The new $300 million CUNY Advanced Science and Reasearch Center on top of St. Nicholas Park and 133rd Street has started to get some glass up on the west side of the new construction. In the design images from Flad Architects/Kohn Pedersen Fox, the view is looking at the east side of the construction directly over the the park but that side apparently will be the last portion to finish up with windows. The only clear view of the west side of the development located at the City College campus is on the 125th Street train platform at Broadway and one can see the building clearly because of the of its prominent positioning on one of the hills of Harlem.
Ya know I've always enjoyed the view of CCNY sitting up their on the top of the hill overlooking Harlem. I think this was a very iconic view for Blacks when they started living up here in large numbers in the 1920s. Its certainly iconic now and really is lovely and meaningful. The view of those old buildings is practically medieval. But this new science building while very needed at CCNY really doesn't sit well with me in terms of the view.
ReplyDeleteI'm told one of the most inspiring sites in the early 40s was of people exiting the subway at West 135th St. & St. Nicholas and walking up those steps through St. Nicholas Park to the college to take eve. courses.