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"Skyscrapers reveal
their bold structural pattern during construction. Only then does the gigantic
steel web seem impressive. When the outer walls are put in place, the structural
system, which is the basis of all artistic design, is hidden by a chaos of
meaningless and trivial forms...Instead of trying to solve old problems with
these old forms we should develop new forms from the very nature of the new
problems. We can see the new structural principles most clearly when we use
glass in place of the outer walls, which is feasible today since in a skeleton
building these outer walls do not carry weight. The use of glass imposes
new solutions." ludwig mies van der rohe
the only building in manhattan designed by the master architect, mies van der rohe, the seagram's building remains the true parthenon of modernist architecture of the 20th century. Its plaza, set back from the side walk more than one hundred feet, punctuates its magnitude and gives way to a serene and tranquil public space. It is a strict and deliberate attention to detail, expressed in a palate of travertine, french walnut, bronze, and smoked glass. the seagram's building is located at 375 park avenue and serves as the perfect location for an impromtu urban picnic. |