Some of the most exciting cities are those that have their own unique aesthetic, adopting a feel at odds with the rest of their country. Barcelona for us is such a place, wildly individual and almost visually overwhelming. Famously inspired by Antoni Gaudí’s creations as well as influenced by its Catalan history, it walks its own pioneering path.
On the roof of Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation in Marseille
After 60 years of existence, Le Corbusier‘s Unité d’Habitation in Marseille remains a pilgrim’s beacon for architects and tourists alike. The hulking concrete block of ‘La Cité Radieuse’ (or ‘La Maison du Fada’ -The Nutter’s House as it is known locally), was a brash modernist statement when completed in 1953 and went on to inspire a generation of brutalist towers throughout Europe.
Our curated events picks for this week: Richard Serra exhibition opening at David Zwirner, Gatsby inspired tour of Long Island’s Gold Coast with Sidetour.
MONDAY, APRIL 8: Join Hudson Whiskey for Bourbon & Bluegrass featuring the Long Island Bluegrass Quartet. 7pm at The Flatiron Room, 37 West 26th Street. Enjoy the Hudson Whiskey specials and read about Tuthilltown Spirits, the first Whiskey distillery in New York since Prohibition.
TUESDAY, APRIL 9: MAS Forum: Grand Central Terminal Design for the Next Century. The centennial celebrations of Grand Central Terminal and the City’s proposed up-zoning of East Midtown present an opportune time to re-think the future of Grand Central and its surrounding neighborhood. The zoning proposal is a once in a century opportunity to shape a generation of development in one of our city’s busiest neighborhoods; we must ensure the changes that the City is planning are not only for the buildings themselves, but also for the people who will work in these buildings, ride the subway, walk the streets and admire the skyline. 6-8pm at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal, East 42nd Street. FREE. Register here.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10: Why I love skyscrapers talk by Christoph Ingenhoven, the founding principal of ingenhoven architects, a Dusseldorf-based firm with an increasingly international practice. His assertively modernist work emphasizes ecological principles in combination with innovative engineering and close attention to the public realm. 6:30-8pm at the National Museum of the American Indian, Alexander Hamilton Customs House, 1 Bowling Green. FREE for members of the Skyscraper Museum; $5 students/seniors; $10 general admission. RSVP at rsvp@skyscraper.org.
In honor of April Fool’s Day, we’ve put together a guide to NYC’s most hated building, Penn Station. Most of the negativity around Penn Station focuses on its aesthetics, its confusing signage, and the fact that it replaced a soaring piece of McKim, Mead & White architecture. But we’ve always believed that one of its strengths was that it was extremely functional. We agree with Second Avenue Subway‘s Benjamin Kabak who writes, “While Penn Station is ugly and dingy and, at best, utilitarian, the problem with the station isn’t necessarily the way it looks.”
Today’s guide is thus about the hidden “gems” in this oft-traveled yet ignored space.
1. There are subtle reminders of the now lost Penn Station
On an escalator into the Long Island Railroad waiting area, a cross section of the old Penn Station notes “YOU ARE HERE,” beneath the main rotunda:
Our curated events picks for this week: Underground Eats Game of Thrones dinner, Patrick Bateman’s birthday bash, the NY African Film Festival.
MONDAY, APRIL 1: FPP Harlem hosts the season finale of its second season for the First Person Plural Reading Series on April 1, 2013 at Harlem’s Shrine World Music Venue. The event features poets Jericho Brown and Khadijah Queen, novelist Rachel Sherman, multimedia artists eteam and DJ Lady DM. The writers are invited to read or perform pieces that explore the collective voice and may also read from other recent work. Special guest DJ Lady DM will begin and end the reading with thirty minute sets. 6:30pm at The Shrine World Music Venue, 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. FREE. (more…)
[Update: actual event photos here]
This may be one of the whackiest (an awesomest) events we’ve heard of this year. For lovers of Patrick Bateman and American Psycho, BBQ Films, an experiential cinema social club, is hosting an event that will more than satisfy your inner deviant. On April 6th at the Tribeca Underground, come to their special movie night party to celebrate Patrick Bateman’s 27th birthday. As Bateman’s the guest of honor, expect decadence and unabashed 80′s glamour. What’s even crazier is that tickets range from $25 to $3000 for four (with an even higher VIP level that comes with a custom Valentino suit sold out already). (more…)
