Something About It’s Archtober!
Scott Fitzgerald described the 1925 New York skyline in The Great Gatsby:
“The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.”
The bridge is still there, as immortalized in Woody Allen’s 1979 film “Manhattan.” And of course, Manhattan is still there, too: but with a skyline that has drastically changed from an architectural standpoint. Buildings may come and go in any city, but the rich architectural history in New York offers perhaps the most jaw-dropping collection of buildings in a relatively small place than anywhere in the world. There’s an unparalleled variety of architecture reflected in the skyline.
So it’s only natural that New York also hosts a month-long festival of architectural activities, programs, and exhibitions.
It takes place across New York City every year in October—and it’s called, of course: Archtober(ärk’tōbər).
New York’s Center for Architecture put together the 2017 program, collaborating with over 70 partners and affiliates across the five boroughs.
Throughout the month, attendees can peruse the Building of the Day tours, with locations from the Bronx River House and Staten Island Courthouse, to the Noguchi Museum in Queens and the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Morningside Heights, to even the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem – a complete transformation of an abandoned 1903 public school.
Bronx River House, image credit Untapped Cities
Boys and Girls Club of Harlem, image credit bgcharlem.org
Staten Island Courthouse, image credit Ennead Architects
For a rare opportunity on the weekend of October 14th and 15th, Open House New York— whose mission is to provide access to the ‘extraordinary architecture of New York–’ offers the chance to see inside city buildings that are seldom accessible to the public.
New York City offers a wide array of architectural styles and is a “living” example of the history of architecture in America. Urban design and planning impact New Yorkers perhaps more so than in any other place in the country since the large population and visiting numbers place such high demands on the infrastructure.
But most importantly, what happens in New York affects people all across the world, especially in the United States. New York is a vibrant place to visit or in which to live– and much of that is because of the architecture and design the city impacts on daily life.
That’s why the mission of Archtober is important to anyone interested in the importance of architecture and design in daily life. With tours, lectures, exhibitions, and films, Archtober seeks to raise awareness of the role of design via the richness of New York City’s built environment.
New York has been inspiring writers, artists, designers, architects and more for decades. It’s an entire cityscape of Design Inspiration!
The wide variety of design and architecture throughout the five boroughs of New York City represent some of the greatest works of the greatest artists of our modern time.
Roos International salutes Archtober—a month-long celebration of the best that New York has to offer when it comes to design and architecture. And Roos is proud to have been fostering Design Inspiration for over 30 years now.
Some people say South Florida is the 6th Borough of New York City. And if that means the chance to add to the narrative of innovation, history, and quality of architecture and design that is part of New York?
We’ll take it!
Are you looking for something new for your own Design Inspiration? Architects, Contractors, Interior Designers visit the Roos International Showroom. It features materials for creating your own project—be it small or sized like New York, New York! You’ll also find a knowledgeable and responsive staff that can help with material selection.
Make your mark with Octopus Products’ new line of decorative surfacing solutions: hand-woven wood veneers, perforated panels, coconut shells, pure metals and more to create drama and intrigue in your space.
OCTOWEAVE HAND WOVEN VENEERS
OCTOPERF PERFORATED PANELS
OCTOTERRA COCONUT SHELLS
OCTOTERRA 3D PANELS
OCTOLUX PURE METALS
See this and more in the Showroom! There’s always something new. Click below and be transported instantly!
