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June 7, 2009
Gehry: Going, going, going... gone (Part Quatre)
Gothamist, Bloomberg, Markowitz Support New Brooklyn Nets Arena Design
Now that Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner has kicked renowned architect Frank Gehry's design for the (potential) future home of the Brooklyn Nets aside for a less expensive design by way of Kansas firm Ellerbe Becket, it's time for politicians to weigh in. Mayor Bloomberg said he understood the economic realities that Ratner was facing; the Post reports that he said on his radio show, "I think Ratner came to the conclusion, in this day and age, you just cannot finance something as complex to build. There's no such thing as a straight wall with Frank. Frank is into curves."
Gehry's design would have cost $1 billion, while the Ellerbe Becket design could be around $200 million less. Bloomberg did pump Gehry up, also saying, "Frank Gehry, who is a genius, designed a spectacular [arena]." The Post also notices that Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz seems to have backtracked on his statement that the Gehry design is "world class"—now the Beep says Gehry's design is "too ultra-modern...I think the new design is actually better for Brooklyn."
And the Post's Steve Cuozzo laments the end of the Gehry design, "SO sad. So irreversible. And so inevitable... The new arena design now on the table bears as much resemblance to Gehry's as a Dumpster does to his Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao." He lays blame (credit?) for the Gehry structure's demise on the "Orwellian-titled" Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn for stalling Ratner's Atlantic Yards development for the past four years. DDDB writes, "While Cuozzo is correct that dumping Gehry could be devastating for the Atlantic Yards project (though his hyperbole that the project is dead is Orwellian), his Orwellian doublethink, newspeak makes milk come out of our noses, full speed. "
Tao of FAU, Downtown Brooklyn is saved
Just a reminder: Prospect Heights, the site of the proposed Atlantic Yards, is not in downtown Brooklyn.
In 2003, when I lived in Park Slope, I loved the idea of a basketball team in Brooklyn, especially one right next to the spot where the Dodgers would have moved had Robert Moses not blocked their stadium. But, like many, I was not happy with the details: the high towers, the arena by Ghery, etc.
Full disclosure: I love architecture. I am fascinated by it. I like all types and styles of architecture from classical to modern to postmodern. I also HATE Frank Ghery. I think he is a hack who took one idea (lots of reflective metal) and stretched it out for far too long.
So I welcome this move and the fact that the recession may cause the whole project to get scaled down. Brooklyn needs development, but not the kind that will radically interrupt it's character.
Archsource, Ghery Officially Off Barclay Center Designs
The Barclay Center, which is to be the Nets new basketball arena had originally intended to be the main focal point and anchor of Frank Ghery's sprawling 22-acre Atlantic Yards complex located in central Brooklyn. Now it seems that though Ghery will be master planner for the site, the "starchitects" firm had been replaced by Ellerbe Becket as designer of the arena itself.
One reason that seems very likely is that Ghery's proposal as usual would end up being way to pricey and indeed Forest City Ratner, the developers said in the statement. “The current economic climate is not right for this design, and with Frank’s understanding, the arena is undergoing a redesign that will make it more limited in scope.” So what happened to his magic "Digital Project" software? According to the Times, the arena is now expected to cost $800 million, down from a projected $1 billion.
Posted by steve at June 7, 2009 6:58 AM