The Landmarks Preservation Commission met yesterday for a second time to discuss the alterations for 104-106 South Street, which first appeared before the LPC in July. At that first hearing, the commissioners took issue with a number of the design aspects of the building, specifically the green roofs and the refurbished facades. So how did it go this time? The commissioners liked some of the alterations to the redesign, but still didn't think the changes did enough to appease preservationists.
The commissioners had urged the architects at BKSK to keep some of the original bricks from the existing building, and after going back to the drawing board, BKSK determined that many of the original bricks are structurally sound enough to be used on the facades. Any newly added bricks will be color-treated to resemble the original ones. As for the green roofs, Team BKSK presented them as a symbol of the "evolving history of the district." The commissioners were split on the issue. Some argued that the roofs did not coincide with the goal of historic preservation, while others noted that it was part of their responsibility to grow with new technologies addressing sustainability. One of the architects even brought along some plants grown from a green roof. How organic!
A painted banner saying "Eat Fish Live Longer" has been added to the proposed alteration at the top of the building (see renderings in the gallery above), an homage to the district's original use. Again, commissioners were divided on the issue: are there artistic/historic benefits or is it simply a distracting and anti-preservationist image? The LPC's conclusion: the architects need to try, try again.
?Emily Laskodi
· LPC Not Wild About Proposed Green Roofs for Seaport [Curbed]
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