It's Beginning to look a lot like...something

"You're going to love New York at Christmas!"

This was the refrain I heard over and over again in taking the contract I have now. And for a long time I was kind of 'meh' on that aspect. The city looked nice enough, sure, but nothing spectacular. 

That is until today when I went to the Frick Reference Library for research and then walked down Lexington Ave to exchange a sweater. (Side note: Banana Republic, your stuff this season boxy and huge. I'm not an XS in this or any other universe).

As I meandered down the street, new purchase in hand, the snow was falling, the still-up holidays lights were twinkling, and the displays were both elaborate and delicate. Capitalism was on its best behavior AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. 

Department store displays are a thing this time of the year. Here and everywhere. Though this kind of tradition seems to fit well with New York Architecture. The clean lines and almost endlessness of, especially Mid-town, brings the eye naturally to this level. (Because god-forbid you make eye contact with someone on the street). Eitherway, it seems plate glass essentially invented window shopping, and by the 1860s New York had caught the fever. 

By 1900, window displays were the most beautiful bare-knuckle boxing match you could get walking down the street. Each one had to outdo the other. The best part, from a design point of view, is that there is absolutely no pressure to be timeless. They can be saccharine or gimmicky, abstract or obscure. Indeed the ones I saw barely had any merchandise on display at all. It's an event, a public one, one that brings people to the store which is 90% of the work. 

One could follow the tradition globally, from Selfridges, to the affect of display on Bon Marche to what it looks like in places like India or China. In either case, holiday window displays are a crafted, paper-leather art that is, if nothing else, attractive. Even if it promotes, not really avarice, but a light kind of wanting.

Walking around today also reminded me that New York, as a city, is changing rapidly. 

I was recently heartbroken over the loss of the Five Pointz street art in Queens. It was an exterior gallery the likes of which had never been before. But it's been torn down in favor of two milquetoast condo towers. It would seem this is the kind of display which does not last. One that doesn't own anything. Buying property in New York is "a good investment" again. Which means the dirtier, grittier, and frankly more interesting places are going the way of the pee-soaked dodo. 

Right now I'm living on the Lower East Side, which encourages me to have a complicated relationship with gentrification. I can deride it's social impacts, selfish neo-liberal agenda, and subsequent racial homogeneity all day long, don't get me started. However there's that a part of me that also really likes fancy donut shops, artisanal cocktails, nice woodwork at a brunch table and antropologie. It's a conundrum. 

So really it boils down to this: at some point New York had to make a choice. Was it going to be the city of Storefronts or Display Windows? 

One option offers the blaring neon that shoots out into the dark street like a prayer to an unfeeling god. The hymn humming "Sadie's Discount Liquors". The other is bright, confident and staged. Heralding the kind of place that would never accept someone like Sadie or her wholesale booze. 

I like Sadie. But more and more it seems the moneyed of New York don't. It's not unreasonable, it's just disappointing. 

AIA PA's Design Awards

I had the opportunity to attend AIA PA's Design Awards night at the Barnes Foundation in Philly last week.  I'm not sure if I had "low" expectations or simply "no" expectations, but let me tell you - I had a blast!  The Barnes itself is a righteous visit, with extensive galleries and crazy cool architectural features.  But even more interesting is the story about Dr. Barnes, and luckily my cohorts and I caught the last architectural tour for the evening and got the inside scoop on him.  I'll let you uncover that one yourself.  But alas, here are some quick pics of the place.


First stop on the tour, a conference room.  Not super glamorous, but a stop nonetheless!  I didn't feel right (and probably would have gotten scolded) taking pics in the galleries, so most of these shots are nondramatic spaces.

Some sleek office space...

Code compliant doesn't haven't to be lame and boring:

Some of the awards were given outside and 'twas a bit of a chill in that November air.  I can't say I could feel the warmth of the fire, but it may have imparted a psychological warmth... or maybe that was the three glasses of wine..

And of course, tons of awards!

In the City that never sleeps...

So I haven't slept (fully) in approximately 6 days. Why? Because it turns out at 29, my body decided that it was high-time for me to enjoy the glory and grandeur of literally the worst sinus infection of my life. Especially as this is the week I am currently without health insurance. Awesome. Though as my lymph glands swelled to the size of limes and my temples felt like a bullet was going through them, I found out that seething, agonizing pain can actually get incredibly boring after a few days. Chugging back pain killers and antibiotics, I decided to go out into the world and distract myself. In that light, I present: RETLY'S TOUR OF THE EAST SIDE (while almost blacking out from pain).

Stop 1) Nom Wah Tea Parlor 

Not a particularly stunning piece of interior design, but one that I have a particular kind of affection for. The Nom Wah Tea Parlor on Doyers Street is over 90 years old. Though it has had its up and downs, it has the eerie, almost medicinal quality of space that I love in Chinatown. Plus great Dim Sum at low, low prices.

You may have seen it in a lot of TV shows and movies, including 'Premium Rush', 'Smash', Various Food Network spots and the Jeremy Irons/Glenn Close movie 'Reversal of Fortune'.

Stop 2) The New Museum

It's not the same for me without the giant, rainbow "Hell Yeah" on the outside of the building, but still a nice place to visit. Especially out on the top most terrace, which gives a fantastic view of Mid-town Manhattan. For me, the New Museum is a hard sell, it's kind of like the baby MoMA, and as such the exhibitions are the dominant feature in the space. Every time is different: either love it or hate it. Though one thing that stays true: my love of their bathrooms. 

Stop 3) The Four Seasons Bar

Getting classy as a mother-****er up in here. Mies van de Rohe at his Mies-iest. The arm chairs line up with the window structures. Of course they do. That nerd. The room is a classic golden proportion with leather, wood and bronzed metal and that's it. It's the classic, sophisticated environment that just screams "capitalism".

Ugh. Beautiful. 

Also, if you're interested in why the walls have no paintings, I would check out Simon Schama's "The Power of Art" about Mark Rothko. There is a story there mis amigos. 

 

Stop 4) The Frick Collection

So out of the money frying pan and into the money fire. I know we've talked about the Frick reference library before but man oh man, that house is crazy. Though there are some of the most famous Rembrandts and Vermeers Art History provides, the key to the collection is the Whistlers. Architecturally, it is a literal embarrassment of riches. 

Welp, that's it for now. God willing this sinus infection nonsense ends before I am driven crazy by the pain. Aleve, don't fail me now. 

The New Adventures of Old New York

So as mentioned on the previous post, I now live in New York. Apparently. That's the thing with looking for a job. You starve forever and then WHAM! You're in different state, you have to be at a certain place at the same time everyday and you live on top of a holistic medicine outlet in Chinatown.

It's now Friday night which means my first week at a new job is at its close. After a glass of wine, a long soak, realizing I have no blowdryer, going out to buy a blowdryer, getting distracted, getting dumplings, finally remembering to buy the blowdryer, getting back to my apartment and blowdrying my hair, I am ready for bed.

In this first week the question I keep getting from friends and family is: "What's it like?" and for right now: I don't really know. It's strange but familiar. Big but close knit. Lonely but not as unkind as I thought it would be. All and all I think it's too soon to tell. I think I've moved to this metropolis at the same time when many of my associates have decided to pack it in. Singing the refrain of "I just want to get out of New York" which, while refreshingly honest, does kind of put a damper on the excitement I would otherwise be feeling for a brand-new adventure. Personally, I'm excited to have a sense of independence again, even if it's in a place as weird and overwhelming as this.

But that's enough about that boring, personal malarkey. Let's get to the real meat of this blog: BUILDINGS.

I've decided to just start posting interesting architectural examples I come across in my day to day work, which usually involves site surveying all across the 5 boroughs. Most of the sites I work on are fairly nondescript, so I'm going to skip over them and get right to a few places I've been to this week which deserve a larger audience.

NUMBER 1: Baruchim Ha Ba'im. Also known as the Synagogue for the Arts, the Civic Center Synagogue

Probably one of the most interesting religious buildings I've seen in a long time. This Synagogue was built in 1967 and has some of that trademark formal optimism. Like a funkier I.M. Pei. Like a funnier Louis Kahn.  The architecture feels like it comes from that version of the past where the future was going to be awesome. 

NUMBER 2: The Merchant's House

   

The Merchant's House Museum is an often overlooked little gem in NoHo. Apparently the youngest daughter of a well to do merchant was cast a rough lot in love, never got married and kept the house as a pristine remembrance of better times (a la 1858) even as the area crumbled around her. I find stories like these always fascinating because  

A) They come from a time when it's like "Oh you don't have a man to take ownership of you, you know like property? I guess you're an embarrassment. Let's all pity you." 

Which...just...so...many..questions..there... and 

B) It's not "period" furniture. This is the furniture. Like, all of it. That biz is rare.  

Architecturally it's not all that unique for the era, but it's nice to find a place that is so untouched. Plus in October they dress it up like you're going to a funeral, it's a unique experience. 

NUMBER 3: The Stained Glass Windows on the Bronx Zoo Station

Not architecture, I know, but I found this series of stained glass windows on the 5 train going up through the Bronx to be charming and lovely. They were designed by Naomi Campbell (not the one you're thinking of) and produced in 2006. There's an article about it HERE. They are brief and beautiful. The kind of drawings a kid might do about the animals from the zoo, but with a sophisticated hand. 

Ok - I think that's it for now. Stay cool and stay tuned for more New York City finds. 

Back in the New York Groove

Whelp it happened, I too, like many of my architectural brethren, have been pulled as a moth to the flame to New York City. A place I never thought I would live in. Though now that I’ve signed the lease to a huge sublet in Chinatown I’m starting to get kind of excited. Stay posted bloggers. I’m sure I’ll be one of the following options.

 


 OR


 

On the Hunt

So it occurs to me that for almost a year now I have been working freelance and continuing down my path of an unusual architectural career. Don't get me wrong, I personally love the balance of designing a kitchen in the morning and writing theory/history in the evening. Though the concept of wanting things is human, and so far the things I want are those which I think any 29 year-old person wants. An apartment I don't have to share with anyone and to be successful. However, that notion of "successful" is what I'm looking to write about today.

A few months ago, I had to leave London for visa issues. Trying to find a sponsorship job was a nightmare. The search resulted in a lot of self-doubt and the pain of losing a place and people (including one person in particular) who matter so much to me. A strong anti-immigration law meant that I could not extend my visa, nor could I act as self-employed and stay in the country. I contemplated (and still am contemplating) going whole-hog and investing in a PhD in Architectural History and Theory, however my bank account told me now was not a time to do that. I won't lie, it broke my heart to leave. I'm sure I'm not the first person to lose their cool at an airport, but I may be the first to have a total break-down in a duty-free aisle. If, in the future, I've got to summon tears on a whim, it will be the image of doors closing while my East-London Love waived goodbye. Not knowing when, if ever, I could return. Long story short: it sucked. It sucked big.

Though, in true American optimism, a person has to pull themselves together and survive. Since then I've designed a couple of interiors, published a ton of articles and committed myself to work at various Museums.

More than anything, it's struck me what a strange process it is looking for an office job. If media is to be believed, most people want to escape their cubicle imprisonment wishing to be free as a bird. What they never see is the point of view from the bird, afraid that at any moment they'll plummet towards the Earth. As it stands, most of my time is taken up by informational interviews, discussing options with recruiters, drafting, entering competitions and the general malaise of having to go to baby shower after baby shower. Which brings me again, to the notion of success.

Most of the time Shower-based parties are lovely, but sometimes they can enter into darker territory. A friend's husband told me about a week ago that "You had your chance to fall in love, and now you've got to fall in line", a half-joking attempt to set me up with one of his friends "Afterall, you're getting older now, and no one wants to have kids with someone older." Dude. What.

The question is, why can't architecture be my kid? I'm not saying I wouldn't love to be a mother at some point, but for God's sake, success is not determined by whether or not I've produced progeny. I understand where these men (I hate to be sexist, but it's typically men who are this insensitive) are coming from. They've just become fathers, which totally re-adjusts priorities, but the definition of success in a post-modern world is trickier concept than I previously thought.

In this past year, the impression I've gotten from friends with children is "everyone should want what I have", rather than the impression of success as "something only a few people have that everyone wants." If success is the accomplishment of a goal, that goal has to be one that is created on a personal level. If my goal is to create architecture, discourse and design that is nuanced, intelligent and useful, then I would deem that I'm moving towards success. If the goal instead was to fulfill the expectation of passing on my genes within a time frame that, until I moved back to the US, I was completely unaware of, then, yeah, I'm not as successful as I could be. But I don't think I'm a lost cause yet.

As I told my cockney love, "I'll probably never be famous, and if I ever am, it will probably be a century after I'm dead. I'm offering you a chance to get in on the ground floor of that. With me, you could have a lifetime of struggle, hardship and rejection." He laughed "Well, that is an appealing offer, but at the end, am I just going to be a footnote?" "More than that honey, you get to be a muse."

I hate to sound like a motivational speaker, I leave that to those more sincere and Candid-esque than myself. But I will say this. Designers of the world: do you. I don't know if it's good advice, but it's the only advice I've got to give. That and know the colors that look good on your skin.

Time slips

While I find that including individual time slips with invoices to clients is completely unnecessary, I do believe that time slip descriptor regulations are logical, to keep activities associated with a project clear and trackable.

Firstly, why do I think time slips on invoices are unnecessary? Because, with almost every other industry you are not itemizing every moment of the service you are invoicing. We take down the time for our records and use, of course. And if there is a dispute over how much time is put towards a phase, THEN and only THEN should you produce the itemized list of time slips.  All the client needs to focus is on is how far along in the project you are and how much they owe. I'm not saying you keep scope creep a secret. In fact I think it is a serious struggle for many firms on how you manage scope creep. Do you want your client to think you are nickel and diming them for every little design change? Certainly not, but at some point they are asking way more of you than you originally estimated and at some point that needs to be tabulated as an additional service.

Anyway, back to time slip phraseology. A coworker of mine suggested starting each time slip entry with one of a few key terms. They are: design, coordinate, meeting, detail.  I think there are a few more that could be included, but I'm bit sure which word best encompasses all the meanings. You need something that covers phone calls with clients where they are expressing a concern or inquiring about a time frame or whatever. I have one client who calls me almost every day to either make a design change, request an update on structural/zoning/HARB/product estimates. If I don't log that time and bill it to him, that shit adds up fast.  Anyway, so I'm thinking... Phone calls with clients could be considered coordination or meeting. But I think I like the idea of  specifically noting a phone call as such because if you reference "design changes" or "coordination as directed in client phone call such and such date," then the phone call is logged there in your time slips automatically.

I find myself pondering many office management ideas and operations lately. I don't know if it is just lack of understanding on the part of the clients or lack of clarity from us, but lately it seems like clients of all financial backgrounds are scrutinizing invoices much more aggressively than it seems they should.

Random thoughts during a car ride whole typing on my phone. Please excuse typos.