This weekend was the rededication of the Yale Art & Architecture Building, designed by Paul Rudolph, with the addition of a Gwathmey Siegel & Associates addition. Besides tours of the renovated A+A Building and the new Loria Center addition, there was a symposium and dedication ceremony complete with two brass fanfares and two a cappella glee club fanfares. I secretly hoped they would break a bottle on the side of the building, but this was not to be. Please check out construction photos and my Yale Art & Architecture Building Rededication Flickr Set (selected images below).

The New York Times had this to say about the Art & Architecture Building:

It’s hard to think of a building that has suffered through more indignities than the Yale School of Art and Architecture. On the day of its dedication in 1963, the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner condemned the oppressive monumentality of its concrete forms. Two years later the school’s dean brutally cut up many of the interiors, which he claimed were dysfunctional. A few years after that a fire gutted what was left. By then the reputation of the building’s architect, Paul Rudolph, was in ruins.

The morning panel was entitled, The Rudolph Years: Yale and the Architectural Academy and featured Stanley Tigerman ’63 M.Arch, Allan Greenberg ’65 M.Arch and Alexander Tzonis, ’63 M.Arch moderated by Paul Goldberger. All three discussed how Paul Rudolph’s instruction didn’t create little Rudolphs, and did not respond well to sycophants who tried to curry favor by emulating Rudolph’s work. Yet, to teach and study under Rudolph, architecture existed in the realm of the third person, I and want would never enter into your vocabulary; even Bob Venturi talked about architecture in third-person, which Rudolph demanded of his professors.

Allan Greenberg discussed how in the 1960’s architects and architecture was scrutinized and the profession diminished, partly due to self-inflicted wounds. Greenberg posited that architecture, to this day, is constipated in integrating past with current history with historical work, hidden away in a box, if it does not conform with conventional history. The Art & Architecture Building was like a fishbone stuck in your throat, the Yale Art & Architecture Building was a difficult and demanding building to work and study in. Stanley Tigerman recounted that he worked from 2am to 5am during week days and all weekends for Paul Rudolph completing the working drawings for the Art & Architecture Building. Yet Rudolph gave no quarter during studio instruction, remarking: [Paul Rudolph] was a terrorist, the juries always got out of hand, but Rudolph never let the work substitute for the self-worth of the person giving the presentation. Alexander Tzonis gave a third-person soliloquy regarding Memory versus History, trying to conform the opposing beings together. Besides Frank Lloyd Wright and Nervi’s influence, Tzonis noted that Rudolph’s work was in opposition to Gropius and TAC in two major ways: the Production of Grammar and the search for Authenticity. Afraid of his own emotions, Rudolph created dramatic space and imbued with a sense of mood. Tzonis believes Rudolph was a tragic figure in search of rigor of grammar and authenticity; for Tzonis, the restoration holds the same memory versus history problem: the restoration was too clean and restored, with the “lovely grime” washed away.

The most unexplored area of discussion was the circumstances around Rudolph’s leaving Yale and Charles Moore’s ascending to the Dean of Architecture; this is undoubtedly still a fresh wound for many who were involved, but is a rich area to explore. In the last 50 years, there are few historical points which illustrate the changeover from one realm of thought to another; Modernism giving way to a series of anti-Modernist movements in such a fractious way.
The afternoon panel, The Rudolph Years: Yale and the World featured Norman Foster ’62 M.Arch, Richard Rogers ’62 M.Arch, and Carl Abbott ’62 M.Arch and was again moderated by Paul Goldberger. This panel did not specifically reveal any additional knowledge about Paul Rudolph, but reinforced that he indelibly affected anyone he interacted with. Great aesthetic instruction and marine boot camp was Rudolph’s studio was described. Carl Abbott recounted the many road trip that the three of them took during their years at Yale. Norman Foster made an interesting aside that the Greyhound bus was as metaphor for America, with special love for the corrugated panels. Foster noted that Rudolph had two identities: as Educator and Architect, identities separate and distinct. Perhaps apocryphal, Richard Rogers chose Yale because he thought it was on the ocean when he looked at a map.

I had the fortune to visit the A+A four times throughout the years, and the paprika carpet and the concrete sing like they never have before. And the removal of newer partitions opening up the space restores the complex beauty of the building to the original state. While the original building’s restoration is very well done, but I agree with Alexander Tzonis: the restoration almost obliterated the past. Just like UC Berkeley’s architecture building full of layered graffiti contains the history of untold number of students, the accumulated history of the A+A has been wiped away; even the seashells have disappeared. Conversely, the Gwathmey addition is a competent work, but falls short of the master. Which is understandable, since I would be terrified of adding onto the A+A Building. While the addition adds important services such as an expanded library, instructional space, modern lecture halls and makes the existing building accessible the building almost shrinks next to the A+A Building. Where the addition touches the original, the detail is either an expansion strip or an airport-like skybridge docking arm.
Nicolai Ouroussoff remarked:

The result should stun those who have continued to deny Rudolph’s talent. Now seen in its full glory, his building turns out to be a masterpiece of late Modernism, one that will force many to reappraise an entire period of Modernist history and put Rudolph back on the pedestal where he belongs.
Only Gwathmey Siegel’s addition prevents this from being a total triumph. The firm’s principal designer, Charles Gwathmey, went to great pains to ensure that the addition didn’t disturb Rudolph’s masterwork. Yet the challenge Mr. Gwathmey faced was not only to be a good neighbor, it was also to rise to the high standards set by his predecessor. By that measure his design is a major letdown.
…
Everything here, in short, feels sadly conventional. And unlike Rudolph’s masterpiece this is something that no amount of restoration work can repair.

Ouroussoff’s analysis, not to disagree with Dean Stern (who made a crack about the Times review at the rededication), is spot on. Which doesn’t mean that the addition is a failure, but merely a disappointment of lost opportunity.

The Chicago Architectural Club and the Chicago Humanities Festival announced the winners of the Union Station 2020 competition over the weekend. The winning team was composed of Michael Cady, Elba Gil, David Lillie and Andres Montana and prevailed over a field of 75 entries and will receive a $10,000 prize. The competition brief asked for, innovative solutions for the transformation of Union Station into a center of high speed rail traffic and related programs. It is not simply a question of designing an efficient and functional transit hub. How can this intermodal node become more than a mere knot of infrastructure?
It isn’t clear from the one rendering which is floating around the internets, how this winning entry is more than a mere knot of infrastructure; hopefully the Chicago Architectural Club will release a full series of renderings for public viewing.
A broader point should be noted that there will be more of these competitions in the near-term as the viability of high speed rail, both economically and politically, is increasing with the incoming Obama administration.

People Queuing to Buy a Copy of Today’s Times, originally uploaded by Khoi Vinh

0041
Now: Transition.
And waiting by the phone for that job offer (or not).
2316
Florida and Colorado for Obama
2301
President-Elect Obama
2134
Buckeye State called for Ohio. CA+WA+OR+HI = 272 EV. Barack Obama is the President-Elect.
2101
Empire State speaks: Go Obama
2027
Watching CNN, so MSNBC/NBC/CBS calling PA for Obama was a surprise . Prior to this, he only needed 170 EVs (CA/WA/OR going to Obama) so with PA he only needs 146 EVs.
2015
Obama is up in Ohio but Columbus and Cincinati are not counted yet. Watch for Hamilton County to drag down the numbers as well as the other rural counties. Akron/Canton could be a wash but Cleveland will offset other counties in Ohio.
Note no calls for PA or VA.
1930 Update
Nets don’t call WV
1925
This might be McCain’s only lead of the night – 8-3 EVs
1913
VT & KY called – big surprise.
1804 Update
Exit polls already leaking.
Ignore them.
1745 Update
We are only 15 minutes from parts of Indiana and Kentucky closing, but no network worth its salt will call these polls as western Kentucky and Gary Indiana polling stations don’t close until 7pm. Confused on poll closing? Check out my 2008 Poll Closing map.
Twitter Updates

1622 Update
Could this whole election be over at 8:00pm EST? Two hour-by-hour Talking Points Memo & Nate Silver. But I doubt it will be over that soon as I am sure that there will be court orders to keep polls open in PA, OH & FL.
1547
Dont forget my 2008 Election Poll Closing Times maps when you watch tonight’s coverage!
West Wing Quotes Update 1540
So we have a little over three hours until we can start seriously watching the polls. Why not sped those hours watching West Wing or posting my favorite quotes?

Sam Seaborn: Well over three and half centuries ago, strengthened by faith and bound by a common desire for liberty, a small band of pilgrims sought out a place in the new world where they could worship according to their own beliefs – and solve crimes.
Toby Ziegler: Sam…
Sam Seaborn: It’d be good.
Toby Ziegler: Read the thing.
Sam Seaborn: By day they churn butter and worship according to their own beliefs, and by night they solve crimes.
Toby Ziegler: Read the thing.
Sam Seaborn: Pilgrim detectives.
Toby Ziegler: Do you see me laughing?
Sam Seaborn: I think you’re laughing on the inside.
Toby Ziegler: Ok.
Sam Seaborn: With the big hats!
– Shibboleth (2000)

Update – 1419
I wonder how much money businesses lose on election days? This is like Christmas Eve when you were a kid.
Update – 1337

Please vote!
Update – 1253
Now that I have some time, let me describe my voting experience. I have voted in enough New York elections, to expect the organized chaos which exists due to the combination of older poll volunteers and small voting areas located in surplus spaces. I was hardly surprised to find a line at my polling place when I arrived at 8:30am. Luckily some friends were waiting outside so I could speak with them before going down the flights of stairs to the basement gym of the local Catholic diocese’s parochial school. Luckily I had my Board of Elections pamphlet telling me what election district I was in, so I could jump to the next line, my election district line. Which then I waited to sign in to go into the next line to vote.
My time came, and I was eye to eye with the red lever of democracy; I made my choices and pulled that red-lever of freedom over, and my vote was cast with the sound of mechanical levers, screws, gears and punches, noting my choice. The polling location contained a reflection of modern Greenpoint, with older Polish women, young professionals, couples with newly born children in tow; the changing face of the neighborhood showed up to vote, and that face is decidedly young, white with distinctive leans toward hipsterdom.
Update – 1226
Aren’t there any exit polls out yet? If you see them, run and promptly forget the, Nate Silver has Ten Reasons Why You Should Ignore Exit Polls.
Update – 1151
Photos from my polling location.



Update – 1148
Just in case you needed to know who I voted for.

Update – 1136
I just want to note that, besides for New Yorker’s vote counting less than other’s vote, we don’t get the ubiquitous “I Voted” stickers. Double Injustice!
Update – 0920
I became the 127th person to vote in my district. At this rate there will be 456 more voters by the time polls close. I saw 5 friends at the polling and waited about 40 minutes.
Update – 0735
Long lines throughout NYC, full of people who’s vote counts less, but wanting to run up the popular vote score.
Update – 0010
Dixville North New Hampshire votes Obama over McCain 15-6 (out of 21 votes).

New York City’s Office of Emergency Management has plans and procedures for sudden flooding caused by natural forces such as hurricanes. Does OEM have plans and procedures for a the gradual and sustained flooding, caused in part by Global Climate Change, of coastal New York City?
What sections of neighborhoods will have to be abandoned by the rising mean water level by 1′-0″? 5′-0″? 10′-0″?
What will be the system and procedures for triaging, and analyzing what we can save along what time period, for the following city services:

• NY Subway
• Long Island Rail Road & Metro North
• Waste Treatment (water, sewer & solid)
• Power Generation
• Hospitals
• Police & Fire Relocations & Staffing

Finally, at what point will the populace at large be forced to abandon large segments of New York City, and what is the mechanism for this decision and the methods of evacuating affected citizens?
Should we rebuild?

The Swingstate Project has an interesting Nov. 4, 2008 Poll Closing Times & Key Races map up, which is nicely done, but a bit confusing. For those of us who want to only watch the topline race of the night, the Presidential Electoral Votes, I have taken their data and reformatted it into another map series shown below.

And now onto the hour-by hour synopsis.

7:00pm EST Polls Close

VT, VA, SC, GA, KY, IN
58 EVs Awarded (58/538)

7:30pm EST Polls Close

OH, WV
25 EVs Awarded

8:00pm EST Polls Close

ME, NH, MA, CT, NJ, DE, MD, PA, TN, FL, AL, MS, IL, MO, OK
171 EVs Awarded

8:30pm EST Polls Close

NC, AK
21 EVs Awarded

9:00pm EST Polls Close

NY, RI, MI, WI, MN, KA, TX, KS, NE, SD, WY, CO, NM, AZ
155 EVs Awarded

10:00pm EST Polls Close

IA, MT, UT, NV
20 EVs Awarded

11:00pm EST Polls Close

ND, ID, WA, OR, CA, HI
84 EVs Awarded

1:00am EST Polls Close

AK
3 EVs Awarded