New York Cities legendary PLAZA HOTEL will close its doors.....

by franklin J 14 Replies latest social current

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  franklin J

  This great, worldclass, New York City Hotel will close its doors May 1 to be renovated into a pricey co op. The great public rooms with some of the most legendary New York architecture will be turned into a shopping mall....

  While the exterior of the building has recieved "Landmark Status" ( must remain untouched and can only be restored with Landmark Commission approval); the magnificent architectural interior has not recieved this status.

  There is a group of us NY architects and citizens fighting to preserve the architectural interior and have a Landmark Status designation. applied to the interior for future generations see just how impressive architecture and the built environment can be.

  For more information go to www.savetheplaza.com

  Great cities are dependent on great works of architecture. It is worth the fight to preserve. Unfortunately, New York has a history of destroying some of its great works of arhitecture in an effort to rebuild and redefine itself.

  We cannot allow this great piece of architecture ( and one of the worlds finest hotels) to be obliterated.

  Frank Tomaselli, Architect
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  Sunspot

  Oh my! What will Elouise do now?
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  franklin J

  HAH!

  Eloise may be forced to take up residency in a Holiday Inn....
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  whyamihere

  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I never got to stay there. I will save the Plaza like the Clock Tower in Back to the Future!

  Brooke
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  Dustin

  Sad. I never got to see it, so that sucks it's going to be changed.

  Dustin
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  whyamihere

  I signed up to save the Plaza! Ok I did my good deed today!

  Brooke
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  funkyderek

  Isn't it up to the owners what they do with their property?
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  franklin J

  funkyderek

  yes and no.

  In an effort to preserve great works of architecture, The Landmarks Preservation Society was formed. It was a result of the demolition of Pennsylvania Station in NYC; which was a great train house which rivaled ( and some say far exceeded in engineering and classical architecture) the great train houses of western Europe ( from whence the architecture and concept were "copied")

  The great cities of the world ( Rome, Paris, London and others) have some form of this "landmark" status to preserve the fabric of the cities and their monuments as we all know them.

  While the Landmark status cannot dictate what use the new owner applies to the structure; it can stop ANY physical alteration of the existing architecture---cannot even PAINT without their permission.

  New York has to play "catch up" with the other great world capitals....

  .so what else is new?
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  Leolaia

  Hi Frank....I'm really big on architectural historic preservation, having been involved quite a bit in this in my home state, and this is definitely something worth preserving....thanks so much for bringing this up and letting me know about what's going on.... BTW, when I'm in New York (and I'll be there in a week and a half), I typically stay at the Palace -- another beautiful hotel...
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  franklin J

  hi leolaia,

  good for you. Enjoy the visit....pm me to meet you for a cocktail if you have the time....the Palace is also a "landmark" status' the older portion having been the old "Villard Mansions" and is very grand....go to Le Cirque for a drink if you can, and see how the new interior is all "furnishings" to get around altering any of the elaborate interior architecture.

  regards, Frank