Architecture of New York City
For our final project, I think we should study the architecture of New York City. Our city is home to some of the most iconic buildings and structures in the world, including the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge. Many immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s helped construct these iconic landmarks, but they often go unrecognized. I think it would be interesting for the class to study the histories of these buildings and give recognition to the thousands of people who aided in creating New York’s world famous skyline.
From past projects I have done, I have found that many German, Irish, and Italian immigrants made up a large part of construction crews in the city before the modern age. If you remember from my own family history project, my great-great grandfather from Italy helped construct the Metropolitan Opera House. Discovering the histories of the iconic structures of New York City could be an eye-opening experience, since many people do not consider the labor that went into making New York the city it is today.
We can study the history of structures built before the 1950s, like the Grand Central Terminal and the Brooklyn Bridge, and also tackle modern construction projects, like One World Trace Center and the under-construction 432 Park Avenue, which will become the tallest residential building in the United States upon completion. We could also study the architecture of museums, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, which is iconic for its interesting spiral structure. For those interested in a more popular culture topic, Times Square is an interesting subject, due to the many colorful billboards, and they can even delve into the history of the New Year’s Eve ball drop; Madison Square Garden also has a rich history. If we want to get even more up-to-date on the history of New York City, we can look at the effect of the 9/11 attacks on the city’s dynamics, including the cleanup and reconstruction of the site at Ground Zero. Another interesting aspect of the city is the number of public parks, including the massive Central Park, whose history could prove very interesting for this project.
In completing the research of this project, we could split into groups and study some of the famous buildings of the city. We can do library research as well as going out onto the streets to study the buildings. One of the best ways to experience New York is to visit its buildings and take in the rich history that they provide, and for some, visit these places for the first time.
