops, MoMA PS1 and the intrigue fomented by Amazon and its rejection, and the library opening and subsequent frenzy becomes the pièce de résistance for hordes of tourists.Īnyway, Michael Kimmelman the architecture critic for The New York Times wrote a gushing review of the Hunters Point Library, calling it a crown jewel located at “a singular, symbolic spot facing the United Nations and Louis Kahn’s exalted Four Freedoms Park across the water.” Wow, those are some pretty exalted architectural masterpieces he links the library to, but I wouldn’t disagree in regards to its stature and how it will be viewed for the remainder of the century – by the rest of the world. Now that it’s been completed, might its opening be the final piece that puts the LIC waterfront on the global stage? We already have the iconic instagrammable Pepsi Sign, the Gantries, and of course the in-your-face views of Manhattan. and is open Monday through Saturday.THE critic has spoken and in so doing is probably just the start of what I expect to be a cavalcade of accolades for the Hunters Point Library. The Hunters Point Library is located at 47-40 Center Boulevard in Long Island City, N.Y. There are also two reading gardens on site: one on the east entrance side of the building that is bordered by a low park office pavilion, and one on the building’s roof that offers panoramic views of the city. The building section is open and flowing to allow for the most energy-efficient design and the greatest amount of public green space on the site. The children’s area, teen area, and adult area can be clearly seen from the exterior of the building in the cuts of the east face of the building there is one facade opening for each area, but inside the programmatic divisions are fluid. The building’s interior uses bamboo as a building material to create a warm, inviting social space for the community. The glazed cuts in the facade also provide users with views towards the river and the city as they move up a series of bookshelf flanked stairs. The recently opened Queens Public Library at Hunters Point forgoes the recent trend of incorporating libraries into high-end residential towers and instead opts to stand independently on its 32,000 sf site along the East River.ĭesigned by Steven Holl Architects, the Hunters Point Library’s facade consists of exposed concrete and painted aluminum stamped with large amorphous windows to let in natural light.
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