Everybody's favorite architect, Robert Scarano was written about in this week's issue of New York Magazine, in an article entitled; "He Built This Borough (Badly)".Most of the information in the article was inspired by all the blogs but especially by Miss Heather of New York Shitty as far as I'm concerned. Miss. Heather has been doing an amazing job being on the case of this city's joke agency called the Department of Buildings.
I am shocked that Scarano ONLY got fined for $1,1180.00 for visually raping the Carroll Gardens horizon with his box sitting on top 333 Carroll Street! That box has been just sitting there for about a year, time to dismantle? Or is this a modernist sculpture for the neighborhood to remember his legacy by?! There is something so WRONG with a city agency that allows someone like him to remain in business. As long as he keeps shelling out the green - death, destruction and lies are apparantly not enough to shut him down.
Just an aside, but the article didn't mention the workers who have died on his building sites OR anything about the public outcry regarding 360 Smith Street (from Gowanus Lounge).
Check out these Carroll Garden blogs; C.O.R.D, a neighborhood blog devoted mostly to his 360 Smith Street project and Pardon Me for Asking for more on what's going on the South Brooklyn end with Robert Scarano.
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8 comments:
Well, let's see: NY Mag talked about a truck hitting 51 Java but failed to mention that an earth-mover hit it in August. That act destroyed 1/3 of his backyard.
I learned the latter from speaking to the owner of 51 Java the evening his house was hit. The second time, mind you. He went to Casa Mon Amour to have a drink that fateful day (can you blame him?), which is where I happened to be.
He told me he moved to Greenpoint 3-4 years ago because he wanted to live in a quiet, safe neighborhood; having one's house hit by an earth mover, later by a truck and having a pile driver grind away the next day (with the DOB's approval) strikes me as being neither "quiet" or "safe".
He also confided in me that he thought he was getting paranoid, e.g.; these contractors might be damaging his building on purpose. It's hardly paranoia. It's a sad reality in Greenpoint.
One which our civil servants choose to ignore. Patricia Lancaster pontificated at length (at last week's meeting) about the measures that can be taken against contractors who damage adjacent properties. That's all fine and dandy--- but what about preventing them in the first place?
Just a thought.
He is not being paranoid at all. The contractors are used to getting away with this crap. What about the people who are homeless from Greenpoint because of contractors little boo-boos? How come Patricia Lancaster isn't there for them? but can continue to allow repetitive construction disasters happen. Just WHY is Scarano still operating? Hopefully this is all coming to a head.
Money talks in this city. I know, my grandfather was a NYC restaurant inspector.
Frankly, I am just happy that 51 & 53 Java Street are getting attention--- be it thru NY Mag, me, Gowanus Lounge, whomever. Perhaps if the contractors at 53 are embarrassed enough they'll stop hitting this guy's house? One can only hope.
are you aware that architects are not responsible for the construction of a building. Hang Scarano for design issues, but don't make him a scapegoat for all the shitty developers and contractors who do half assed jobs.
And don't scapegoat the Dept. of Buildings either. We live with beauracracy. This agency just doesn't have the legal authority to stop an architect from filing. Only the department of education can strip an architect of his/her license.
Yeah but why does Scarano keep WORKING with these developers and contractors? If he CARED about his image or any of the people that happen to lilve around his sites he would try a little harder to work with quality people. His record of poorly skilled/inattentive contractors on his building sites is proof and that article in New York Mag only mention four mishaps...ALL of them major..the man has had people DIE on his work sites...
And as far as not scapegoating the D.O.B and saying "we live in a beauracracy" is a lame defense and such a statement of apathy and resignation that I suspect that you may be an architect yourself. What I'm saying is the WHOLE system needs overhauling.
To Common Sense: I don't think there's any scapegoating here. The person who posted that article clearly recognizes that Scarano, his rancid aesthetics aside, is part of a larger set of egregious urban planning problems.
And it seems to me to be more than common sensical to point out that the "bureaucracy" we live in, whether it's the Buildings Dept., Housing and Preservation, HUD, of whomever ought to be safeguarding the public from derelict builders.
My intention here is not to pick a fight. You do seem like an intelligent thoughtful person. So why not offer a constructive solution to this problem rather than nitpick a blog post - which, as far as I know, has not caused any deaths or contributed to our blighted urban landscape?
blaming him for the death of construction workers is really a dipshit statement. you should remove it from your site and get an education before posting such things. . .
To the last "Anonymous said..."
Yes, let's pity poor, overpaid Robert Scarano. Those lowly construction workers' lives are small price to pay for the truly splendiferous edifices of awe-inspiring wonder that his greatness has bestowed on our besotted, unappreciative city.
How right you are Mr. Brave Anonymous commenter to extoll the virtues of getting an education about architecture. You must surely agree that the perfervid masterworks produced by The Great, Untouchable Scarano can't be understood without an ample instruction on how to sculpt misery into the urban landscape and wedge a dystopian facist fantasy into the asphalt, creating a cityscape that will send such quaint notions of architectural harmony into the ashheap of history. It is on that asheap where they can reside with other simpleton notions, such as common human decency and good taste.
Yes, anyone can point the finger at a crass cosmopolitan hack whose careless designs led to the deaths of people who had nothing to offer this world but their willingness to work long, backbreaking days on crafting Scarano's twisted visions into reality. But it takes a true hero such as yourself to defend an artless artist, whose lack of interest in the details of building functionality and fitness cost two other men their lives.
Like you, they two are anonymous. And like them, may you find yourself living in one of Scarano's overpriced condo eyesores. And may you - and no one else, I sincerely hope - find yourself crushed by his uncaring monstrosities.
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