The
second annual Open House New York weekend took place October
8-9, 2004 and attracted over 50,000 visitors. The weekend
consisted of 100 sites across all five boroughs of New York,
places not normally opened to the public or of special historical
or architectural significance. All of the sites are free and
many offer tours, although some tours need to be reserved
while others have short or inconvenient operating hours. Still,
it's free- what more can you really ask?
Highlighted
locations in Manhattan in 2004 include:
AIA
Center for Architecture
The official "welcome center" for Open House New
York, which means that they have the same brochures that most
locations have, just a lot more of them. Always open with
free exhibits even if it's not Open House New York weekend.
Paul
Rudolph Foundation / Modulightor Building
On the Upper East Side, this is the last townhouse built by
Paul Rudolph and there's no mistaking his design, with more
levels than are practical for such a small space. A great
building to tour despite the long lines and large crowds.
The
Bohen Foundation
Galleries and offices in a space designed by LO/TEK. It was
especially fun to wander about the main level's offices and
conference rooms inside those expected shipping containers.
The
High Line
Home to a future park (and a damn good one if the promise
of the DS+R renderings hold up), the OHNY experience doesn't
let you walk on it but does let you look down upon it. Interesting
but not as satisfying an experience as you imagine it could
have been.
The
Solaire
Designed by Cesar Pelli, this waterfront residential tower
in Battery Park City is the city's first green one. Tours
include all those expected apartments with the good views
but also the graywater plant in the basement.
Teardrop
Park
Designed by Michael Van Valkenberg and tucked behind the Solaire,
Teardrop Park is one of those overdesigned parks that feels
like a private courtyard- although that big jagged stone wall
is pretty damn cool.
Vitra
Showroom
As any architect (or anyone interested in architecture) knows,
Vitra is a German distributor and manufacturer of highly designed
chairs and home to one funky firehouse. Its New York showroom
is all about the chairs and other design objects, a store
more than a place.
Mixed
Greens
Inside the massive Starrett-Lehigh Building, Mixed Greens
are offices and galleries with interesting art but better
views of a pre West Side Stadium world.
Lux
Studios
A photography studio in Chelsea that featured a koi fish pond
that hid a series of uplights. The movement of the fish created
a series of changing shadows that were especially impressive.
Austrian
Cultural Institute
Only the lower level galleries were open (with an exhibit
on Austrian Architecture), but any reason to see Raimund Abraham's
tower is a good one.
The
New Victory Theatre
On West 42nd Street, the city's oldest continuing operated
theatre offered interesting tours highlighting the buildings
interesting history, from vaudeville to porn to children's
theatre, with a few movie explosions thrown in for fun (I
guess you had to be there)
Jazz
at Lincoln Center
The star of the 2004 weekend, the almost ready to open Jazz
at Lincoln Center complex (designed by Rafael Vinoly but trapped
in the Time Warner Building) featured interesting tours of
its three performance spaces and those absolutely amazing
views you have come to expect from the Rose Hall.
Terrapin
Chelsea Art Gallery
Whether you are fascinated or just scared by the interior,
this is one of those totally unexpected spaces that need to
be seen to be believed. A combination residence/gallery with
a scale model of the Yangtze River on the floor that actually
somehow seems appropriate in the space.
The
third annual Open House New York Weekend is scheduled for
October 8-9, 2005.
Learn more at ohny.org |
