Still reeling from Paul Goldberger's slam in the New Yorker, Charles Gwathmey's Sculpture For Living in Astor Place takes it on the chin from no less a design world personage than House & Garden's testy tastemaker, Mayer Rus. He writes:
Could this be the dawn of a second golden age for modern architecture in New York? If the new Astor Place residential building by Gwathmey Siegel is any indication, the answer is no. Advertisements may tout the tortured tower as "Sculpture for Living," but no amount of pretentious hype can turn this sow's ear into a silk purse... Could Charles Gwathmey secretly be in cahoots with famed antimodernism crusader Prince Charles? Inquiring minds want to know.For those who've missed it, blogger Jesse Chan-Norris' seminal photo gallery of the Sculpture For Living's rise (above, as seen on May 20), is a wonderful romp down memory lane. Like, remember when Astor Place used to have that awesome big parking lot on its south side?
· Testy Tastemaker [House & Garden via Triple Mint]
· The Astor Place Development Photo Gallery [pith.org] UPDATE: A few blocks south of Astor Place on Bowery, a Curbed correspondent files this report regarding the area's other terrifying tower, the Tower of Bowery: "About a week or so ago, I noticed that the Tower on Bowery has been shrouded in green cloth. It appears that they are now taking the hideous yellow facing off of the building. The rumor is that there is some sort of code violation going on and a possible bankruptcy. Do you have any other information? One can only hope that they don't stop at the brick work and succeed in demolishing the entire building." Those in the know, you know where to reach us: tips@curbed.com.