One of the latest sites that will hopefully be revived from the dead is 151-161 Maiden Lane, which sits along the East River right next to the South Street Seaport. The project was originally conceived prior to the recession, which fortunately killed the initial design (it was a simple box).
Renderings of the project’s re-imagination don’t actually make it seem like any imagination went into the re-design, either. It’s certainly better than a simple box, but the tower looks like it could have been proposed anywhere, particularly Miami Beach.
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| 151 Maiden Lane, Image from John Fotiadis Architects |
Given the range of other towers that front the East River in the Financial District, 151 Maiden Lane definitely isn’t an eyesore. There are several enormous boxy buildings that are relics of the 1960s-70s, each of which helped contribute to the ‘plateau’ of Lower Manhattan. Instead of soaring and elegant architecture, the FiDi saw one squat box after another.
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| 151 Maiden Lane, Image from John Fotiadis Architects |
151 Maiden Lane certainly isn’t a squat box, but it could definitely be taller. All in all, it isn’t bad. The tower looks to rise 40-odd stories, and is supposed to be mixed-use, with construction beginning in either 2014 or 2015. The architect is John Fotiadis, and their website has more information on the project as well.
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