New York Art and Architecture – Special Interest Day 13 October 2022

New York at night with light memorial to the Twin Towers

Eveline Eaton gave us three wonderful lectures on the Art and Architecture of New York, covering its history, the development of its amazing architecture and showing us major exhibits in its wealth of great museums. Mike McCart gives us his personal take on some of the highlights of the day:

“As someone who spent 10 years attending arts conferences in New York each December during the 1990’s, I thought I knew all there was to know about this great American City.

But Eveline Eaton’s fascinating presentation on New York Art and Architecture proved how wrong I was. The blend of history, art and architecture revealed so many interesting gems, all given a vibrancy with clever slides and a clear authoritative voice.

There were many stand out facts. That the city’s nickname, The Big Apple, emerged from jazz musicians in Harlem during the 1930’s. That Leonard’s Bernstein’s West Side Story was a tribute to the 1,600 people forcibly moved to make way for the Lincoln Arts Centre. That the Statue of Liberty’s crown has seven spikes referencing the seven seas.

That the 1930’s Rockefeller Centre, made up of 19 buildings, including the famous Radio City Music Hall, in over 40 acres was a city within a city. That Broadway is one of the few diagonal streets in New York, creating wonderful architectural opportunities for V shape buildings. That Grand Central Station is still the city’s most popular meeting place.

That the Trump Tower was a visual blot on the city skyline. That Peter Tchaikovsky conducted the opening concert at Carnegie Hall on 9 May 1891. That there was such a strong European influence not only in the architectural design of Museums but also in the collections they display.

Finally, that in the 844-acre Central Park is the Shakespeare Garden, which contains every herb referenced in all his plays.

It was good to get such a clear and moving insight behind the architectural rationale to the Memorial to those nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks; and that a British architect, Norman Foster, was selected to build the two new replacement Towers.

Looking to more recent developments, it was a delight to see our very own Thomas Heatherwick, of 2012 London Olympic fame, being so warmly embraced by New York philanthropists, who funded his Pier 55 project, a garden island on the Hudson River off Manhattan, as well as new apartment blocks with green terraces.

The Edge Tower, New York

The rolling Shed, a performing arts venue that can be moved to serve different types of performance, was intriguing. The Edge tower with a fabulous viewing gallery at the top that is not for the faint hearted given it boasts a glass floor.

The Study Day was fun, informative, and very rewarding. It was supported by a well organised set up for refreshments and lunch, at which there was much laughter. A good day all round!”

Mike McCart