|
|
| Design
Reserach Project |
Page 25
|
|
|
Public Contribution in
High-Rise Building Design
|
|
@ New York City
|
|
Segram
Building
|
|
Seagram Building in terms of
relationship to urban environment
|
| Set Back in front of the building that
has created a critical proportion between the amount of land and the building
foot print, will be the most important issues to talk about "Contribution"
to public. It is obvious for everyone to see that it is the large amount
of empty space that has no function. If we considered this large amount
of space to be a public space on the beautiful Park Ave, this space may
be a great example to give some air and sun light to the people on the
street in the dense scape of Midtown New York. But if we look back to
review Mies Van De Rohe's purpose for creating this space, we may have
to rethink about it again. |
 |
| Picture: the green granite
at the south side has a function to force the visitors and users
to enter at front or side entrance only. |
|
| According to the information and "Mies
Van De Rohe at work" by Peter Carter, this space was meant to be the space
for people to get the perception of the building, to sense the large and
dominant scale of the building, to respect in it's size and design. Therefore
it is not the purpose for public at all. Mies also mentioned in the interviewed,
"I asked for 2 types of advice for the development of plans. One, the
best real estate advice as to the types of desirable rentable space and,
two, professional advice regarding the New York Building Code. With my
direction established and with these advisers, it was then only a matter
of hard work. |
 |
| Picture: Plaza at Park Ave. side |
|
| When I had looked closer in detail of
the urban relationship treatment in design, I saw more issues that can
address about the ignorance in terms of relationship to the urban environment. |
| 1. Street Level and building base
level - There is only 2 steps that provide for the people to get into
the site. One is the major step against Park Avenue (picture), designed
according to the axis of the Building, another one is located (picture)
on the 51st Street. The Park Ave. side was treat very well as the major
entrance but the 51st Street side was treat so cold. There is only one
small entrance that people can get in. All the rest was the post concrete
wall that looks like they try to ignore the people who using the street
and force them to enter at the major entrance. The slope of the street
was exist but the building base was made completely flat like they ignore
the existence of the city's urban environment. |
| 2. Less of Urban Activity - There
is no shop, no window shows, no activity for people. Only thing that the
building contribute at the ground floor was the colonnade that may be
able to protect the people from Snow and Rain. |
|
3. Unfriendly Landscape treatment - The landscape
element in the plaza was really at minimum level. The fountain creates
the fresh environment in summer and sounds of water is always a pleasure,
but at the step pond which contain the fountain didn't let any body to
sit around the area. The pond was design for the water to fit to the top
level. There is no place for people to sit. Other elements was the small
trees which did not creates any shades. |
| The minimalism in design of Mies Van
De Rohe may creates the innovative master piece of the age in terms of
style and construction system. But in terms of urban environment, he obviously
did not concern about the "life" of the people urban space much. However,
it is not the fault or mistake that should be condemned. If we look back
into the modern era, this is the great Milestone that Mies has encountered
the problem of high-rise design in dense urban environment by providing
such an enormous amount of space to public. This building was also the
important icon that make New York City Zoning department envision the
future of zoning law system. |
 |
| Picture: South Side Entrance |
|
 |
| Picture: Building's south side environment |
|
|
|
|
|