Rafael Viñoly Apologizes for Dissing 432 Park
Image of Rafael Viñoly via Rafael Viñoly Architects Facebook page for Fall 2011/Winter 2012 issue of Pin-Up: Magazine for Architectural Entertainment
Image of Rafael Viñoly via Rafael Viñoly Architects Facebook page for Fall 2011/Winter 2012 issue of Pin-Up: Magazine for Architectural Entertainment
On Monday, the architecture world was gobbling up the comments starchitect Rafael Viñoly made about 432 Park Avenue at a Douglas Elliman talk last week. He admitted that the 1,400-foot supertall “has a couple of screw-ups,” referring to the interior design and layout, as well as the window framing, which he blamed on developer Harry Macklowe. But it looks like the architect is a bit red in the face, because he penned a lengthy public letter to design blog Dezeen apologizing for his loose lips.
“In the context of what we understood to be a private and off-the-record conversation, I expressed frustration, inartfully, about the consequences of my profession’s diminished position in the real estate development eco-system. Sometimes I get a little excited and say things that can easily be taken out of context and stripped of their humor. I have to improve,” he said.
He continued: “Part of the fun of an evening like the Douglas Elliman event last week is in relating anecdotes and banter about the collaborations that made 432 Park possible, my working relationship with Harry, and developers in general. Harry is a dear friend, CIM is a great organization and 432 Park is without a doubt our most significant contribution to the New York City skyline; its success is testament to a symbiotic and positive relationship between architect and developer.”
As 6sqft previously noted, this isn’t the first time Viñoly and Macklowe playfully pushed each other’s buttons publicly: “Viñoly once described Macklowe as ‘a truck driver with an education in aesthetics,’ and Macklowe has referenced the ‘penis envy‘ spearheading the city’s supertall race.
[Via Dezeen]
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