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Hon. RobertTierney Chair, New York City LandmarksPreselation Commission One Centle Street,9t" floor New York, NY 10007
Dear Chail Tierney:
I am writing on behalf of the Municipal Art Societyto expresssupport for the considerationof Village/SilverTowers complex and superblock, 100 and 110Bleecker Street and 505 LaGuardia Placein GreenwichVillage asNew York City landmarks. This complexis significant as an exampleof post-warrenewal and universityredevelopment and shouldbe consideredfor New York City Landmarkdesignation for its typological,canonic, historical, and technologicalmerit.
Completedrn 1966,the complexis an outstandingand rare exampleof post-warurban renewal, universityplanling, andpublic housingintersecting in a sculpturaltotality. The pinwheel arrangementof the threesuperblocks reflects a shift fi'om the superblocksof the 1950sto the morecontext-sensitive designs of the later60s and 70s. Despitethe grandscale of the project, sensitivityto the immediatecontext and a humanscale is achievedby interweavingnearby streetswith pedestrianwalkways. The sculpturalconcrete and glassfacades ale enhancedby the focal point of the plaza,Portrait of Sylvette,by Carl Nesjar,who collaboratedwith Pablo Picasso to reinterpretPicasso's original 2-foot tali sculptureinto a thirty-six foot high, six-foot sculpture.
Designedby Pritzker prize-winningarchitect I.M. Pei, the superblockcomplex reflects developrnentof sculpturalexpression and sensitivityto the user found in his iater work, and was influential for pre-eminentarchitects such asRichard Meier and PeterEisenmann. Upon its corrpletion,University Village won severalawards, including the American lnstitute of AlchitectsNational Honor Award and City Club of New York's Alberl S. Bard Award. The complexwas also includedin FortuneMagazine's 1966 list of "Ten Buildings that Climax an Era."
Teclinologically,tire three3O-story coucrete and glasstowers are one of New York's most outstandingexamples of cast-in-p1aceconcrete alchitectrlre, a constructionmetirod that is rarely usedtoday.
THEMUNICIPAL,A.RTSOCIETYOFNE\/YORK 457 l\,IlAuSoNA\TENUE NEWYORI(NY10022 TEL: (212) 935-3960 FAX: (212) 753-t816 Designationof the entire site should be consideredto preservethe integrity of Pei, Freed, Moor and Amberg's design. Landmarking the three towers, the landscaping,the outdoor furniture and sculptureand the contributing structuresof the supermarketand Coles Sports and Recreation Centeris essentialto preservethe totality of the modern design.
The Societystrongly urges the Commissionto hold a public hearingon theseproperties to continue its good efforts to savethe city's most exemplary modern architecture. Thank you for this opportunity for us to expressthe Society's views.
SilcerelV, n !t U- tAY{^-^ Vicki Weiner KressFellow for HistoricPreservation
CC: GreenwichVillage Societyfor Historic Preservation ModernArchitecture Working Group NO RTHEAST o FFICE
NATIONAL TRUST /o.HISToRIc Pnr snnveuoN
August3,2004
The HonorableRobert B. Tierney Chair, LandmarksPreservation Commission of New York City MunicipalBuilding I CentreStreet, 9th Floor North New York, NY 10007
Re: The Silver Towers/UniversityVillage complex GreenwichVillage, New York City
Dear CommissionerTiernev:
The National Trust for Historic Preservationhas become aware of the proposed nominationof the Silver TowersAJniversityVillage complexin GreenwichVillage, as a New York City Landmark,and we arewriting to expressour supportfor this nomination.
The National Trust hasa stronginterest in havingthe Silver Towers designatedas a New York City Landmark. Designedby leadingarchitect I.M. Pei in 1964,the building is a striking exampleof moderndesign, including a large outdoorPicasso sculpture, landscaping and outdoor furniture. Equally importantis its setting,as a "superblock"designed to be integratedwith the surroundingstreetscape yet meetthe needsof an importanturban institution, New York University. The structureis a model for context-sensitiveyet innovativeurban renewal.
We recognizethe difficulty oftentimesexperienced in classifyinga "modern" structureas "historic". But the fabric of our culture is composedof many elementsfrom many time periods, and eachelement contributes to our understandingof our country'sgrowth and development. TheNationalTrusthasrecognizedthesignificanceofbuildingsof-the*ecentPast;reiry seriesof iconic buildings to our annuallist of America's I I Most EndangeredHistoric Places over the last few yearsand supportingefforts to embracethese newer buildings as part of our collectivehistory.
We understandthat designationas a Local Landmarkmay facilitatecontinuing local effortsto improve,restore and preservethe Silver Towers,as well as encouragesensitive
ProtectingtheIrreplace able tr Nontntast Orrrcn Nonrxlasr: FrBro Orrrco NarroNal Orrrcn SEvrr FeNEuIl Hall Me.nxnrpr,ecn o+o r GnnrraNTowN Avnnun rzss MessecHuSETTS Avnxur, NW BosroN, MA oz I os Pnrraonrpsra, PA rgraa WesnrNoroN, DC zooee RG 677.52 3.0885 FAX: 6 17.523.1199 215.84!8.8033 FAX: 215.848.5997 w'WW. NATIO NALTRUST. O Nrno@urgp. onc E_MAIL: [email protected] Seruing'CT, ML, MA, NH,.rr, Rl & vr Seruing'ot, N1 & r,t Mr. RobertB. Tiernev August3,2004 Page2
developmenton the block. We notethat a similarPei complex, the Kips Bay Plaza,has already lost muchof its integritydue to an unsympatheticand out-of-scale shopping center that overwhelmsthe site. It would be unfortunateto losethis Pei structureas well to inappropriate developmentor deferredmaintenance. We thereforeencourage your favorablereview of this proposednomination, and thank you for this opportunityto comment.
Verv trulv Yours. 'Vl, -n \ WV/r\ka&rr,,) ll,o+-- MarilHM. Fenollosa SenioiProgram Offrcer and Regional Attorney Documenlclroncnd Conserro oI PO Box25Q532 of buildings,srles crnci ne ghbcrhoodsol the NewYork, NY 10025 Modern Movemenl [email protected] www.clocomomo-us.orc.i rllN?@,mffi_
UniledSioies frlew Yori..,/Tr-Stcrte
Februory26,2004
RobertB. Tierney, Choir LondmorksPreservotion Commission I CenireStreet, 9'n Fl New York,NY 10002
DeorChoirmon Tierney:
Locolmembers ol DOCOMOMCmet eorlier ihis month to discussNew YorkCity buildings from theModern period worronling our otlention ond odvococy. h iswith unonimous support th"ot the qrouposks lhe Commission to consider the Universiiv Villoqe,/Siiver Towers complex for New YortCiry londnorl.. des'grot,o'. ilOO ono ]lO B,eeckerSrreet, 505 LoGuordioPloce/Biock 524)
Thecompiex, designed by i.M. Pei(withJomes Freed, A PrestonMoore ond Theodore Amberg) ondcompleled in 1966,meets designotion criterio on multiplecounls. As portof the WoshinqtonSquore Urbon Renewol proiect, University Villoqer/Sllver Towers wos born of Robert Moses's-superblockprinciples of rhel95Os Howevei,with"design work storfed in 1961,lhe complexd'o"norcoliy ir.proved upon these lenets orchiteclL,rolly ond in itsoveroll plorning New YorkUn versily wos or enightenedctieni boih {or integ'oting city sponsored Mirchell-Lomo housingwithin its compus deueiopment ond for hiring on internctionollyrecoonized orchitecl. Pei'sst,perblock corrects reodiry lo thesurroundir^q ieiqhborhood bvthe viiuol continuoiior of Woosterond Greene Streeis through lhe superblojk vio pedestrionwolkwoys. The integroted publicplozo ond mewswork toqet-her to define o centro]urbon spoce enlivened bv o irix of geometricforms ond the strikingly oppropriote outdoor sculpfure, "sylvette" bosed on o Picosso orowrng.
Asoi'chitecturol critics hove ncted, Pei's fogode is "sculpturollyviqorous" (Slern et ol New Yorl la6q ll succeedsin us'ngo bolosrruclurol grid ond monumentdlscole to creoiehiqh-rise housinqthot is for more inferestinq ond less obpressive in look ond feel thon its stondird predecessorsorourd the ciry. Buff colored concrere, recessed wjndows, sloping sills ond topered pierssoften the grid ond generoTe o,consro,ntly chonging ploy of shodowsThe osynrmetry of griddedwindow sections iuxioposed with the smooth sheor wolls ovoids the monolony of plonor Slevotionsseen or monyhousing towers, while the pinwl'eel plon helps breok tne 3Olsrory rowe, TOSSesinto sn-,olle'vert'coi elemerts Universi\7 Vitloqe,/SilverTowers isolso o perfecrexomple of Pei'sslruciurol expressionism, osthe blonk wolls oie truesheor wolls, tf,eir 221oot width orticulotingon theexterior the depth of thespoces within.
Thelowers ore olso lechnicoliy importont os exomples of cosf-in-ploce.1965) concreie resideniiol construciion.While Chothom Green (Gruzen & Portners, isonother fine exomple of this lpe of construction,ihey ore quiie rore. For Universily Villoqe,/Silver Towers Pei used o svstemof 'e,.rsoble''be'gloss for-s to och;eue30 storieswirh the desi'ed orchitecturoi complexily;nder rhe venzst',et," br of tre Mitch6ll-lruil Lvlrmc v rrvuJilryhn,,"inr three1il99 vuliu,|vJ I '"'/ 'doe'eon511g:p1'5", "l " ^rn^r^my'vvru|r luil{oll buildinoshod to neet'he cily'scosrpe-squore-foot oicrotes.) l.M. Peiwos olreody o notionollyoccloimed orchiteci in the l96Osond in theyeors thereofter builthis oresent internotionollv recoqnized oroctice. In l9B3 hewos oworded the Pritzker Prize forArchitecture. "Universiv Plozo" alhe firr'snome for Universilv Villoqe/Sllver Towers-won severoroworos upon iis completion, includinq on AIANofionol Honor Aword in 1967.Pei himselfhos soid thot he conridercthe projecione of thefirm's most orchitecturolly distinguished horrsinonroiects The "vvv,r, Y'vt"" iowersore on exiroordinoryexomple of Pei'sstructurol ond sculplirol v, ; l - sensrotinesmesneo.
TheUniversity Villoge,/Silver Towers superblock remoins highly regorded os orchitectureond os housinqbecouse th"e complex works os desiqnedond os o"nexcitinq whole. lt hosdone so for neorlyZOveors. Therefore, the conlributinq leotures thol meril inclus'ion in o desionotioninclude the londscoping,site lighting fixtures, outd6or furniture ond thesculpture'Sylveilel'Additionolly, the two structurEsthot strorelhe towers' site-the supermorkefond sportscomplex-follow Pei'i plonto developlhe remoiningporcels of theblock wiih low, horizontollymossed buildings thol were Ceferenriolto thethree io*u,, ond rheirconnecting urbon open rp'o.". Thisspotiol" compositionof toll towers,low horizontolstructures ond"open spoces is essentiolro the design's success,lt is importontthol these relotionships befween buildinqs ore mointoinedond thus,il would seemcriiicol thot the two low-risebulldinos be included-os"non-contributinq" struclures to thedesignotion.
To summorize,Univers ly Villoge,/SilverTowers is o pivololwork of orchitecturoldesign by on orchitectof lono-stondinooccllim ond orofessionolrecoonition worldwide. lt is on excellent exomoleof enliqhtened"universilvolonnino ond desionfiom the l96Os os well os one of the bestdesiqns in 6ubliclvsuooorted'housinJof the sorie erc in New YorkCiv. We ore oll quick ro condeXrnurbon renewol projects-rori" b".orse theyrighrly worronlcensure, others nerely becousethev ore bio ond roiseddifficultsociol issues Wirh-Universitv Villooe,/Silver Towers we hoveon e"omple thft stondsfor obove the negotivesossocioted with'superElock urbon renewol developmentFor *hese reosons ond nore thesite deserves londmork protectior'.
DOCOMOMO New York/Tri-Stoterespectfully requesls thol the Commissionhold o designofion heoringto formollyconsider londmork designotron of UniversiiyVilloge/Silver Towers.
Thonkyou for consideringour opinions on thismoner
)rncererv.I
KothleenRondoll ForDOCOMOMO New York-Tri-Stote Locolodvococy group MODERNARCHITECTURE WORKING GROUP JohnJurayi, John Kriskiewicz', Co-bnveners AndrewDolkart Franny Eberhart Michael Gotkin NedKaufinan Jefbry KroesslerRoger Lang SandraLevine Chrietopher London Nina Rappaport Vid February22,2004 Hon. RobertTiemey Chair,New York City LandmarksPreservation Commission One CentreStreet, ge floor New York,l.IY 10007 Re: Silver Towers, 1966,I.M. Pei. Landscapedesign, James I. Freed Sculpture,Pablo Picassonfabrication, Carl Nesjar DearChair Tierney: On behalfthe ModernArchitecture Working Group, I am writing to urgethe Commission to designateSilver Towers as a New York City Landmark.Located in the southemsection of GreenwichVillage on the superblock boundby Bleecker,Houston, LaGuardia and Mercerstreets, Silver Towers is a critical designby oneof the late20s century'smost importantarchitects. Designedin 1966by I.M. Pei,this complexof threecast concrete towers, central concrete sculpture,landscaping and two low horizontalnon-contributing buildings, mark a high watermark in modernistdesign. Here is elegantlyanswered the questionof how to create an environmentfor living simultaneouslyintegrated and distinct from the surrounding19tr centurycityscape. Pei did this by allowingthe existingnorth south streets to stayopen visuallythrough the sitenby subtletwisting the orientationof eachtower to the other,by detailingthe facadesmasterfully in concreteand glass, weaving a patternof solidsand voidsand by providinga monumentalplazaand an austere,thoughtful landscape design as a coherentsetting. Along with ChathamTowers, which we havealready nominated and eagerly await, the designationof SilverTowers would immeasurablyadd to the portraitof modernismthat the LandmarksPreservation Commission as alreadychosen to protectfor the future of New York Ciw As alwayswe thank for the work that the commissiondoes on behalf of our wonderfrrl city. Sincerely, JohnS. Jurayj of MA cc Mary Beth Betts,Director of Res for LPC Directorof GVSHP 175 Westf&t#Sf&fan, NewYork, New York 10011 23February20A4 RobertTierney, Chair NYCLandmarks Preservation Commission MunicipalBuilding OneCentre Street NewYork,NewYork 10007 re: SilverTowers DearMr. Tierney: On behalfof the AmericanInstitute of ArchitectsNew York Chapter, representing 3,400architects and public members in NewYork City and its HistoricBuildings Committee,we wouldlike to supportplacing Silver Towers on the calendarof the NewYork City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Silver Towers, a complexof threeresidential buildings on BleeckerStreet and LaGuardiaPlace in Greenwich Village,was designed by L M, Peifor NewYork University as facultyhousing and is a handsomerepresentation of late-modernminimalist architecture. The complex is a fine exampleof "towersin the park",and, as such,the buildingsdeserve considerationfor landmarkstatus. The complexis situatedon a "superblock"with low-rise buildings at the perimeter. Designationof the entireblock rather than the buildingsthemselves is a complex issuein whichthe qualityand size of the existingbuildings, the scaleof the adjacent streetscape,the site'sdevelopment potential through the possibilityof transferof air rightsand the resultingzoning envelope will all haveto be considered.For this reasonwe feelthe sitedesignation will requirefurther study and discussion and a fair balancingof the needsand requirementsof the variousstakeholders. Nonetheless,with the AIA NewYork Chapter's new home at the Centerfor Architecturediagonally across the streetat 536 LaGuardiaPlace, we must emphaticallystate that Silver Towers is an unparalleledhousing complex of extraordinaryquality that contributesto the neighborhoodcontext and createsa senseof place.Clearly the towersmust remain part of NewYork's legacy for generationsto come. Yourstruly, FredricBell, FAIA MarkGinsberg, AIA ExecutiveDirector President cc: l.M. Pei