As an architect, Gene Kaufman doesn’t typically save buildings; he designs them.
But when he heard of plans to change Paul Rudolph’s celebrated but shuttered government building in Goshen, N.Y., as part of a renovation plan, he decided to step in.
“To lose a building like this would be a tragedy,” said Mr. Kaufman, a partner at Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman Architects in New York City.
— nytimes.com
Previously:
6 Comments
I hope they save this building. It's really one of a kind. It seems to hold some interesting ideas for pre-fab construction, in wood. I'd also like to get a cut of the roofing contract.
“I don’t consider it an historic building,” said Leigh J. Benton, an Orange County legislator. “I just consider it to be a cluster of concrete slabs.”
I'd like to know what professional accreditations or experience Mr. Benton has that would impel us to pay one iota of attention to his opinion on the historic significance of a piece if architecture? None? That's what I thought.
The BBC has agreed to stop giving equal weight to non-scientific views in debates about scientific topics. Maybe the NYTimes should follow suit?
Donna, he may not have the "professional accreditations or experience" that you might find satisfying, but that's kind of the problem with architecture. Architecture is a public art, especially when it's a public building, and as such, the public's opinion is indeed relevant.
I hope they save this building, but not becasue someone architects deem worthy of commenting, but becasue it's kind of interesting and unique. Also, I'm not sure I would equate ones opinion on a building's historical significance with a scientific view, however one defines "science". I'm always amazed by how resistant many architects are towards the opinions of lay people. Do they feel like architecture is the profession's private domain?
He may not understand what qualifies as "historic", but he knows 'ugly' when he sees it.
:)
So we can only have architects commenting on architecture now? Wow.... talk about an echo chamber.
Those stately Victorians we now cherish were once ugly rat-traps (or fire-traps), the archetypal haunted houses, that got cleared out of cities across the country.
A sense of history needs to always be part of the discussion, and some knowledge/comprehension of what might seem more important later than it does now. Mr Benton doesn't seem to have either?
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