Architecture is known to have a key role in combining the two purposes of answering a need and reflecting an artistic message or vision through aesthetic and often creative features and design. Last semester, in my seminar class (Arts in New York City) with Professor Klich, we discussed how different designs may represent and convey different messages that relate to the companies and offices in the specific builging or its inhabitants. We considered the question of hypothetically investing in a bank that has a relatively conservative yet powerful, ancient-greek kind of look, or in a bank that’s in a building which looks like the IAC building across from chelsea piers. The distinct designs definitely seemed to have an impact on the way we perceived the essence of the bank and its ways of operating. Innovative versus old-fashioned, fresh versus established, creative (and possibly risky) versus reasonable and thoughtful- all assumption based on the mere look.
When contemplating the design of 41 Cooper Square, which is the newest addition to The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, I could clearly conceive a specific message. The innovative, untraditional, geometric and yet abstract design nicely imply a certain balance between the arts and science. A building that consists of an engineering department as well as arts and humanities departments and is so incredibly unique reflects the nature of the institution, or at least the nature the initiators attempted to convey. Construction took place between 2006 and 2009 and as it is a relatively new building it may be hard to conclude anything with regards to what it possibly meant for people who lived in proximity before it was built. However, it is known that there has been neighborhood opposition towards the project and therefore that either the construction or maybe even what the building itself represents- are not accepted by some. I personally find it to be a beautiful addition to the neighborhood.
IAC building:
“conservative-looking” bank:
41 Cooper Square
C
Liron
