One of the things that caught my eye in the Week 7 presentation is one of the photos of the Empire State Building. The first thing I saw was a sign in the bottom that said “New School for Social Research.” We go to the New School, then I realized how familiar the angle of the photo is, I looked back at my own photos and saw the same buildings at the same angles. (I put the two photos as my featured image.) I know it may not seem like a big deal, I just thought it was cool. One of the most amazing things about architecture is how they transcend history. Most of the incredible buildings we are learning about in class still exist today, quite a few from this week’s lecture are in our very city. They were built nearly a hundred years ago and remain a staple in our landscapes. They made history when they were built, many of them being an innovation in technology, style, or even height. The buildings remain mostly unchanged, but the people using them and existing around them change drastically. The New school is celebrating it’s 100 year anniversary this year, the Empire State Building is 89 years old. When it was being built, The New School was an entirely different place filled with drastically different people. It makes me think about the people who have come before us and studied under the same establishment we are. What kinds of people walked up 5th Avenue and stood in awe of the iconic Empire State Building. Now a days, when walking down 5th Avenue, you see the Freedom Tower, only a few years old. What kinds of people, years and years from now, will be looking at that, wondering what life was like when it was built? The life we are living now. Who else marveled at the beautiful Chrysler Building admiring its Art Deco style? What kinds of people sat in Bryant Park looking at the striking, black, American Radiator Building? Lastly, I wonder about our future. We sit in a classroom full of future interior designers and architects, who of us will shape the future of the New York City Skyline, or any other skyline around the world? I know my topic for this week may not be the most interesting, but it is interesting to me. It is my favorite part about the history of architecture. It is the reason I want to go into the field of interior design and architecture: buildings and homes are where we live our lives, where we work, where we do most everything, why shouldn’t those spaces be iconic and beautiful works of art?
