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June 10, 2009
Much (more) adieu about nothing
Comment on the parting of Frank Gehry and Atlantic Yards continues to roll in, along with appraisals of the Conseco Fieldhouse, er, new Barclays Center (or is it Centre?).
The Local [Fort Greene/Clinton Hill, The Day: Is Gehry a Goner?
WNYC reported last night that Frank Gehry is not only out as the architect for the arena at Atlantic Yards, he has been
dumped by Forest City Ratner as the master architect for the entire $4 billion project.relieved by Forest City Ratner of any future duty on the $4 billion project, for which he served as master architect. Mr. Gehry was supposed to design all of the individual buildings on the 22-acre site.
...Forest City Ratner officials did not answer questions about Mr. Gehry’s status last night.
Looking Around [Time Magazine blog], More on the Gehry Departure
From the start the Atlantic Yards faced heavy opposition from Brooklynites who said it was too big, too dense, too tall — too much of everything for the still mostly low-rise borough. All the while, Gehry's name — and his gifts as an architect, the imagination he brought to the project — did a lot to keep it moving forward. But there have already been any number of revisions to Gehry's design, not only for the arena, but for other buildings in Atlantic Yards, and it's less and less clear what role if any he will end up playing in the final product — except maybe just to lend the prestige of his name to a grossly adulterated outcome. Master planner? Master fig leaf might be a better word for it.
UnBeige, Atlantic Yards' Gehry Dumping Leads to Kansas City vs. New York Brawl
Following the big-yet-not surprising story that Frank Gehry is now officially off the Atlantic Yards/New Jersey Nets stadium project, we have two newspapers with very differing pieces about the matter.
BD Online, Developer ditches Gehry basketball arena for New York Atlantic Yards
Gehry’s arena, known as the Barclays Centre, is the centrepiece of the Atlantic Yards scheme being developed by Forest City Ratner at an estimated cost of $950 million.
...Gehry has confirmed that he will continue to work with Forest City Ratner on another New York project, the Beekman Tower, with a spokesman describing the relationship between the architect and the developer as “amicable”.
Sports Business Daily, Impact Of Gehry's Departure From Atlantic Yards Project Debated [subscription required]
Curbed, Robert Scarano Mad Nobody Wants to Hire Robert Scarano
Scarano loves thee not: Atlantic Yards in general
Brownstoner, More Renderings of New Arena Design
I Cover The Automat, “HELLO, CLEVELAND!”
So, young Nicolai has weighed in with his opinion on the Atlantic Yards bait-and-switch. While I might not share in his enthusiasm for our neighbor from the North, I do continue to marvel over the cut rate Metroteching that Forest City Ratner’s pushing for. Couple that with the complete failure of the BAM LDC/cultural district, the rise of the Oro, Toren and the newly named Brooklyner, not to mention the fact that Gage & Tollner is going to become an Arby’s, and all one can do is fret.
Posted by eric at June 10, 2009 12:51 PM