Silver Phallus To Tower Over Fort Greene
And you thought the Greene House condominium was tall? Get a load of what Scarano & Associates is plotting for the corner of South Portland and Fulton in Fort Greene: A 190-foot, 80,000-square-foot mixed use tower with medical offices, parking, retail and, of course, apartments from which residents will be able to wave to their…
And you thought the Greene House condominium was tall? Get a load of what Scarano & Associates is plotting for the corner of South Portland and Fulton in Fort Greene: A 190-foot, 80,000-square-foot mixed use tower with medical offices, parking, retail and, of course, apartments from which residents will be able to wave to their friends in Bruce Ratner’s high-rises. In praise of its own design, the firm’s website offers this architecture-speak:
Most residential or office towers are static objects in the city’s skyline, marked by typical floors and repetition. The design concept for this unique project, presents the residential building from a different perspective: it is developed in way to provide the tower with movement and keep the structural forces evident.
Thank God we live in an historic district.
South Portland Tower [Scarano Architectss] GMAP
Scenario.
NYC Dept. of City Planning institutes rezoning of multiple areas throughout the five boroughs. They change the Zoning Resolutions that govern these ares, relating to the height and square footage that seems to have everyone up in arms. Scarano strikes while the iron is hot, and corners the market on maximizing the size of the building and square footage that is allowed as per the new zoning resolutions. Clients flock to Scarano’s office like rats following the Piper. No regard to neighborhood scale, or the people that are comfortable with thier current surroundings, so called developers start snapping up any spit of land they can get thier hands on. Scarano begins to gentrify neighborhoods all the while abiding by the laws the bind him. The real estate market explodes amd condo’s flood the market worse than Katrina hitting the Big Easy. As a result of his popularity amongst developers, the competition starts dropping dimes on Scarano projects. Is any one hurt during all of this? Just the ones inconvenienced by having to move out so that the building can be demolished to make way for another beautiful structure that is raising the property value and changing neighborhoods in a single blow. Are the people selling the property complaining that they are getting top dollar for thier property? Who wold have thought parts of Bed-Stuy, would be such a hot spot to the point that in order to make it more attrcative to buyers it would begin to take on a more friendly distinction, “East Williamsburg”. This face lift of Brooklyn is long overdue. Landmark preservation is well and good, but it has its place. Brownstones are beautiful, and areas that have history to them should be preserved. But what is the problem with creating interesting buildings, that are eye catching most, and an eye sore to some. Its is what Brooklyn was to begin with. Diversity.
shame.
Mr. Scarano:
I will not be anonymous. I’ve lived next door to your projected building for 14 years. Although I’m not an architect myself, there are at least three architects in my family and a long artistic tradition. While you are, alas, in good company, you are doing a disservice to your profession by designing a building that by its scale, shape, and, I’m sure, materials, would stand out as an eyesore and actually blight the block and the neighborhood. The classic, time-honored challenge for a real architect is to design something that, while modern, innovative and commercially viable, actually FITS in its intended surroundings.
it’s 158 and 164 south oxford street (between hanson and atlantic). the back property on 164 extends to south portland street.
scurano: architects take into account the surrounding neighborhood. take the dropped boxes concept to an open parking lot in the middle of the country instead. it will look less out of place.
Scarano not only fails to consider the neighborhood context, but even worse, purposely ignores it so his building will (inappropriately) stand out be remembered. Act out your rebellious midlife bullshit somewhere else please.
Tall is only bad when you have it towering over the rest of your skyline- or worse, over your apartment.
Why is tall bad?
Update on Scarano & ASS. website…as of today, this building (and I use that term loosely) has changed from “South Portland Tower” to “The South Tower.”
Either we were getting close or he’s moved it…Atlanta, GA perhaps?
Completion date 2008, and still 190′ though…
Perhaps we should call him “Tricky Dick” rather than Bobby-Boy, JR?
whether or not mr. scarano is the poster, the building is his, no doubt about that! and thats what this blog is about.