The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards - Gawker Comments

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

nad1 — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:06:58 EST

@X on the MTA: yes, Extell has innovative features (eg. rolling greenspace as opposed to flat), but just once I'd like to see a plan that completely defers to the prevailing scale. We so often see the opposite in these development competitions.

(who am I kidding... "restraint" and "developer" aren't words that can be easily put together.)

But Extell seems to get it, moreso than the others. The "sunslice" towers are nicely scaled and sloped. (although is it just me, or do dominos come to mind? just sayin...) Only one out-of-scale eyesore, of reasonably small footprint. Good greenspace, good sunlight.

Let's hope feasability/bucks pans out. I'd think they're in the lead on design.

nad1

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

319victor — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:34:59 EST

The buildings are shown as envelopes only. The models use transparency to avoid the appearence of design. Unfortunately electtronic and print media give the appearence of design. Exterior design will come in three or four years since the first building will not open until 2014. The tall buildings are to the south because that is where there are no tracks. On the East Yard, the existing zoning and track configuration prescribes the placement and size of the towers.

319victor

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

X on the MTA — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:56:21 EST

@Mark 51: whatever. it's not my fault the gawker reader's can't have an intelligent discussion about the merits of representing the unification of new and old and convergence of Manhattan's industrial past, immigrant neighborhoods and current media power houses through an organic architectural model. i mean, c'mon we are talking about the apex of 21st century architecture-- the intersection of the old industrial-revolution rail legacy with the current sustainable green-architecture models all reflected on shinny glass facades and ample greenspaces that reflects the current trend in urbanism to beautify spaces and design not around profit margins, but quality of space and life for citizens.

just kidding, i have no idea what i'm talking about but the pictures of the plan really so look pretty and appealing.

X on the MTA

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Michael Jahn — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:40:39 EST

The Conde Naste one looks like the Westin Times Square on Viagra

Michael Jahn

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Trackback — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:46:32 EST

Yesterday, Governor Spitzer, Mayor Bloomberg, MTA CEO and Executive Director Lee Sander and other officials kicked off the extension of the 7 line by unveiling a new sign in Times Square pointing the way to Hudson Yards.

Trackback

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

CaptainFantastic — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:31:06 EST

They should move Ground Zero over there.

CaptainFantastic

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

PimpMyCouch — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:22:21 EST

Um...are all of these photos of each different design proposal? They all look exactly the same. Was there some cheating in design class?

PimpMyCouch

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

ihearttombrady — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:08:38 EST

They should turn the space into a gigantic dog park.

ihearttombrady

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Mark 51 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:54:32 EST

@X on the MTA:You make some interesting points but, um, I think the design discussion group meets across the street.

Mark 51

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

EnviousJuno — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:33:32 EST

The hook to the right in #4 is extremely sexy. I love it when they hook.

EnviousJuno

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

nutmeg — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:20:49 EST

@Wrath of Farrakhan: Have you no respect for the dead?! Mailer's corpse is still.. well.. I guess he was never warm. Nevermind.

nutmeg

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Steverino — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:16:53 EST

@LolCait: I think they should put the Ground Zero tic tac toe idea from a few years ago over there. Then people can throw X and O shaped stones.

[www.renewnyc.com]

Steverino

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Ed — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:13:48 EST

The second one looks as though it should have the Super Friends' Hall of Justice smack dab in the center.

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

eastvillageidiot — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:09:55 EST

I, for one, welcome our new ugly giant glass overlords.

eastvillageidiot

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

X on the MTA — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:07:56 EST

@X on the MTA: Wow scratch most of my requests. I looked at the PDF of the proposal and it is fucking beautiful and it incorporates everything I mentioned andso much more. I'm still thinking the park should have gotten the south light but apparently the tall south side buildings that are shaped like blades are all residential so it actually makes perfect sense. Look att he PDF if you have some time, it is absolutely incredible-- such an amazing job at trying to create something that is NOT just another bunch of generic glass towers and a little plaza. The idea for the masonry work on the L towers is really cool to break off that glass box feeling

X on the MTA

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

spqrxxi — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:01:56 EST

The only plan that showed a park that could be used by people in the way that people use parks beyond real estate presentations is the Related plan.

If they worked a bit on the manner in which their buildings hit the street, their proposal would be great.

spqrxxi

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

X on the MTA — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:44:37 EST

Oh. I really like the first design. The only thing is that the N->S layout seems weird. Why wouldn't the buildings get the good indirect North light and leave the south side less obstructed so people at the park can get direct south light? You know.. like when you lay out in the summer time.

It kind of sucks that the buildings get the best light instead of the park. After all, the buildings are tall enough that they would have gotten just as much light from either direction instead of fucking people over in the winter. It's not like the building's are completely illuminated by flickering fluorescent lights anyways, you know?

he east and west ends are also minimally obstructed so that you can maximize daylight. That's nice. It would be awesome if they could integrate a lot of sustainable building features, like a gray / rain water system that could be used for landscaping and or fountains. and maybe some green roofs?

i saw a mention of this elsewhere, but there was talk of making some surfaces out of a material onto which they could project images. The example gives was advertising (eww) but it would be cool to have a huge space like that play outdoor films at night for free while it is still nice outside. Especially if they do add a decent amount of (hopefully affordable) residential space. I'm sure whoever is the ultimate commercial tenant is can afford it and probably write it off.

X on the MTA

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

gaynyernbama — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:39:36 EST

NYU should move over there.

gaynyernbama

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

belltolls — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:36:39 EST

Just put up a blinky sign, charge admission and call it "Guthrieland". We love historically based theme parks.

belltolls

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

lawyergay — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:33:00 EST

Just knowing that Wall Street's involved is a huge relief.

lawyergay

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

IndianSlipper — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:29:10 EST

@Fritzpeterson: Thanks. The coffee is finally starting to kick in slowly.

IndianSlipper

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Tammany_Fall — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:22:37 EST

@Mediahohoho:

If the deportation center is on the West Side, does that mean they plan to send the undesirables to New Jersey? Because really, we're full up.

Tammany_Fall

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

mrx5000 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:19:30 EST

Why has Brad Pitt been shut out of the process?

mrx5000

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

fiveinchtaint — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:17:05 EST

How about just a fancy new rail yard?

fiveinchtaint

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Mediahohoho — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:14:59 EST

I'm guessing the Jeb Bush administration is going to claim Eminent Domain and use this as the staging area when they start deporting all the undesirables from New York.

Mediahohoho

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

1of40million — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:14:24 EST

Oh, great! More glass buildings for coke-head financiers!

1of40million

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

dado — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:13:55 EST

The railyards will be developed when Governor's Island get developed. Stasis will not be denied. As Pol Pot said, it takes one ox to pull a cart, not four.

dado

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

BalknChain — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:13:01 EST

Gawker needs to buy it and build a coliseum. We could at least throw commenters to the lions for a proper execution. Most of those ancient games were performed in the nude too-weee!

BalknChain

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Fritzpeterson — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:11:43 EST

@IndianSlipper: stretch.
but I like your thinking.

Fritzpeterson

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

IndianSlipper — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:07:55 EST

I like the second one. If you look at it, and imagine looking at it a little more from the left and straight on over the park at the tallest building, it'll look like the buildings are giving Jersey the finger.

A stretch?

IndianSlipper

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

skinnyjeansandall — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:06:00 EST

The Conde-Nast people mover takes whoever the hell Anna Wintour says to wherever the hell she wants them to go!

skinnyjeansandall

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Atelier — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:03:19 EST

Well, Tishman-Speyer it is then, yes?

Atelier

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Wrath of Farrakhan — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:02:06 EST

They already rejected my all-Lego proposal.

Wrath of Farrakhan

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Tammany_Fall — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:59:05 EST

@Metcalf: Just looking at that link made me fall over sideways. I haz vertigoes.

Tammany_Fall

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Products Will Save Me — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:57:00 EST

@Cesare_the_Somnambulist: The preferred nomenclature is "industrial playground."

Products Will Save Me

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

suzyO — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:56:50 EST

yeah, it's ugly, but in the tishman, those things on the left? they're giant pez dispensers. free pez for all. to throw. at the buildings.

suzyO

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Products Will Save Me — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:54:43 EST

@Metcalf: Jenga!

Products Will Save Me

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

JudithButler — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:53:47 EST

@LolCait: I don't get it. I'm flagging you as inappropriate

JudithButler

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Tammany_Fall — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:53:41 EST

@Fritzpeterson:

What is "sports?"

Tammany_Fall

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Fritzpeterson — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:51:18 EST

How about a professional sports stadium???

Fritzpeterson

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Metcalf — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:51:05 EST

@LolCait: Brilliant.

@Tammany_Fall: Seriously, I thought the tall-silver-blue-glass thing went out with the Toyota Previa. I want someone with the balls to build underground towers for mole people. Or this for really, really rich people whom I will envy despite (because of?) their gross excess, bad taste and vapid womens.

Metcalf

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

hypocriteoath — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:50:57 EST

@Cesare_the_Somnambulist: or if you plan on recycling it.

hypocriteoath

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Products Will Save Me — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:50:32 EST

My proposal: a bumper-hovercrafts course.
What this fair city needs.

Products Will Save Me

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Goodbye, Commenters! — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:49:29 EST

@LolCait:
Your comment above was tested and found NSFW.

Not Safe For Water!

Unless you don't mind having it shoot out of your nose.

Goodbye, Commenters!

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Goodbye, Commenters! — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:47:43 EST

I prefer the mouldering railyard.

Goodbye, Commenters!

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

Tammany_Fall — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:45:13 EST

They all look like Superman's Fortress of Solitude, except bigger, and with a golf course in the middle. Why must buildings be silver and pointy? Why not, say, gold and round?

Tammany_Fall

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

LolCait — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:44:25 EST

"Oh, yes. That's the Weird Glass Building district. Don't go in the park at night. Everyone throws stones."

LolCait

The Five Proposals For The West Side Rail Yards

JudithButler — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:40:05 EST

Rabid trolls like me prefer the Extell design

JudithButler