A key building feature on one of Kevin Roche’s most ingenious New York City designs is under threat of being erased, according to the preservation group Docomomo US.
The late Pritzker winner’s 60 Wall Street building is undergoing renovation by Kohn Pedersen Fox this summer, and the group says it includes the removal of the facade’s characteristic chamfered design elements and changes to the atrium that will alter its unique lobby space “beyond recognition.”
Completed in 1989, the postmodern office design was included in Docomomo’s list of 11 endangered historical places earlier this year and is, per the air rights transfer agreement that was signed when the property was sold a few years ago, legally required to be redeveloped in “harmonious relationship” to the Greek revival former National City Bank Building from 1842 sited across the street at 55 Wall.
The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is now involved and has launched a review of the KPF plan to determine whether or not the changes proposed in the $250 million easement scheme meet that requirement. That process will continue at a public hearing scheduled for tomorrow, June 28, which Docomomo is encouraging people to partake in.
The group says it has submitted a landmark designation request for 60 Wall Street to the LPC for both its exterior and interior spaces. Archinect will share any updates to the preservation effort as they are made available.
3 Comments
Nothing in the KPF proposal is better. It is just different. No good reasons are offered why we need to erase a good and unique Kevin Roche 1980s work with some of KPF's current hokum of the moment. All issues with the current building can be addressed in much less destructive ways. Imagine the obviously massive cost of the renovation spent instead on cleaning, lighting improvements, and plantings for the current design.
60 Wall St is one of the great public spaces of Lower NYC. That dark picture aside, it is full of people every day -- with places to sit, and interesting features to look at. The 'new design' features the sleek features that tell everyone to move along, you aren't welcome here. Too bad that everything that needs a minor cleanup just gets torn down and blandified.
At the hearing today, the LPC received public comments (90% were against the proposal) and KPF was requested to come back at a later date with a revised design.
The building and interior space won't really be safe until the LPC designates them as landmarks, which they may or may not decide to do.
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