This post appeared in a previous blog and is here for posterity’s sake.

orange, originally uploaded by overunder
From the how-long-until-Curbed-links-to-this-post Dept
Tired of Landmark Preservation Commission gossip? Well, here is one last tidbit. Everyone knows about 70 Washington in DUMBO – check out Curbed’s extensive coverage. It is the Walentas huge condo conversion which is currently under construction.
Last week construction began on the Penthouse apartments, which to my knowledge, consist of a single floor vertical extension (that’s roof addition to outsiders) set back approximately 11′-0″ from the edge of the building. The set back was most likely done to satisfy the LPC mandate that any roof addition is minimally visible from public thoroughfares.
Alright, enough with the back story, you say, what is this so-called gossip you are about to dish? Well, it seems that some members of certain Community Boards are questioning the legality of the addition. Namely, questioning LPC whether or not the roof addition was included in the LPC-approved design. For those on the edge of your seats, yes, the addition was included in the approved design.
This just illustrates what lengths community boards (and their constituents) in New York City go through when protecting their historic districts. And what happens when people don’t have the opportunity to go to School Board meetings or join the PTA.
Update – 30 June 2005
From reader nudge:
the picture shown in the 70 Washington commentary is NOT of 70 Washington – it’s of 55 Washington
We stand corrected – we just like Keith’s work and jumped the gun.

This post appeared in a previous blog and is here for posterity’s sake.

Sur by Xefirotarch. Top photo by Xefirotarch, bottom photo by Architect
You would think that with PS1’s dance party event, Warm Up 2005 quickly approaching, they would be (at the very least) advertising the 2 July opening night. But they aren’t. You would think that they would host a few images of the design, some background, or the like; but they aren’t.
In fact, it is nigh impossible to even find who designed this year’s installation – the result of a yearly invited competition of young talent – on PS1’s website. You have to go to Architect to dig out the information and while there, you have to go to the slander boards noting the thread, Xefirotarch @ P.S. 1, to learn that LA-based designer Hernan Diaz Alonso, principle of Xefirotarch, won the competition.
Tired yet?

DSCN8973, originally uploaded by scisar
For those who like archiporn, here are renderings of the competition entry, photos on Archinect, and a construction photo set.