My second choice of images that share similar physical spaces but evoke different intangible feelings are super skinny skyscrapers.
The first is of the skyscraper in 111 West 57th Street. The luxury designed tower tapers at the top like a pencil and has only one residence on each floor. Its east and west facades are clad in terracotta tiles with bronze accents, while glass curtain walls face Central Park to the north and Lower Manhattan to the south. The building standing at 472 metres hight and houses a 25-metre swimming pool, as well as other luxury amenities including a private dining room and a double-height fitness centre with a terrace.
My second image is of the MoMa Tower, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. It’s the 11th highest building in New York City and it’s certainly seems to have been built in the perfect spot and close proximity to all the great spots of the city, it’s in midtown Manhattan and has 360-degree views of the city skyline, including Central Park, the Hudson River, and the East River. The different layers to the structure give the building character, standing at 320 metres high it also boasts beautiful interiors.
Both buildings have physical similarities but evoke different intangible feelings.
The first building, the 111 West 57th Street skyscraper screams power and importance, it wants to be the tallest building in NYC but for me the tallest isn’t always the best. It certainly has a sense of large scale because NYC have skyscrapers and that’s nothing new but this skyscraper has less character and evokes a feeling of loneliness, it was obviously designed to stand out from the rest, that was probably intentional and so feels less about the city and more about status.
The second building, the MoMA Tower, is again a tall building but has much more character and charm about it. The different heights of the building resemble a pyramid shape, it still serves a purpose of sharing the best views across the city but in a much more desirable way. It stands adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art and so the design seems more in-keeping with the area and so in my opinion, the building evokes a sense of aesthetic and drama in a more collaborative way.
My last pair of images is of interior bathrooms with views through a glass window.
The first image is of a master bathroom at 432 Park Avenue, New York City, which has the most amazing view over the city. Structural and physical elements such as the walls, floor, glass window, bath and bathroom fixtures sit seamlessly in the space. The designer has considered which material best to use, it’s high end quality luxurious material, marble, but has really captured the feeling within by using soft lighting in the room, this creates a different mood at sunset and sunrise with the added bonus of the glow from the sky. The window space frames a view of the city, of the skyline and less of the buildings, which create a sumptuous relaxing atmosphere.
Another bathroom in the second image, in the same city but photographed during the day with daylight pouring in. Structurally it’s very similar to the first image, with walls, windows, bath and bathroom fixtures which also sit in a wonderful space. The obvious differences are that the window view is broken up with several panes and the interior walls and floor are of a different style of material. I love how the colours in the walls and floor pick out the colours in the buildings over the city. The view is again another beautiful one but interrupted with window frames, not as seamless a view as image one.
They both evoke a feeling of amazement and wonder simply because of the view, but image one draws me into a moody, mysterious feeling, a place you could really lose yourself in with a good book, and the view of course! The second image evokes a feeling of amazement which is helped more with the view than the bathroom itself but the colours in the walls and floor lead my eye to the buildings in an appreciative, thoughtful way.
This exercise was interesting. I would normally view an image and form my opinion as to whether I liked it or not but comparing two very similar images helped me fully understand my reasons for liking or disliking. It has helped me put my feelings into words, expressing my opinion in this way will help me in making future design decisions, it has helped me understand the meaning of intangibility a little more. I generally show my emotions when I enter a space or take in the view of a building, I generally show my emotions in my every day life, which is coming in very handy right now! I’m also aware there is still so much more to learn, I’m looking forward to strengthening this ability as I work through the unit.
Images
Fig. 1 – 111 West, 57th Street, NYC skyscraper https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/13/super-skinny-skyscrapers-new-york-city/ (accessed 9.10.22)
Fig. 2 – MoMA Tower, NYC skyscraper https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/13/super-skinny-skyscrapers-new-york-city/ (accessed 9.10.22)
Fig. 3 – A master bathroom at 432 Park Avenue, NYC https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/garden/bathrooms-with-full-frontal-views.html (access 10.10.22)
Fig. 4 – #57A residence, the Flatiron District, NYC https://robbreport.com/shelter/homes-for-sale/rupert-murdoch-lists-two-new-york-condos-for-78-million-1234670108/ (accessed 10.10.22)
my Interior Design Journey 