Week #18

Not quite an old school tune in the classical sense.

Une Barque sur L’Ocean by Ravel. A fantastic recommendation by Raf Rossi ❣❣ great for those indoor pandemic painting sessions. 😉

The summer medley:

1.0 secret worlds

Track 61 & Baggage car 002

Don’t we all love a hidden tunnel. Well this one still exists and is not unknown to some…

Track 61 is the private train track which connects the Waldorf Astoria to Grand Central Terminal. The track comes, complete with its own private elevator, tracks and of course train car, (aka Baggage Car 002). Franklin D. Roosevelt, famously used the exclusive track, to help hide his disability from the public. The rail car was grossly over-sized to ensure that FDR’s amour plated car could drive off the train, onto the platform and straight into the elevator. The car would then exit directly on 49th street and make for the hotel garage. It has also been recorded that the limousine would be lifted and backed into the Grand Hotel Ballroom. “this was all reported by the Gothamist" back in 2011.

See here for an exclusive video with “Cities of the Underworld” with a tour that was run by former Metro-North Historian Dan Brucker.

**PLOT TWIST**

Reported on NY Curbanism part of this much loved fable of New York City is in fact (Also reported on the NYTimes).

FALSE.

The “story”, despite being promoted by Metro North Historian, Dan Brucker and widely advertised in various press publications, which has been confirmed with the Danbury Railway Museum are false. The “FDR Train Car” aka Baggage Car 002 which now resides in the Danbury Railway Museum, where it was relocated in May 31st 2019. The reported “extra wide doors” for Roosevelt’s limo were in fact the standard size for luggage in that era. In addition the limousine would not have been able to make the tight turn to maneuver into the car. So what about the bulletproof armor and the shock-absorbing suspensions? Well it is in fact all standard for that period, where subway cars were built to last, unlike the manufacturing standards of today.

Nevertheless the car did have some pretty cool exclusive uses. Baggage Car 002 was used by Grand Central to transport the rigging for a hundred-ton capacity electric double-ended crane through the GC tunnels where it was eventually left on Track 61, where it has been left for the past 20-30 years.

Whilst a little unfortunate that Brucker’s story is not true, Track 61 is still an important (underground) landmark for the city. It was still used to transport presidents and high-level government and military officials to the world famous Waldorf. (Fun fact every president since Herbert Hoover in 1931 up to Barack Obama has stayed in the glorious presidential suite). General John J Pershing was the first to use the rail car in 1938 during a city visit. And FDR did in fact use the car during a campaign in 1944 after giving an address on foreign policy at the Waldorf. After his address FDR descended into the basement and then took the presidential car back to Hyde Park. The car has been used for some alternate purposes including a 1965 “underground party” thrown by Andy Warhol.

Many railfans had already stated that the myth was false, quoting prominent sources, however Brucker’s tours which were taken by various media outlets such as CNN, Business Insider, Bloomberg were all shown a photo of FDR’s cabinet members standing outside the elevator at the end of the platform. His initial tours included the siding track, platform and elevator. Later on he included the rail car, where tourist could pictures. Brucker was fired in April 2017 because of the tours as the posed a “security risk and were “unsanctioned” during his off-hours.

The Ferdinand Magellan, is the only only known rail car that was used to transport the president. It is a designated National Historic Landmark and can be found at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Florida.

The Ferdinand Magellan. Now that looks like a presidential car.

2.0 slightly less secret

The red room - one wall street

location: one wall street, new york, usa

I remember stumbling across this on the NY Times website. Or maybe back when I actually had a subscription. But please indulge in this wonderful 360 panorama of an extraordinary room that has been restored in the new Macklowe Properties development. The rest of the building is condominiums which I’m unsure if they’ve hit the market just yet…

Nevertheless see here for the link to this great AR experience.

3.0 in my ears

99% invisible - the smell of concrete after rain

Even though I’m not a faithful listener to this podcast, I was sent this episode due to my subscription and was immediately drawn in by the title. Concrete is the second most consumed material in the world (behind water) and this episode is framed around the two recent deaths of Michael McKinnell and Michael Sorkin. McKinnell (who died of Covid complications) is famous for his design of the Boston City Music Hall, which he completed with Gerhard Kallman. The episode comments on the monumentality in the built world, their dislike by many, and the appreciation/kudos that exists with the people who really know about them. They’re so misunderstood! To end, the episode speaks about Sorkin, a renowned architecture critic and designer, famous for his outspoken writing who wrote for the Village Voice in the 1980s. See link for his 250 Things An Architect Should Know (which includes; No.85, The Smell of Concrete After Rain).

** Ash immediately purchases “Twenty Minutes in Manhattan by Michael Sorkin” off Amazon. **

3.0 underground architecture

drain the ocean

Thank you Uncle Leo for this wonderful tv show. Will admit that I have watched at least 15 minutes of an episode via a facetime call. This National Geographic show is pretty rad and is a documentary (British and Australian?) that uses underwater scanning technology and digital art to recreate the terrain. As I don’t have National Geographic the only episode that I have watched (partially) is the one on Alcatraz. Like a classic National Geographic doco, “Drain the Ocean” has the perfectly timed cliffhangers for ad breaks to keep you watching. But it is fascinating to learn about a whole other world in the ocean and how the terrain influences the tides.

Having recently been to Alcatraz at the beginning of the year I was well aware of the one and only infamous escape of three inmates back in 1962. Of course the documentary touches on their “successful” escape of Alcatraz but does not make any conclusions.

4.0 breathing perspectives

how can we help?

Oof. A hefty subject but you can’t go sweeping things under the rug. It eerily timed with Week #17’s episode about The Color of Law. But here we are. About time.

Seeing as LinkedIn is now my only source of social media I have seen the plethora of stances, comments, statements, logos etc. that have infiltrated this pandemic pandemonium, to be frank the next big corporation that tells me to reach out unite with family and friends… why is a pandemic the only reason to reach out to people?!

I will admit that personally coping with isolation has been more than fine, being thankful and having perspective checks are always important. However, when the protests came to the forefront it was very difficult to wrap my head around emotionally. To add there’s nothing more irritating, saddening and maddening than being hollered a racial slur whilst standing on the corner of East 11th and 2nd Ave. Nevertheless, I wrote the below after a few too many wines on a midsummer pandemic walk with Nick, (With the some edits for read-ability and general sense) read below:

How do we instigate change?

I remember being vividly told in architecture school that homelessness is a topic that you should never touch. “Some people choose to be homeless. You can’t force people into homes.” Without directly comparing NZ and NY from what I have seen I think that sentiment and statement is BS.

So now I think it's time. It's time to bring up all the gnarly subjects and understand what they mean warts and all. We face turbulent times in almost every aspect of life. On the health front we have the foot of the second wave potentially knocking on our doorstep in 100 days. A presidential election for November and a crazy economy with a mind of its own.

As a general rule I try and keep out of politics. But as I have come to join various non-profits and become more civically minded it is almost impossible to push it aside. As a non American (or technically a non-resident Alien) the political side effects (whilst I’m not fully in the weeds) have been interesting to watch.

Many are up-in-arms about the system in general, many are choosing not to vote. Personally I am not sure how you go about affecting change without complying with the rules you are given and assuming a position of "power" through the route that currently exists. Whilst this may be a painful and slow way of change it is the path that least lives will be harmed and the easiest to persuade any opposition. But without getting too ahead of myself I should really stay in my lane. So how can those in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry be there to help?

Right now we hold a pretty tough hand of cards: To generalize, we have systemic racial disparity that expands from micro to macro levels. To list a few; home ownership, education, healthcare, and job options.

From the perspective of designers we are currently propagating the racial divide, the ugly parts of gentrification and isolation of minorities. It is clear that the way cities and economic hubs are situated clearly favour the wealthy. As Richard Rothstein points out, the legacy of "racist" america exists because the fabric of society from policy to urban planning has allowed white supremacy and minorities to suffer, in particular, black people. We see the urban fabric of society from lot sizes, through to infrastructure as a symbolic reminder of the investment that cities make into where the dollar "stops".

Reminders of that exist in every city where an urban hub spreads outward, and neighbourhoods are slowly gentrified by not allowing current communities to stay and forcing them out. Therefore, a displaced citizen has a longer commute that has also pushed them out to devalued property.

What if? Those in disadvantaged communities were given opportunities on paths to homeowernership? Where families were able to build family home that could provide a stable roof over their heads. What if (as Jane Jacobs points out)? Instead of anecdotal patches of grass in city projects, communities were given thoughtful gardens and community space?

How do we start enforcing this change? I believe this needs to be through a careful concoction of public and private partnerships that engage both policy makers, financial professionals, developers, builders and designers to create thoughtful economic hubs that create communities to nurture future talent. To create a plan that doesn’t just revise a city zoning plan but a holistic plan which provides a united vision, and a number of initiatives to deliver it. Whether these initiatives are economic programs, urban guidelines or legal revisions.

If I had to pick on where to start, I would probably start with healthcare. Because there has to be a way out. And maybe I’m wrong but we need to start somewhere…

5.0 pride month

pride is a protest

amazing posters by win mixter

In February I was reunited with Team Chevron! (Anastasia and Win). Win showed us a very cool project that he had been working on which was released last month for Pride. Win has designed a set of 18 posters for bus stops that take away the corporate over- “rainbowfication” of Pride. These graphically rich posters come with a wealth of historical semantics and craft that are cleverly intertwined into a compelling set of narratives.

Win has written a fantastic article “Pride Is a Protest, Not Just a Party” which you can read on Medium to accompany this body of work.

We’ve known this all along: No one is coming to save us. It’s on us to save ourselves. We have to take our collective freedom into our own hands. - Win Mixter

Please see here for a direct link to another article on the San Francisco Arts Commision and/or follow @prideisaprotest on Instagram.

6.0 Technology

BIODEGRADABLE plastic

This is pretty rad, but saw this on my LinkedIn feed. Lucy Hughes, has just won the James Dyson Award for inventing a biodegradable plastic from fish scales called “Marina Tex”. The haters are all out in full force in the comments, ragging on about scaleability etc. But let’s not take away from the true victory here. 23 year-old Lucy has taken a discarded and unwanted item from fish waste and algae and turned it into something else! After a 100 or so tries she finally came across a wining formula. The video states that the plastic will break down in 6 weeks, doesn’t leach toxins into the environment and is stronger than a standard plastic bag and can be incorporated into a variety of packaging types. Her $39,000 grant will go towards furthering her research.

“Ultimately, we decided to pick the idea the world could least do without. MarinaTex elegantly solves two problems: the ubiquity of single-use plastic and fish waste.” - James Dyson, British Inventor

7.0 lost in translation

tendering: everywhere else? = bidding: USA

Let’s add to the ultimate confusion. Have to love the differences in English but sometimes the lingo is super so different

In construction speak, “tendering” is the process in which different contractors (or sub-contractors) are invited to submit pricing on packages of work. Also referred to in the United States as “bidding”.

8.0 make stuff

but make useless stuff

Simone Giertz is a huge proponent on making useless things. She has a mindset on building things that would fail she would never fail. This TED talk is a hilarious and heart-warming video which shows an unwavering fear of the pursuit to make things. It inspires us to ask questions, and think creatively.

8.0 i’m in miami b*tch

one thousand Museum

Architect: zaha hadid
Location: 1000 Biscayne Boulevard, miami, Florida, USA

Now a distant memory, I was lucky enough to go to Miami and check out this building. Yes, of course I tried to wrangle myself into a building tour (with Zaha staff members) (no harm in asking right?) but failed. The One Thousand Museum is high-end residential (another one) condominium in Miami, Florida. No light bulbs on guessing how it got its name, being located on 1000 Biscayne Boulevard and opposite Museum Park.

The Zaha design is a sculpted exoskeleton that is expressed by the slightly amorphous white tentacles that crawl up the building. Apart from the record breaking efforts that went underground (the foundations extend 170 feet into the ground, deepest in Miami-dade county) the building is actually quite disappointing. And that’s not because I got declined a tour. But in all honesty it’s just another tower. The exoskeleton, apart from delivering less columns to the floor space does not appear to offer any real tectonic advantages that create interesting interior spaces. In addition when looking up the facade from the exterior I’m not presented with sleek clean lined building or a grunty futuristic form. The exoskeleton is clad with glass-fibre reinforced concrete and the infill appears to be a regular curtain wall.

The One Thousand Museum, featuring a building clad with EIFS on the right.

9.0 bring it back

Relight my Fire by Dan Hartman. So great. Thanks Anna.

10.0 and they’ve done it again…

Pérez Art Museum

Architect: Herzog & de Meuron
Location: 1103 Biscayne Boulevard, miami, florida

Full elevation of the building, taken by Iwan Baan from Dezeen.

And my favourites strike again! Why do I love them? Because every building is so drastically different. Every building is a thoughtful experiment. Here HdM has delivered a building which is both monumental yet subtle (make any sense)? The extended loggias, draped with tropical plants are in tune with Florida’s climate. And the architects have designed a striking and subdued seaside structure. (I know you’re completely lost). What I’m trying to say is that the museum, whilst impressive in size, is not oversized for its location or use, yet still addresses the human scale and has a unique cozy charm to it. The pavilion effect and tiered spaces both on the interior and extended through to the exterior landscaping gives users ample space to meander around. From afar the building neatly assumes it seaside position giving patrons the opportunity to relax and enjoy the water views.

From 1/2 of the duo, Jacques Herzog explains “This building is just like a shelter. A roof just like the floor we stand on, under which volumes are assembled to collect, to expose and to show art.”

He continues stating that Miami doesn’t have a vernacular architecture in itself and that tourist are just drawn to the cluster of art deco architecture on Miami beach. In addition, the building’s floating qualities are part of the deconstruction of art deco, to offer full visitors permeability. As a true architect he says, “The ingredients here are the climate, the vegetation, the water, the sun. The building should respond to all these things… Like cooking in winter is different to cooking in summer because you don’t the same ingredients so you shouldn’t make things that make sense in summer, in winter.” ** drops mic **

11.0 architectural spotlight. this is…

sir david adjaye

Born: September 1966, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Born to Ghanaian parents, Adjaye is a British architect who moved to the UK aged nine. After short studio stints at David Chipperfield’s office and Eduardo Souto de Moura, David set up his first architectural office back in 1994, with William Russell, named Adjaye & Russell. In 2000 the office was dissolved and Adjaye set up his own, now world-renown practice. Adjaye has BA in Architecture from London South Bank University and in 1990 he was nominated for the RIBA President’s Medals.

So what’s his street cred?

His most famous work today, which significantly propelled him into the limelight was his commission for the National Museum of African American History. Adjaye was selected as part of a team of architects to design the museum which is part of the Smithsonian Institution and is on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

I have not been able to see the building in person myself. But some trusted architectural sources (Melane) have verified that its pretty awesome. Museums are an interesting typology which are a fine balance of, generous space, natural light, a controlled environment and thoughtful public amenity. The building maintains a sleek and unassuming profile, with half of it underground and extending 5 storeys above.

Adjaye’s office centered the design around “three main cornerstones”; these being, the “corona” overall shape of the building, the extension into the surrounding environment and the bronze facade. The intricate patterning of the facade historically references African American craft and the pattern density can be used to not only control the amount of sunlight permitted into the building, but its overall transparency when viewed from afar.

Pretty fresh before covid lockdown I was able to visit one of his latest editions to the built environment. This time it was a high end retail store called The Webster in Los Angeles. This super fancy, pink flagship store is a true ode to concrete. The store is part of the $500 million dollar upgrade to the Beverly center. The design is conceived as “a sculptural landscape for objects”, with Adjaye commenting how “retail on its own is just not interesting anymore.”

The Noguchi-esque concrete playground (y’all NYers have to go see the Noguchi Museum in Queens) is really a feast for the eyes with the sinuous curves of the concrete guiding you through the store. All the benches on the interior are cast-in-place concrete. The intention is not to have too much additional furniture in the store and to let it be appreciated as an abstract landscape.

See pics below from my visit with Izzie!

Currently being built in New York is Adjaye’s first tower in the city, 130 William Street. Nestled in the Financial District of Downtown Manhattan, the building is approx. 66 floors and is comprised of 240 luxury apartments. The cast facade was constructed as prefabricated pieces that were manufactured off-site. The large arched windows offer is occupants expansive views of the city.

Looking up the tower. Photo by Field Condition.

But wait there’s more! Here are a few more projects that are in Sir David Adjaye’s portfolio.

Sugar Hill, affordable housing development in Harlem, New York. An affordable housing development with 124 units.

Sunken house for photographer Ed Reeve. Completed back in 2007.

Shenanigans

1.0 a canine friend

Stella! The sweetest pup owned by Ashley 💖

2.0 babe

Initially I had planned to feature a Real Estate badass.

But, then I went on YouTube and saw that they had thoughtfully recommended a Tiny Desk Concert by Alicia Keys (filmed in Feb 12, 2020). Subsequently I got sucked into a YouTube black hole of Alicia Keys videos. And here we are.

The stunning Alicia Augello-Cook Dean aka Alicia Keys. A born and bred New Yorker who grew up in Hell’s Kitchen. Keys, learned piano the Suzuki way and is classically trained. At the age of 15 Keys had signed with Columbia Records; which was not a good partnership (according to her wiki page). She left Columbia to join Arista Records, who let her do her own thing. And I guess the rest is history. (I actually just can’t be bothered writing her full bio).

In 2016 Keys decided to ditch the make-up and embrace all her beautiful natural “flaws” whilst she was shooting for her album “Here”.

“I don't want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.” - Alicia Keys

3.0 boy

Controversial perhaps, but I’m going for it.

Who I refer to as the Mozart of Golf. Tiger Woods.

One of three billionaire sportsmen in the world (Michael Jordan and Michael Schumacher are the other two), Woods is spectacular. In the modern era of golf, Woods has won 15 major championships throughout his career (3 behind Jack Nicklaus). Whilst with sufficient character flaws as some may say, Woods is true testament to the skill and athleticism that can be achieved in golf.

Despite four back surgeries and a long time out of the game during recovery, Tiger’s rankings saw him drop out of the top 1000 golfers in the world around the beginning of 2018. Many thought this was the end of his career UNTIL he won the 2019 Masters, touted as potentially the most historic sporting comeback of our time.

Throughout his career, Tiger has had his fair share of racial slurs been thrown at him. He states in his biography:

“I hoped my win would open some doors for minorities. My biggest hope, though, was we could one day see one another as people and people alone. I wanted us to be colour blind. Twenty years later, that has yet to happen.”

Woods is yet to release his own memoir which he has signed with publisher HarperCollins. The memoir has a very fitting title: Back.

See below for his iconic 2005 Masters Shot. It’s absolutely incredible. No Joke.

4.0 stair porn

Umschreibung in Munich, Germany by Olafus Eliasson.

5.0 art

We celebrate the work of Christo.

Died on May 31st, from natural causes in his New York City home is an iconic artist known for his massive, highly conceptual installations, completed with Jeanne-Claude (died 2009).

The pair never took on board any grants, scholarships or public money, instead using the shear scale of the artworks to fund themselves.

Due to the scale of the work, preparation would take many years, even decades, to obtain permission from political outlets, the public, environmental groups, and entailed great technical execution.

The meaning behind their work was always for the immediate aesthetics, with its impact giving ways for viewers to appreciate joy and beauty, and to see their surroundings in a different way.

Surrounding Islands, Biscayne Bay, Florida, USA 1983

Scale model of The Mastaba for Abu Dahbi, (unbuilt)

Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, Germany, 1995

6.0 object

This awesome vase by called “Estetico Quotidiano Glass Jug” from Seletti. Because all banal household rubbish should be made into something delicate and beautiful.

They come in the small cute 230ml size also. (I prefer the glass over the ceramic option, I think it captures the smoothness and wafer thin aesthetic in a unique way. The ceramic looks a little butti for my liking).

7.0 the key to…

** ultimate ** happiness

lower your “almost” standards.

Over the long weekend I was at a July 4th party, and my friend says, “Hey Ash, 'so-and-so’ ALMOST met SIR IAN MCKELLEN.”

Me (turns to person): Please share immediately.

So-and-so: So I was in Shanghai and I left, THREE DAYS before Sir Ian Mckellen got there. He was inviting expats and foreigners to hang out with him because he couldn’t speak mandarin.

Me: Ohhhhh! (Huh?)

Me (thinking to myself later): Crikey that’s some pretty lenient “Almost” standards. Wow, you would live such a happy life if you adjusted your “Almost” standards. In that case… I’ve “Almost” Obama at least ten times. I’ve “Almost” dined at 11 Madison and Robert Downey Jr. is “Almost” my neighbour. Nailed it!

8.0 wanderlust

Seeing as it has been so stinking hot in New York, how about some crazy winter vibes.

9.0 In my ears round II

I haven’t officially had time to check everything out, but last month were the Webby Awards which “honors the best of the internet.” Click here for the swath of podcasts which have been voted by the public and professionals for some auditory awesomeness. (And yes I’m still listening to Pivot and it came first in the Business section).

10.0 Mother nature

Recently I had a pretty horrific run in with an unwanted housepet that had met an untimely death, drowning in my kettle. Unsure whether it actually died because I boiled it alive (and drank roach infused tea) or if it crawled in during the middle of the night and met its demise by falling on its back into a modern age well… I’m going to roll with the later, it made me think of other creepy crawlies. So here you go…

** the world’s most venomous spider ** spiders are venomous, not poisonous. Apparently the difference is how the “poison” is delivered. Spiders willfully inject their victims with their secret sauce.

So without further adieu I present to you the…

sydney funnel web spider.

I’m already scared looking at it. They make their little homes 2 feet under the ground and line them with their finely spun web.

Once one of these guys bite you (only the males possess the hard core venom) you will die in 15 minutes. Doctors encourage you to then capture the spider and bring it with you to the emergency room (if possible). Their fangs are so sharp they can pierce shoe leather and fingernails. When bitten, you will experience immense pain at the locale of the bite, shortly followed by, vomiting, crying, profuse sweating, drooling, muscle spasms, accelerated heart beat and a low blood pressure.

Surprisingly the venom is super toxic humans and other primates, yet other mammals are largely unaffected like rabbits, which are used to help create the anti-venom.

Thankfully these spiders are only found within 60 mile radius around Sydney, Australia.

And since the anti venom has been developed nobody has died from a spider bite.

11.0 LOL

gov andrew cuomo

New York’s new and only father figure leading us out of this crisis.

Mask around your neck: Not useful.

Mask covering your mouth and nose: Useful. pic.twitter.com/DjVNYkIqob
— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) June 30, 2020

12.0 what to watch.

the old guard

If you want some action (a little gory) and to not have to think. Watch Charlize Theron’s new blockbuster, out on Netflix.

13.0 nom nom nom.

los tacos no.1

I forget how good this place is. And probably one of very few legit legit Mexican tacos on Manhattan. *'I’m ready for any refutes to this comment. Please inform me and I will gladly try it out.

Any how Los Tacos has locations in both the Chelsea Markets (most likely closed) and up on 43rd street between 6th and 7th Ave. Try their cactus tacos for something new!

14.0 and that’s a wrap! here’s some ‘new’ music

Not a new new find but maybe semi new? Jordan Rakei Kiwi-Aussie artist (born in Tokoroa) has been the Tom Misch body double, nailing the neo-soul for the summer months this year. Below is not a video clip so just press play and listen. However the Tiny Desk Concert is phenomenal (below, below).

In addition, on June 26 Khruangbin’s new album Mordechai came out! (It’s excellent, although it might take a minimum of two listens).

Here’s a playlist below which is a smattering of random songs that are on repeat in my headphones, that I have personal silent discos too.

threethirty-itis week #18 - Peak Summer
Sweating in place in my very unergonomic dining chair from article.

“live free or die”