I took a short bike ride up north today and took a few photos of housing developments from the 1960s. A great long-form article for background to the current debate surrounding the New York City Housing Association can be read here.
Esplanade Gardens, boundaries West 145th Street, Lenox Avenue & West 148th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd
The built context of most Tokyo buildings shown on this blog has been radically transformed since their completion several decades ago. It is now almost strange to see these architectural icons stand in their “native” setting or while they were under construction. Thanks to Flickr and Tokyo Tower, we can even have a look further back. 1 December 2013: Update now at bottom of post, 23 February 2014: Another shot at bottom of the post.
Both NOA Building and Reiyukai Shakaden under construction May 1974, photo posted with permission from Flickr user CosmicShip
The International House Japan carries a special place in Japan’s post-war architectural history. Here, Tange would host several weddings for members of his Tange Lab, including Kurokawa’s. In 1960, the Metabolists would also use the building to write their founding document.
Alexander Hamilton is one of the most famous Americans ever to have lived in Harlem. His biography is inextricably linked with the early history of the USA, he was one of the chief architects of the young state’s institutions. I took a look at his former residence one rainy afternoon a couple of days ago.
I picked up the great “Architects of Affluence: The Tsutumi Family and the Seibu Enterprises in 20th-Century Japan” the other day. It’s a fascinating monograph written about 20 years ago by Thomas Havens. It helped me connect the dots between railroad, (sub-)urbanisation and the onset of mass consumerism in post-war Japan. Can an architectural dimension be woven into this? Let’s visit Shibuya!
As the book project on Tokyo’s architecture takes up a lot of my time, I thought I’d post an update on where we stand. There are also a few new chapter ideas I wanted to brainstorm – and what place better for that than my blog.
Sakuradai Village, photo by Manuel Oka
New York’s 20th-century beaux arts and art deco architecture doesn’t generally get my heart rate up. There are exceptions to this, including some of the famous early skyscrapers. Another building I like is the Criminal Courts Building in the Civic Center of Manhattan. I find its architecture incredibly symbolic.
I spent two days in Boston last weekend, visiting a friend. Partly thanks to its universities, Boston has plenty of modern architecture. I found this great brochure (Boston Modern: The Spirit of Reinvention) only after walking around town but plan to return to the city with it in my bag. One of these modern gems I managed to find on my own is Peabody Terrace in Cambridge, next to the Charles River.
The Adam Clayton Powell Junior State Office Building divides Harlem geographically. It also divides opinions. Some call it a Brutalist eyesore from the urban renewal era, others think that it is an important memorial, commemorating the battle for the soul of Harlem.
Harlem is home to churches of various congregations. They have been in the news as of late due to the “Gospel Boom” that sees large numbers of tourists flock here on Sundays. I took a look at two churches designed by a Greek Cypriot architect which are not far from my house.
