North America architectural (reading) guide

In what feels like half an eternity away, I lived in the States for two years from 2013-2015. Having caught the architecture bug in Tokyo before, I set out to explore the places I lived in and traveled to with an eye for important buildings and their stories. There is probably no better place in the world to satisfy these passions than New York. During countless rectilinear walks, I tried to learn about the city via its architecture. I did so from our base in Harlem, which then became the blog’s mainstay for a while.

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Harlem revisited in books

Harlem is on my mind again these days as I am about half-way into Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Shuffle. A heist on the iconic Hotel Theresa is at the heart of it. Almost exactly ten years ago to the day, I put up a post on this blog recounting some of the building’s history. One aspect I wrote about–the Cuban delegation’s visit to New York in 1960–is beautifully laid out in Simon Hall’s Ten Days in Harlem, which I recommend to everyone. It’s amazing how such an important event in world history played out in this very building up the road from where we lived for a year between 2013-14. Continue reading

New York in July

We just got back from a short weekend trip to New York and I wanted to jot down some notes from the things we did and saw in the sweltering heat. With this, I hope to return to blogging a little bit more regularly.

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Model of Clorindo Testa’s Banco de Londres in Buenos Aires

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1964 New York World’s Fair

Fifty years ago, the 1964/1965 World’s Fair in New York opened its gates. The event marked the final culmination of Robert Moses’s long career. The event wasn’t sanctioned by the Bureau of International Exhibitions and thus lacked the international allure of other Expos. I visited the area on Tuesday.

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The New York State Pavilion

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375 Pearl Street

It’s one of these buildings that everyone has seen but hardly anyone remembers. If, then for its seeming ugliness and prime location next to the Brooklyn Bridge. 375 Pearl Street, or the Verizon Building as it’s also known, does not have the best reputation.

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