22 RECALIBRATING CENTERS AND MARGINS

A Moveable Feast: Times Square and the Emergence of a New Paradigm

CATHERINE C,GALLEY Texas Tech University

Tiriirb Square is the onl! district \\it11 a zo~iir~gr~rdina~~te for the +enbe-. The o~en\llelnlirignoiws. -1nv1li. arid irrragei requiring trnant- to di.lh\ large 11ri;rht -ign-. mitliout tllii

( ontrilute to the c reation of exceptiorial aural. olfactor~.and i~~r~o~ati~e ae~theti( zoning framc\+orh. the itrii~in; tleiiprl of xi-ual ~xpt~ri(m(tab jor tlir rmiltitudt~of pi-rr-ln \+lie tq to tir~tl tllr facade> of the nen Lellman Trt~aceiI~rieil\ the origirii Square oifer~stroller- and drileri the exhilaration of multiple ol thew creati\e design guitlelir~rs. time and spatial tiimrnsiona. ephemrral illuiionb of extra- ternporal fragment- and incredible arc ornpanj irrg lcirietic en\ el- Since the opening of its ~uln+a~station and the pro( lamation op' -urruunding their rno.ring bodiei. Tl~rrci. iorr~ething that renarm=tl Lorptre Yquare in ho~ioiol the Nru Time- ecitatic dl11 and rapturousl\ absorhirig in Time. Square. Twer in 1003. Times Square haa de\elopetl a lonf tradition oi being \el\ 5 orh's r entral entertainment distric t. BI the 1020s. it had be( nme not onl! a popular and thri~ir~g eutcrtai~~mrrlt Large electronic clispla~ipla! an i~rlportarltrole in increaiing di.tritt but alio an internationdl .tage ior the xiwal expres-io11 tht, t on~plexit! of these cogriitix e experiences. The! are all- of a new ( o~rimeitial culture and the rrnhodirnrnt of the spirit pen "ling in Tirnt- Square and ha\ e hrt orrle inr reaiingl~ of Ne\+ 1 ork. 41~0rnarhet fo~crbpla?ed a critical role: a place prcwlt in the built en\ iroriment. Tliiq paper aims at under- like Time. Square did not happen apo~itaneousl\.Rather. it has star~dingho~ these high-tech electronic panel, r hallerige our been shaped Iry a seric. of dwisiori n~ahingpro( eiiei about trad~tior~alideas on architecture. urban dezip and urlran lalid use. fisral polic F. arid zoning codes that aifect land ~alue-. plarinir~garid hou the\ could affect futurc urha~iand snhnrl~an --In Ne\+ 1 o~h.politic. and real eitdte ha\ e dha\+lwen clowlj dc~chprnent.. The Lehrnan Brothels hradquarteri. lo(-ated on allied." (Huxtahle 1091. ,361). 7-15 be1 cnth -l\ enue at Fort! -ninth and Fiftieth Streets. prorideo a partitularh interebting caw itud~hrrauae of iti I11 1016. he\+ 1 orb (:it\ enacted a pioneering Zoning Red- succ ec.ful and l~armor~iouscon~hinatiorr of ail-hitrc tlire. arts. tion. ml~ich\\a. the firft colilprehensi\e zoning regulation in arid digital tet hnolop . the 1nited States. Uthough it did not Pprc iiicdll~ bet Tirne~ 91 st ACSA ANNUAL MEETING LOUISVILLE KY MARCH 14-1 7, 2003 23

'lhr 10132 RIitltot\r~Lorrirq Resolution aimed at ~eallocating c onitruc tion irit c~ntixes to ent ourage c or~*truction in the -1ugpi.11 B est Side: it alio required lighted wpe~iip-.or1 all nex\ dexeloprner~tilrontir~; Time- Squarri-a mandate that ~ouldIwt urn(. Iliglil! contro~ersial 1)ecauic. it oultl drarnatical- 11 afit~t the marlietabilit~oi (,la*. 4 office tmrri. Or1 the other hand. preienatio~~istg~o~ip* aid gra,sroots orpriizatiorla strongl! .upliorted the tleaign regulationi. Ilthongh it did nut b01\1' the compatihilitj i-ue \+it11corpor;lte image. tecl~r~ologi- I a1 innoxation that allox\ed for see-tl~rouphfinlihe signi rather tlian traditional billboardi pro\ided a .elution to the c'un~pati- hilit! need x+ith ofiice uiage. 111 \o\eml-)er 1984. the Ueu 1 orli Cit, Boald of E~tirnateapproxed the 4Lnd Street Ljex elopment Project -a long-tern1 plogranl to rexitalize the distric't. The $2.0 hillion 4Lnd Street Rnlrxelopmcnt Plan u.ed tax-ahate- Ilnfortunatel!. alongside the theater industn and its aisociateil mmt intentixec to encouracr dexeloper, to t~a~~aforn~Times I omnit~~cial buiine.wi. Times Square dm eloped a. a neighlm- Squarv h! lruilding four giant office toweri. containing 3.1 Ilootl uith soinr problematic wcial arid ~lrlmiactixities. .uch a- million square fret of floor space. a merchmdise rnarliet. and a drug dealing and prostitution. Frorn the 1900s until the mid- hotel: I-)I redoring histo~ic theater,: and h7 rellal~ilitatingthe 10901. Timei hquare was seen ~rlair~l!as a stage iet full of 42ntl Street sulmal station (Stern 1999). It also required b! lax\ '"1)ec.p -Iicn+s.'^ prnograph! itlops. erotic 1)ool.-tore, and \- that neu huildingi int lude Ijright lights and la~geillurninated rated moxie houie-. It became a s\rnhl of the danger and sup~wigri-as fqadc elerrirnts to preserxe and rnaintairi the t orruI~tiunreigning in Ueu 1orh Lit\. hi+torical character and ;riarnolou~iniagc. of Times Square In 1987. the RIunicipal Irt SINirtj supported a zoning amend- In the 1070a the tornmercial and rriidential co~nniunitiei ment impo.ing simila~iignage and liphtir~grequirerncmt; in the founded the Rla70r's Ilidtown Citizeni' ( oinmittee to tornht design ot all rieu &ice InAli~~gsin the greater Tirrie~Square the Irlipl~t.RIan! prix ate dex elopers designed proposals for the area. Ej 1988. thirteen building* Mere undei I onstruction or retlexrlopnlent of the diztrict, ~thic11 \\a\ iuflrring from planned around Times Square (Fain-tein 1093. 13-1) but \+it11 ili*inx e.tments and deterioration. Hou ex tr. c it! otficial- did not the propert1 recession of thv earl! 1990-. the plan mithcred. By offer an\ ~eriouiha( Itin9 until the earl) 1980s (Fainitein 1904. 1992, Gwernor Cuomo reliex ed del eloper\ from their contrac- 130) and l'irne, Square sunk into a state of deca,. Finall~.in tual e~lgagrn~erlts(Stern 1999). 1981. the tit\ go\ ernrnent announccd a retlex elop~ner~tichen~e and launched a request for proposals railing on dexelopers to Ne1rrthe1e.s. the earl\ 1090~were the beginning of a neu trend iubmit projects follouing a set of architectural guidelines that has not stopped. D hile the orig~nal project failed to dt~~iietlh! Coo~~r~-Etlistutand lssociates. The specifications rnatrrialize. an iricreacinp number of cwmpanies ie.g.. T iacom. ashrd lor the creation of a li~el! streetstape through building Brrteliniarln 4G. Rlorgan Stank!. tlic Q alt Uiinrx Cornparq, aetbac 1,s. glasi ctrert ltalls. large neon signs. and the design of and Darner Brother<) decided to inxe-t in Time. Square. buildings \tit11 up to 56 stories. The l\lex+ 'uorli Statr Lrhan Suddenlj.. the neigt~borhood\+as hur-tirq x\ith in\ estment and Uexeloprnent Corporation selecterl Parli Tomer Realt~ to reneval. Today. Tiriles 5quarr rtith itf huge number of drx ('1111) the otfice iec.tion and other dexeloperi to take care of megakcreens and flashing neon iignage ha. become orir of Next x a~ion. other components. 1ork'a iconic images and a llecca for ox\rrers of sign loc~~tions (Sa;al!n 2001. 331-2). The district'+ xitalit~ epitornizeq the Sinre the first announc ernent of the redr\elopn~entscheme in iuc cessful rexitalization of Rlanllattan's urljan hie. Iltllougll 1081. the project etirru~latedprotest from actixists fearing that thii qurcess is not \\ithout criticism. the origir~alit~of the gentrification mould displace lo\\er-income reaidrnts: from the planning regulations iq not I onteited. Huxtable (1091) and 24 RECALIBRATING CENTERS AND MARGINS

, . lllr RIOI~IIhtadt'! .ip. \tlli( 11 ii ILOV t11(~1.rl1111an Erotllrr. +icn*is a grnt~~atio~~al~ts~d cd iurlr lripIr-\oltagt> T~III~,,S~IIJI~ -Ilo\tpicw~a\ thr c!lirltIric al hasdq -igr~or1 tht, ( IJII,~~Yd.t T4ui11ling. the IH 11tw ticker a11d telts\ i-ion w I twl at 1500 I;road\\a~.and tlr~.rrirq IJI tall wrerrl. jt~ttirlgout ho111t111, II~W Hruter. Buildiup ((;oltJl~nger 2002).

c10.e proximit~of tlir auxiliaq lo( ation at 745 Sel rrdi Street from Ilorgari starile!'s hf?dd(pdrt~?l.. \\ hich ii abut two hloclt a\\ay. led the colnparrr to dec~deto not nloxe into its a1mo.t

( ornplete building. Irlitead it iold the niillion--quare-lool rren g1'1.i tomer for apI~loxirnatel! $700 millior~to anothe~securities iompans. Txhnlarl Brothers. I+ hi( 11 had hren tli~pl~ied fro111 it.

.pace at J Tl orltl Financial ( enter (Holusha 2002). The crrati~r director W of Image5 on ~arioustheme& - -u~~riva.brid;rs. grcer~ addpted to co~ripdniebin the ircuritir* husineii and did not apple>. pig9 lranhs. glolwi. tradrr. at MOIL.The origir~al need to u~ldergoan\ major rwtruc turing. The ne\\ securitirs program tor RIorga11 Starlle! cle.ipr~rtl h! \a11 Lastel arltl 11ii compan! tool, o! rr the entire de\ eloprne~lt.aichitec tural and tolleagueq included wunds and iome \+orti. floatirlg or1 the

( onstrut lion group d..eriihled h! !lorpan %de~ to complete +(-reen\hut tlir acquisition of the propert\ L\ Lrhrnan Brothers an $80 million interio~ design piogranl and rilalie the feu imposed a 1r.s complex and rnore ahstrat t agenda (Goldl,rrZer (liange~necessar! to adapt t11~buildi~lg to the tompan) top 2002). Tllr illort rno\ir~are silent - dlthough the random executi~ei.The project \\a. completed in 2002. ~urroundinpnoiic- of Neu J orb Cit! relate -onlctirr~e\arnazing- 1~ to the inlagcs (e.g.. images of lightning anti sourid- of thundrr The l~uilding~ould not be of ~nucliinterest if it did not ha1 e produced b! cars drixing on a metal plate t~~npordril\pla( ed 011

( onbpit uous 11igli-re>olutio~ilight-emitting diode5 (L.E.U.) paw the street for some irlfraitructure repair) -and thvrc ii IIO text el< \+rapped around the trio-antl-a-half storiei at the base oi the rno\ing across the sign. \\hole structure. The design guidrlinei of the Times Square diitrict mandated the p~rierlie of large iigni. The eight pages of Brcau-r the projection s( reen i. the \+holefa( ade. the I it\ loohs zuning text (wctioni ZR81-832 md ZRtjl-8.5) include all the like an uprri-air 1211X theater. lher a ~iwalcjcle of constant11 iprciiic reyuirenlents repardin; the Tinm Square .ipnage (e.g.. changing I olor palette> and shapes. thr image. diiappear. U1 drear. numlw~s.qizes. t~prs.plac c~nrrltand orientation. tech- the icreen. turn hlach. ;i\ing an opportunit\ to olwme the (a1 standards for briglitnesq. aninlation. and ill~~mination). bale conktruition. it> imnlotde arrtl .tatic structur~. Thi. Hou el rr. pla1111~rra\ oidrtl to pro\ ide inirrlediatel~ replicable dressing and stripping of the tower'> lo~erlr~ els in( ite strollera solntioni. They rather tried to lceep some flexihilit~and rrrahe to stare at the facade>. lfter a fe\\ becontli, the irnaprs reappear *urr that the (rcatixe and dyrla~iri~atrr~oipl~ei-e of Tirnes Square progre-i~ el\. like tidal wale>. Uuring the interstitial al~solute ~t ould lje pre-er~ed (Sapal!n 2001. 255). The Lellnlan Brother, darlnrss. the I-~uildinglooks asleep or dead. Faitinated. the 9lst ACSA ANNUAL MEETING LOUISVILLE KY MARCH 14-1 7, 2003 25

Thc .ig11 of 743 hc311tlr 41 vnne ii .I 11~11111to the c illenid and I)? cli~iil)~cdat during a (a]) ~iileor \ir\\rcl during the trn \idw a11i111~1tior1a- major alt- timi(~~1111in: arc hitr(t111r and -re orrd- it takes lor ~woplrto \\dIl\ iri 11ont of tlrr I~uildirig.Liht. a 1)iltl JOU c ari 111 al)o\r bridge. lo( ,~tecliri the rnoit gc,~gc~)u. 11atura1 Iandii aprr and uat~11 (ar. riio\in; lihe mall clot- on itraiplit line.. -Ilten\ard-. like in a clt'trc ti\ e lilnl. ~ouI hdse I ari IJ~~II~'it in(-redihle ir)etd~in tldrl, tur~rrc~l~.1,'ttrl. boll c ontenrplatr a annset on an iirlmer~-c~~nailie I o~rretl\\it11 tall , oalse ;rraiicxi anti rxperierir e a thlinder,torn~.111 a -UII t.alistic la.11ion. JO~I(a11 OIMTT~ peoplr \\dll,~rig OII the iai'lcle md I~rcorric~tl~r diitrete loc 11- oi -)rrrrg hrtvren thr ~isualart,.:' \\ontlei Iio\\ tlir sidenalhs \\ere al)lr to I lid) the \crtic a1 \\all.. A ill the realin of an 1rit1.1 turr 1)rc orne i orilir~cdto tectonic-! I+

C\ en more impre& r is the .urlaie>! +I. \\liicll ii part of the built ~tructurr. l~rcoillei tlir hul~pc,rtoi 1Io~are iuc 11 trend- goin: to aht the ull~anland-c ape ant1 the ultimate tangible image of the huililing-it- \ iltual reprsen- the hurnarr practic e of ipact. ard experie~ice of plac eZ tation. The Leliman Brotliers headquarter- i* a tra\rl ill 1r7prrrealit~(Baudrillard 1983: 1c)RO: Cco 1980): a -trp furtlie~ 1 nldiri fc~dtureof the hu~il~rrconnet tiorr to arc hitrcture ccdd from thr uorL of Herzog and de ?Ieuiou. To!o Ito. and Ken1 1)e exprr-acd iri tlic, relationillip I)et\\ren transieric r md 1\00111dd*. permanell( e. It i? one of the prerogati~e- ol the great majorit! of drchitec turd itrue-turei to uutli\ e the generation that built thc-m and to rcmairi thr nit~ieases of Iii-tor! to future THE EblEltGERCE OF A NER' P4K:iDlGI)l peratiori-. Thr itrerigtli ot the hiituric pre-enation ]no\?- rnent is antlrored in thr llrirrlan debire to kwp nratrrial trrtirnoriies of the past. T11r flreting appeara~iceof 74.5 Sr\ tmth The iinpdct of the digital rexolution on arc Iiitec ture ii 'I I)ol)ular dnd snliltifaceted them13 and thir paper aim, at grasping hem lxenue cfiallengrh the caor~ccu~~tof nrcliitecfnral preser~atiori. the ~ihiquitouiprrscmce of rle~troriictec hnoluq arid the 11l~did auld not therr I)(. I orrtrailiction in pir~t.r\ing a builtling that in the urhan en\ironrner~tafieit our trnditior~aluntlr~itandirig uridergo~. a11 inc~r-~rlritI\mrtm~orj)llc~~i~? B hat should be of an llitecture. urban design. and urban planni~ig.Ilnlo-t a Lept -the chort lilrri>. pli~tc~gr~~plisand rnorie. of thr tower. the quarter centun after hi. acl\rio\\ledgrn~riitoi the hi \ ega- it reens. ardor tlir hl~ilding~truc ture! +~~dgepheriome~lo~~ and its impact or1 drc*hitecturr. \ ~nturi (1972: 1996) claims that elec~tronici is not onl! a mrle Cle~troiiic diiplaji hae 11ecorne colnrnori plate. elen in tec li~~ologicalcllange but. more irnportdntl\. a cultural change. de\elof)ing countrie- (I\r\lo\ 2001). Ilthough tht.ir I o-t iu -till high. it ii exptv ted that a. technolop aricl qualit, inlprol e. the! The Lchn~anErotlier headquartrri i- partitlilarh interesting will brcome incrrasingl! affordahlr. Con-equerrtl~.it i~ reaioii- het ause it epitornizea a ne\\ pradipn. (;uldl~crger (2002) able to \ ie\\ 745 Se\ enill I\enue as an exc ellerit first-genera- claims that -'here. more than an!xhere rlic in Tinlrs Square. tion architectural protot~pethat could br uied a. a reierente in elec-trorric iinagrq reall\ doe. hrio~nearchitecturt.." \\hat the design md plarming of future ~irbmand suburbail (,oldl)erger does not mention ia that the architecture produced (re)de\rl~)~~nle~its. b! the Lehman Brothers' fig11 radicall! differ% from tlie traditional coiic,eptc of architecture ant1 urb~~iisrn.Thr iign ii Ilthough the genela1 inlprer4ori errlariatirig from Timei Square not al~outtlrcoratirig a hig. ac ant died wit11 4gndge. The is one of rather isuallj ilaihing and ox erpo\\ erir~gcommert ial Lehman Brothcrs sign diasohrr and anniliilate* the hilt imager pro~r~oting~ariou. brands arid producti. thr Lrhrnan structure. It dematerializes the fa$ atle in a \er! different \\a\ Brothera headquarter< pro\es that it doe. not hale to be so. tllan the 175-foot-tall uand of light of the re~narl42nd Street Studioi, the Tatr IIodeln oi the To~rrol incis. the 1)uildiiig hut al-o of the scrre1nr through thtl projection of ho\\ada\s. the facadeb ot huildinga- are I cmsideretl a. surface.. imagei from the .urruundiiig err.iironment. Big hoxei such as and particularl~ mutant wrfaces. Lasel- and ligliting art hale pal-&rt dnd Hornt hpot todd he camouflaged in a i ontributtd to alter the i~npres-ionaexprrienced in front of d suburban or rural ~idturalen\ iror~inrnt.It could Iw a learning piere of architecture; from solid and static the structure ieerns .pace stit h ah the earl! 17th-t entun utopian itas Solis** to hecoirie liquid and fluid. To!o Ito finds "'uribearahle 11ou a described I)! Campanella. ".It i- W icdonl \\ ho tauvs the 26 RECALIBRATING CENTERS AND MARGINS

mtl t1it~ ternarl\al)lt. clnalit! of tl~ctli-l~la\etl irnagc-. arcs ,~II irir~o~ati\ e -trp ~IIthe inte~diw iplir~dn.! rir~g~among arc hitec - tusr. urhn drsign. aid the ~isualarts. Once again. tethnologi-

I a1 inno\ ation ( 1idllcripc.- the traditional (unceptudl I~ounddrie. of thew fields. operii trr~i~eridou-pos-ihilities -tor crrating ne\+

en\ir~nrne~~ts~and rdiwi nurneruu~qurstior~s regdrdir~; the h1rIi111.Rli1,hael. (dl. I ([ri([/lons on u l'l~~,rrr~,1'1rr-li. Ye\\ 1-ork: llill and sang. futu~erole ot arcl1itec.t.. artiptb. wban designer<. arid plarirrrrs 1w. in the de\elopment of our citiei and -ul)urbs.

\5illisn1 J. Stern. "Thr 1 r~.a,.(rswl (lctobcr 20. 200.'). 1909.

rhdrillard. Iran. Simulaimn\. Nc\\ 1-ork. Nl~:Srmiotcxtie). Tnc. 191;.',.

IL~~~driIl~rd.,lean. I~n~rim~IW l urk. K\~:\ t-rso. IWl.

Dt-n$i<,l<.(LirI!. '.~lii itit~,r\~w\\itki To!o 110: To\\vs 01 wi11ds m(l tttv l~ire nl II71te 7't~Ire i r \\ idc \I ch ~ ii~~esscd0, to- lwr 211. 2002). I~JO7/'4~!. (:,III~I,I~I~~II,~.'ToI~~~~I~IFII. T1i1, f:11\ I!/ //IC .%LII. in 11rl11 \\;,I,. \\ i.b ~~trtt~1://itiil1li11.11r~/g11lt~nl11~rg/~~te~t~~1itmth I (l.t\t> t~(,~,e~w~l Il1~111kwr 21. 2(lll!l. 2Olll (lf~2:{).