Gowanus Lounge: Serving Brooklyn

Entries Tagged as 'Architecture'

Park Slope Crest Improves Fouth Ave. Streetscape

December 31st, 2007 · 9 Comments

The fencing around The Crest in Park Slope has come down. The mindboggling results are above. We will refrain from a long diatribe about how such architecture is the equivalent of saying “screw you” to the streetscape and how people that design residential buildings this way should be held up to professional ridicule for designing […]

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Tags: Architecture · Park Slope

"Action" on Scarano Projects "After the Holiday"?

December 22nd, 2007 · Comments Off on "Action" on Scarano Projects "After the Holiday"?

News of the new permits for the Caroll Gardens Hell Building at 333 Carroll Street has gotten around the neighborhood and residents have been emailing city officials. One reply making the rounds says that elected officials are still working on a variety of issues related to architect Robert Scarano: We are trying, but even Scarano […]

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Tags: Architecture · Carroll Gardens

Bklink: Skeptical of DOB Defense of Scarano Deal

December 13th, 2007 · Comments Off on Bklink: Skeptical of DOB Defense of Scarano Deal

“The deal does nothing to counter the notion that DOB (or at least the Brooklyn office) exists to protect developers, contractors and architects, rather than to regulate construction and enforce zoning rules.”–Brooklyn 11211

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Tags: Architecture · Shortlink

Dept. of Buildings Response to Scarano Controversy

December 11th, 2007 · 4 Comments

We got an email from the press office at the Department of Buildings responding to the controversy about the “stipulations” signed by Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster concerning architect Robert Scarano. A Daily News article on Sunday detailed agreements the Building Commissioner signed as part of the arrangement that led to Mr. Scarano’s giving up of […]

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Tags: Architecture · Construction Issues

Buildings Commissioner Signed Interesting Scarano Agreements

December 9th, 2007 · 1 Comment

Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster signed off on some interesting stipulations as part of Brooklyn architect Robert Scarano’s agreement to surrender self-certification privileges last year, according to a story in today’s Daily News. Architects in New York City are able to “self-certify” that their work meets city zoning and building regulations. Controversies arose over Mr. Scarano’s […]

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Tags: Architecture · Construction Issues

Old & New: Friends or Frenemies on Union Street?

December 4th, 2007 · 12 Comments

These buildings are neighbors. The two photos were sent to us by the same very special GL correspondent who provided yesterday’s tale of the Carniceria sign on Smith Street. Our correspondent writes: Picture one [left] is of very nice, renovated brownstone with, not-quite-original- but-it’ll-do, iron shutters. On Union Street in Carroll Gardens. This lovely thing […]

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Tags: Architecture · Carroll Gardens

Zoning Amendments Might Produce Bigger, Bulkier Buildings

November 19th, 2007 · 2 Comments

Earlier this year, the American Institute of Architects proposed “text amendments” to city zoning that have flown relatively under the radar could result in bulkier, taller buildings in areas of the city with certain zoning (including many Brooklyn neighborhoods). Aaron Brashear of Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights sent out an email over the weekend about […]

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Tags: Architecture

What ‘s That Thing on Top? Williamsburg Facadomy Update

November 15th, 2007 · Comments Off on What ‘s That Thing on Top? Williamsburg Facadomy Update

This is 66 N. 1st Street in Williamsburg, which was a What’s That Thing on Top honoree back in May. The building has evolved since then and its latest turn has left it looking like a facadomy victim. Not only does it have that rather odd thing on top, but it now sports a new […]

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Tags: Architecture · Williamsburg

Carroll Gardens Luquer Street ‘Monstrosity’ Poking Up

November 7th, 2007 · Comments Off on Carroll Gardens Luquer Street ‘Monstrosity’ Poking Up

While architects like Robert Scarano (see below) seem to garner an inordinate amount of headlines both online and in print, other architects are making a significant impact on both the Brooklyn streetscape and skyline. One of them is Karl Fischer, whose work is almost everywhere one turns in Williamsburg, and can be found in South […]

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Tags: Architecture · Carroll Gardens

The World According to Scarano

November 7th, 2007 · 1 Comment

Brooklyn’s most well known architect, Robert Scarano, finally has his say on a wide range of topics in an interview that’s part of an excellent story in the November issue of the Real Deal. It’s fascinating to see the gentleman who has embraced some controversial building techniques and put up some buildings about which people […]

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Tags: Architecture

Bad Chi Building Takes Shape on Skillman

October 3rd, 2007 · Comments Off on Bad Chi Building Takes Shape on Skillman

It’s hard to say what to make architecturally of these cheese-wedge balconies at 63 Skillman Street. Our Greenpoint Correspondent called them Skillman Daggers, although to us, it looks more like stacked Wedges of Sharp Cheddar. Actually, the case can be made that if ever an Feng Shui consultant would be required by occupants of buildings, […]

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Tags: Architecture · Williamsburg

Dumbo’s "Thing on Top" Making Good Progress

October 2nd, 2007 · 2 Comments

One might call the thing growing atop 53 Bridge Street one of the most impressive growths to sprout atop an old building in all of Brooklyn. What’s equally impressive is that the The Thing on 53 Bridge has progressed amazingly well since we last trained our camera on it, especially given the Stop Work Orders […]

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Tags: Architecture · Dumbo

Translating the Miss Brooklyn Naming Story from Japanese

September 29th, 2007 · Comments Off on Translating the Miss Brooklyn Naming Story from Japanese

So, how would Frank Gehry’s story about naming Miss Brooklyn–his Atlantic Yards tower–read if it were translated from its Japanese version back into English by an auto-translation program? No Land Grab did and the results are funny. A sample: All these motley colors, all these sincere Victoria type construction, took his starry night recollected a […]

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Tags: Architecture · Atlantic Yards

Carroll Gardens Developer Addresses "the Scarano Issue"

September 12th, 2007 · 4 Comments

You might recall that one of the issues connected to the building at 360 Smith Street in Carroll Gardens was the involvement of Robert Scarano as the architect. In fact, City Council Member Bill de Blasio had previously called on Billy Stein, the developer, to “end the curse of Scarano” and demanded his removal from […]

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Tags: Architecture · Carroll Gardens · Construction Issues

The Bunker in Gowanus Getting an Exterior

August 31st, 2007 · 3 Comments

Finally! The building we like to call The Bunker on Bond and Carroll Streets in Gowanus because of its stunning street-side lack of windows abundance of wall space, is getting a skin. The facade appears to be white. You will also note the exterior wood paneling, which is a trademark of architect Robert Scarano on […]

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Tags: Architecture · Gowans

New Building Putting the Green Back in Greenpoint

August 31st, 2007 · Comments Off on New Building Putting the Green Back in Greenpoint

Given that we featured a jaw-dropping Gowanus building designed by Karl Fischer earlier this week, we figure this is a good time to have another look at one of the architect’s buildings rising on Diamond Street in Greenpoint. (We last checked on it July.) The photo comes from our Greenpoint correspondent. Of the green facade […]

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Tags: Architecture · Greenpoint

Spitzer Signs Bill to Crack Down on Fradulent Building Plans

August 17th, 2007 · Comments Off on Spitzer Signs Bill to Crack Down on Fradulent Building Plans

NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer has signed Assembly Bill #7746, which gives the Department of Buildings the authority to refuse to accept plans from architects or engineers “who have been found to have knowingly submitted false or inaccurate plans to the DOB in the past.” The so-called “self-certification” bill “empowers the Department of Buildings (DOB) to […]

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Tags: Architecture

What Were They Thinking? Fedders Special

August 1st, 2007 · 3 Comments

We featured this building as a “Construction Site Du Jour” back in the spring because it was so special. Well, now that it’s been fully unveiled to the public, it’s just as nice. It’s not as, uh, ornate in design as some of our previous “What Were They Thinking?” friends. Nonetheless, its utilitarian character and […]

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Tags: Architecture · East Williamsburg

Checking in on the New Brick Thing at Smith & Ninth

July 28th, 2007 · Comments Off on Checking in on the New Brick Thing at Smith & Ninth

Granted that the surroundings at Smith and Ninth Street are not the most uplifting in Brooklyn. That having been said, however, the contribution this structure will make toward neighborhood beautification is of, uh, limited value. The building is the work of of Henry Radusky and the ubiquitous Bricolage Designs. It’s a four-story, 50-foot high building […]

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Tags: Architecture · Carroll Gardens · Red Hook

Is This Why The Bunker on Bond Doesn’t Have Windows?

July 24th, 2007 · 7 Comments

Oh God. Here we go again. Yes, this a building designed by you know who. (Hint: His first name is Robert. His last name is Scarano.) We have featured it many times and named it The Bunker and/or The Bunker on Bond because of its striking lack of windows. In any case, you can look […]

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Tags: Architecture · Gowanus

More of the New Look on the Burg’s N. 7th Street

July 19th, 2007 · Comments Off on More of the New Look on the Burg’s N. 7th Street

What you’re looking at is the future of 253 N. 7th Street on top, and the existing building in its current state of deconstruction. The new 253 N. 7th, which also sports an address of 245 N. 8th, is the work of Michael Muroff Architect. The firm describes the new building as follows: In industrial […]

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Tags: Architecture · Williamsburg

Old vs. New on Boerum Hill

July 19th, 2007 · 4 Comments

There is nothing particularly brand new about this juxtaposition. It’s just that we happened to pay more attention to it the other day and noticed the 1876 atop 333 Warren Street, which is next door to 335 Warren Street. We also noted that the flowers in the windows of the empty building are a nice […]

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Tags: Architecture · Boerum Hill

Scarano Wins Architecture Award

July 18th, 2007 · 2 Comments

Controversial Brooklyn architect Robert Scarano recently recieved two awards from the New York Society of American Registered Architects. The late June awards were reported by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle yesterday. He recieved the Housing Award of Merit for the Manhattan Park Condos in Greenpoint (above). The other awards was for a residential tower in the […]

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Tags: Architecture

Another Anti-Scarano Rally Today

July 17th, 2007 · Comments Off on Another Anti-Scarano Rally Today

Last week, we reported on the rally/media event against architect Robert Scarano that City Council Member Bill de Blasio was organizing for today. At the time, Mr. de Blasio’s office was considering having it at the Department of Education’s office, as he is asking for the architect to lose his professional certification. Well, a change […]

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Tags: Architecture · Carroll Gardens

Attack Continues: "Next Scarano Rally" Being Planned

July 12th, 2007 · Comments Off on Attack Continues: "Next Scarano Rally" Being Planned

GL has learned that City Council Member Bill de Blasio is planning another rally against architect Robert Scarano for Tuesday, July 17. How did we learn this? An email from Mr. de Blasio’s office is making the rounds among Carroll Gardens residents. It says in part: We are looking to do our next event calling […]

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Tags: Architecture · Carroll Gardens