DOPE ON THE SLOPE ON GEHRY

Dope on the Slope posted a comment to my "I Like Frank Gehry But.." piece.

I agree that some of Gehry’s work is beautiful and even inspiring. I
think the museum at Bilbao will stand the test of time and remain an
icon long after many of his other buildings are razed or forgotten.

The man obviously has talent, but he was overreaching in accepting
the assignment for Atlantic Yards, the footprint of which is bigger
than the WTC site. You don’t "design" neighborhoods. You might "plan"
them, but you don’t design them. The superblock is a failed concept,
Frank should know better.

What disappoints me most, however, is his condescending attitude
toward local residents who are skeptical of the project that will
change their quality of life forever – a change they did not ask for,
nor have they been consulted since the proposal was announced. His
remarks concerning legitimate criticism of his concept seem at once
both defensive and elitist. Many of the most vocal critics are
architects, urban planners, designers and experienced activists for
smart development. He may dismiss armchair pundits like me as
uninformed philistines, but he can’t hide from the truth – His design
won’t create the vibrant urban space that FCR is promising everyone. It
will in fact dampen the revitalization that is already occurring in the
area.

We need a catalytic project, not a wholesale recreation of the neighborhood in the image of Jersey City.

Hopefully Frank will see the light. He should be worried about his
legacy. This project is the biggest he’s ever tackled, but the results
will be far below the standards of his best work.