A few classes ago, I read an article written by Michael Kimmelman titled “Towers of Dreams: One Ended in Nightmare.” The article compares two “aesthetic cousins,” Pruitt-Igoe (built in 1954) of St. Louis, Missouri and the Penn South (built in 1962) development in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. It was surprising to read that while both projects were almost identical, the Pruitt-Igoe development had seemingly gone so wrong. It became infamous for poverty, crime and segregation due to inadequate funds, deteriorating conditions and the 1949 Housing act, respectively. Tenants slowly abandoned the complex and it continued to deteriorate, falling prey to drug dealers and murderers until its demolition in the 1970s.
When reading through the article, I tried to picture the Pruitt-Igoe complex as best as I could. I searched online for some pictures of it and read a few additional excerpts. However, none of this compared to watching the film of the Pruitt-Igoe Myth in class last week. The stark and candid portrayal of the Pruitt-Igoe complex was shocking. It was somewhat disheartening to see something that was once so new and beautiful fall prey to such despair.
In both Kimmelman’s article and the film watched in class, I noticed a sense of attachment. Although Pruitt-Igoe so quickly and drastically deteriorated, original residents such as Sylvester Brown, Jacquelyn Williams, and Valerie Sills all had fond memories of their home. When referring to the living conditions at Pruitt-Igoe, one of the interviewees on screen even said that the bad did not outweigh the good. What I saw in the documentary, however, made such a statement hard to believe.
I could have never imagined the change that occurred between the 1950s and the 1970s; Pruitt-Igoe has quite literally decayed within that time. Broken windows, garbage galore, faulty elevators, dark hallways. All of this seemed commonplace at Pruitt-Igoe during its latter years. I was shocked to hear that the St. Louis police eventually neglected showing up when called upon. They were not welcome (as the “fire bombs” thrown from windows indicated) nor did they want to be present in such an environment. Unfortunately, I was unable to watch the ending of the documentary but this picture below speaks volumes about the way in which Pruitt-Igoe’s story concluded. After being so badly neglected, Pruitt-Igoe was demolished. I would love to see what has since taken its place.
http://rustwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Cohn01.jpg
