OCULUS N E W y O R K C H A p T E R A M E R I C A N I N S T I T U T E 0 ·F A R C H I T E C T S FDR AWARDS ANNOUNCED CHAPTER BACKS ZONING One Chapter member was among the six winners of the first b11 E. 0. TANNER stage of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Competition In connection with last month's hearings on New York City's zoning announced last month: Abraham proposals, Chapter President Frederick J. Woodbridge and. members .of W. Geller (in association with the Civic Design Committee strongly endorsed the P~annmg Co~1s­ Douglas Gordon, Diana Kirsch, sion's revised comprehensive amendment. The committee urged it be and Claude Samton), and Rolf enacted into law without further delay. In a news story in the New York MyHer (who is also Books and Times President Woodbridge said the city "desperately needs a zoning Travel Editor of Oculus). Other amendment to make a master plan possible," and that while no plan was winners, chosen from 57 4 entrants without flaws the present rezoning propose! would effect density controls, from all parts of the country, were would discou'rage "wedding-cake" de~ign. and e~courage . plazas and Architects Tasso Katselas of Pitts­ arcades around buildings, and would s1mphfy parkmg reqmrements for burgh, Pedersen & Tilney of Bos­ shopping districts. ton, Sasaki-Walker-Luders Asso­ "While some still cry for more ciates of Watertown, Mass., and time to study the proposals," said Joseph J. W ehrer of Michigan. The MEDAL OF HONOR Woodbridge, "the amendment is jury commented on the wide va­ TO L. W. ORTON actually the result of a process riety of solutions submitted, rang­ started in 1948. Furthermore, the b11 SAUL ELLSNBOGllN amendment has been available for ing from pure sculpture to abst~a~t analysis and review at many meet­ architectural forms, from c1v1c The Medal of Honor for City plazas to quiet, simple garden ings and hearings for the past Planning will be awarded to Law­ year and a half. This has been schemes. First stage winners will rence M. Orton, a charter member a matter of greatest urgency" be awarded $10,000 each and will of the City Planning Commission, prepare detailed drawings and Woodbridge told the Times, "but on Wednesday evening, November it is now crucial. With increas­ models for submission in the final 2, 1960, at a Formal Dinner given stage. The winner of the second ing problems of neighborhood re­ at the Sheraton-East, N. Y. C. newal, of traffic and parking con­ stage will be awarded $50,000. This award is given jointly by the gestion, of schools and other pub­ After the final judging on Decem­ Metropolitan Section of the Amer­ lic construction, we lack a master ber 29-30, there will be an exhibi­ ican Society of Civil Engineers, tion ·of winning -and h<morab-le plan as a matrix in which these -the New -York Chapter of the­ numerous ana often competing mention designs. American Society of Landscape needs can be properly evaluated Architects, and the Brooklyn and and related. The establishment of BRI CONFERENCE the New York Chapters of The the New Housing and Urban Re­ American Institute of Architects. newal Board is a great forward The 1960 Fall Conference of the The award is given to "those plan­ step, but until the Master Plan is BUILDING RESEARCH INSTI­ ners with vision, a capacity for completed, its efforts will inevita­ TUTE will be held in Washington, service, men with broad horizons bly be piecemeal, uncoordinated D. C. on November 15-17. The of interest and a proven ability to and lacking in unity of design and conferences during the 3-day pe­ solve problems endless in their purpose.'' riod will be concerned with "Pre­ complexity." assembled Building Components," Mr. Orton has been a charter In a recent letter to Woodbridge, "Structural Forms," "Fasteners member of the City Planning Chairman James Felt of the Plan­ for Industrial Curtain Walls," and Commission since January, 1938. ning Commission saluted the a "Roundup of New Building Re­ Prior to that time he was a con­ Chapter's "wholehearted coopera­ search." sultant to the National Resources tion." Said Felt: "When the Complete information and regis­ Planning Board and chairman of amendment is finally passed the tration material may be obtained its Committee on Urbanism. He Commission will continue to wel­ from Harold Horowitz, BRI As­ was also General Director of the come this cooperation. It will be sistant Director of Technical Pro­ Regional Plan Association, the or­ of continued importance in arriv­ grams, 2101 Constitution A venue, ganization established to promote ing at such modifications as expe­ Washington 25, D. C. and carry out the Regional Plan. rience may indicate are desirable." THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE OCULUS IMPROVING NEW YORK Vol. 32 - Number 1 With each issue of the Oculus AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS we plan to include this column as NEW YORK CHAPTER a forum for our membership to enable you to express your ideas MARGOT A. HENKEL, Executive Secretary on the ways and means of improv­ 115 East 40th Street ing our city. Please address your New York 16, N. Y. comments and your ideas to the MUrray Hill 9-7969 Editor, care of the Chapter Office. A Hole in the Street FREDERICK J. WOODBRIDGE ...........•........... President DAVID L. EGGERS ·················-··········-····· Vice President Excerpt from a letter written to PETER S. VAN BLOEM ...........•..........•........... Secretary the Mayor on June 13, 1960: " ... On East 55th Street between MICHAEL M. HARRIS .......................................... Treasurer Park and Madison Avenues there exist a series of excavations which are improperly protected and PAUL JOHN GRAYSON, Editor which run the full length of the block. I am aware that there is in progress a vast program of repair and improvement to our under­ FREDERICK J. WOODBRIDGE ground network of water, electric This issue of the Oculus marks NEW FORMAT and steam supply, however there one of those recurrent beginnings With this issue of the Oculus, are certain regulations regarding which characterize the life of any .the Publications Committe is try­ the protection of such excavations active professional organization. ing out a new format. We hope a to prevent damage to vehicles and Administrations change, and with new banner and a three-column injury to pedestrians . " them come inevitable changes in layout, plus broader news and fea­ Excerpt from a letter from the committees and their chairmen. ture columns, will provide livelier Mayor's Legal Aide on June 21, This year there has been a consider­ and more informative reading. In 1960: ". The Mayor acknowl­ able amount of carrying over very addition to our regular depart­ edges your letter to him, . and largely to preserve a degree of ments, we plan to run occasional has forwarded a copy to Bureau continuity, which is just as impor­ guest columns and special features of Franchises, and the Borough tant as change. The Oculus itself on subjects of particular and time­ President's Office ... for their at- has a new format in the hope that ly interest. You will also notice a tention and consideration " more of you will read it! new department titled "Improving When I asked my partner what New York," where new ideas, com­ October, 1960 ... I should write as a message he ments, and reports on the City can No action and although work cynically asked what difference it find an outlet. We welcome your was completed a few months ago, made because who would read it contributions to the Oculus. and a concrete base was prepared anyway. It is perfectly true that for asphalt there still remains . we all receive so much "literature" "a hole in the street" ... 600 feet in our daily mail that we end by WHO IS THE long by 6 inches deep by 2 feet reading almost none of it. wide. One might also cynically ask TROUBLEMAKER? why such a substantial number of It Grows on You busy architects are willing to He is the silent one. He never spend so much time on committee speaks up on issues. He never The curbside trees that everyone work which may only occasionally sounds off in the letter column of enjoys for the shade they cast seem to produce tangible results. his local newspaper. He never on city pavements don't just Many of us can remember the days writes his Congressman. He is sprout where a lucky seed happens when there was so little Architec­ quiet as a clam. And in his wish to fall. They must be planned for, ture to do that sitting around to­ to offend nobody, he offends De­ planted and maintained. But this gether trying to find ways and mocracy. How could Democracy process is not as formidable or ex­ means of improving ourselves and succeed ... if all of us, like this · pensive as many people think. The our profession was an absolute one, withheld our opinions, our pamphlet, "It Grows on You," ex­ life-saver. Now that such large ideas, our criticisms? Voting on plains clearly the necessary steps. numbers of Architects are as busy election day is only part of a citi­ It is being distributed by the Mu­ as they can be, one might wonder zen's duty. Active, day-by-day par­ nicipal Art Society as an educa­ whether it would not be just as ticipation in government, in soci­ tional service to the Architects of well for each of us to tend to his ety, in business associations, is a New York in the hope they will own knitting and not bother about responsibility for each and every encourage clients to plant street possible common problems.