Whew, 2007 was a wild one, wasn't it? To honor the insanity that crept into all matters neighborhoodish and real estatey, we present the Fourth Annual Curbed Awards. This year, the awards will be presented in small batches through Monday. Today, we tackle the year in architecture.
Thinking Big Award
Awarded to Renzo Piano, for not taking a break after basking in the glory of the glowing reviews that accompanied the completion of his Midtown New York Times skyscraper. Nope, instead the Italian starchitect went big again for the City Tech Tower in Downtown Brooklyn, brought to you by Bruce Ratner & Co. The rendering may not be finalized, but hopefully this ~1,000sf building will rain less deadly debris and ice than the Times Tower.
Everything New is Old Again Award
Robert A.M. Stern took both praise and heat (but mostly praise) for designing 15 Central Park West, once described as the "best nostalgia money can buy." So how did this traditionalist follow up a faux pre-war apartment building? With a row of faux West Village townhouses! Except, the Superior Ink townhouses on Bethune Street will actually be in the West Village. Does that make them authentic? Confusing!
Stairway to Heaven Award
In what some may see as a shocking upset, the New Museum's four-foot-wide highstepper takes the crown over Frank Gehry's service sensation for overhyped staircase of the year. What gave the New Museum the edge? Nearly every critic mentioned the gallery-connecting steps in museum reviews, and it was even described as "found space," despite the fact that the New Museum was just built from the ground up.
New Building of the Year
[Photo via vanshnookenraggen/Curbed Photo Pool]
Awarded to the New Museum! Some loved it SANAA's creation and others hated it, but everyone had an opinion, and it cannot be argued that this seven-story building has changed the Bowery forever. Hell Yes!
Loading comments...