Variations On A Theme
A lamppost after a February snowstorm: Art in the office of Yellow House Architects: It’s the end of the week,
Journal
Our work with old buildings has us studying a lot of different topics in addition to structural engineering – for example, architecture, history, and historic preservation – and we like sharing stories about what we’ve found.
New and Less New
From January 11, 1952, Max Hubacher gives us “View of the tip of Manhattan from the new Brooklyn Heights Esplanade”:
Equitable on Broad Street 4
The last photo from yesterday’s discussion of caissons at the construction of 15 Broad Street showed the beginning of the
Equitable on Broad Street 3
The demolition of the superstructure of the Mills Building left a cellar hole full of masonry walls, as seen on
Equitable on Broad Street 2
The first order of business for constructing the new Equitable Building at 15 Broad Street was the demolition of the
Equitable on Broad Street 1
I’m going to spend a few days on a sequence of construction photos from 1926, because the sequence is more
Eat Your Heart Out, Escher
I may have used this picture before, but I can’t find it if I have. One of the stairs at
Blossoms
Spring must be here: the blossoms are out.
Not The Usual Topic
This afternoon I will be attending the 2026 Preservation Conference of the Historic Districts Council, on the topic of “Making
Speculative Weirdness
Forest Hills Gardens in Queens was constructed as a rail suburb, taking advantage of the nearby main line of the
The Other End
Last week, I was talking about a postcard showing the Manhattan end of the Brooklyn Bridge. From 1912, here’s the
An Obsession
It’s a cliché to state that land is expensive in Manhattan because it’s an island surrounded by large rivers and
Daylighting
Ten years ago (!) I discussed[1] the restoration of a portion of the Saw Mill River in central Yonkers to
Not Quite “The Last Of Us”
My first thought was to wonder why someone had been using spray-foam insulation in an abandoned building. Then I realized
A Surprising Source
I don’t go into the Port Authority Bus Terminal expecting to agree with the management on much, but on January
Not Quite Waterworld
A good article on life in a city near sea level: “A Fifth of NYC Built on Bygone Water Now
Influences
This is not Artemis II: That’s Apollo 11. I have some vague memories from the summer of 1969, when I
Multimodal
From 1911, a much-worn postcard showing Park Row: City Hall is off to the left, amongst the trees; the big
Not Recommended
A photo of a tile arch floor from a 2018 site visit: Starting with the easy stuff: the hung ceiling
Emphasized During Demolition
February 1, 1956, Max Hubacher shows us the demolition of the el, titled “42nd Street and 3rd Avenue, Manhattan”: The