7/25/2023 0 Comments The skinny skyscraper new yorkBut they don’t, and now it looks like someone missed a spot while ironing the building. Even in the link I just added above, the critic said it’d be better if the crinkles on the southside went all the way around. To me, it feels like an unfinished art project. I know many people, who have a much broader understanding of architecture than I do, have praised this mighty tower for its ingenuity on CityRealty, its boldness, and its beauty. 8 Spruce Street Photo of 8 Spruce Street by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash That said, it’s in several “ugliest buildings” lists, so maybe my apathy towards it counts as a mark against it. But Metlife just seems like that weird guy at a party who knows the host but is a stranger to everyone else. Other buildings in the area have diverted away from the art deco style of the past and made the area work. It isn’t the worst building I’ve ever seen, and it hasn’t hurt me or my family…yet. I should say, I personally have no problem with the MetLife building. People even went so far as to call the design cold and brutal, and yet, up it went. One of the more famous names against the building was Jackie Onassis, who was concerned the building would be the death of Grand Central. Critics thought it would ruin the art deco flow of Park Avenue, and folks fought hard against it. The MetLife building, formerly the Pan Am building, was built in 1963 and was one of the most controversial buildings of the era. The Metlife building, also a pivotal scene in I Am Legend. But hey, just look at it from the 16th floor, up. However, the project started up again in 2016 and now 375 Pearl has been made that much “better” by removing much of the top floor and replacing it with glass. The plan was put on hold due to Verizon selling the building and the financial crisis. Architecture critics lambasted it for decades before a proposal for renovation was made in 2008. However, that was the only beautiful thing about it. The building was originally built in 1975 for the New York Telephone Company with the beautiful intention of funding a school. The first time my mom drove by it she said, “I thought the prison was on Rikers Island.” And my mother is correct! The prison is on Rikers Island. Up until a few years ago, the building looked like Azkaban, the evil wizard jail from Harry Potter. Used as office space for various companies and government entities, 375 Pearl Street has made numerous “ugliest buildings in NYC” lists, and there’s a good reason for that. Five of these terrible buildings include: 375 Pearl Street By Jim.henderson – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 Some of these buildings are just flat-out ridiculous. I don’t want to offend the architects or designers, but also, come on. They seem out of place, distracting, and…who are we kidding. Buildings that seem to stand out in a way that just doesn’t feel right. However, once you get used to seeing that skyline, you’ll start to notice that some buildings are more…ostentatious than others. No matter how you saw the New York City skyline for the first time, it likely took your breath away. We’ve all experienced it in one way or another: driving in from Long Island or New Jersey, soaring high above from a plane, or watching it slowly come into view from a boat or a ferry.
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