80x. SoHo Historic District
A.K.A.: SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District
Location: roughly bounded by West Broadway, Houston, Crosby, and Canal Streets
Built: from early 1800s to today; most cast-irons date from 1870s
Architects: multiple
National Register Number: 78001883
Listed: June 29, 1978
Visited: June 21, 24, and 26; August 8 and 31, 2008
Additional Information: LPC Landmark Designation Report
Once a neoclassical post office of no geat shakes in a city (in a country) choked with them, 103-107 Prince Street (Thomas W. Lamb, 1910) was made respectable for the New Glitzy SoHo via a 2002 transformation into New York City's first Apple Store. Respectable, and sort of annoying. With five million customers in a little less than four years, and presumably even greater numbers of people there just to look and see and scream at the Jonas Brothers, it's come to be regarded as a menance to local residents on a scale that no bar or restaurant has ever been, or ever could be.
It's won awards and high hosannas--even appearing on the lower rungs of the AIA 150, but I can't get too excited about it. While the exterior retains a memory of its former life, as far as I can remember, its interior is so Apple-tasteful it betrays not a single clue that it was ever anything other than an Apple store: I've seen the future, and it's oppressively neutral. Me, I much prefer the razzle-dazzle of its younger brother on 59th Street, a glassy gift box endlessly reflecting back upon itself. Plus it's open 24/7/365 like a real fucking New York flagship store should.
I make a point of not taking pictures where they're not allowed, not even surreptitiously, not even if I can get away with it, and I tend to assume any the security guards at any retail store won't be happy if I start using my camera, no matter well-populated it is. Thing is, I think just about every computer in the store is equipped with a webcam and online access, so...
Location: roughly bounded by West Broadway, Houston, Crosby, and Canal Streets
Built: from early 1800s to today; most cast-irons date from 1870s
Architects: multiple
National Register Number: 78001883
Listed: June 29, 1978
Visited: June 21, 24, and 26; August 8 and 31, 2008
Additional Information: LPC Landmark Designation Report
Once a neoclassical post office of no geat shakes in a city (in a country) choked with them, 103-107 Prince Street (Thomas W. Lamb, 1910) was made respectable for the New Glitzy SoHo via a 2002 transformation into New York City's first Apple Store. Respectable, and sort of annoying. With five million customers in a little less than four years, and presumably even greater numbers of people there just to look and see and scream at the Jonas Brothers, it's come to be regarded as a menance to local residents on a scale that no bar or restaurant has ever been, or ever could be.
It's won awards and high hosannas--even appearing on the lower rungs of the AIA 150, but I can't get too excited about it. While the exterior retains a memory of its former life, as far as I can remember, its interior is so Apple-tasteful it betrays not a single clue that it was ever anything other than an Apple store: I've seen the future, and it's oppressively neutral. Me, I much prefer the razzle-dazzle of its younger brother on 59th Street, a glassy gift box endlessly reflecting back upon itself. Plus it's open 24/7/365 like a real fucking New York flagship store should.
I make a point of not taking pictures where they're not allowed, not even surreptitiously, not even if I can get away with it, and I tend to assume any the security guards at any retail store won't be happy if I start using my camera, no matter well-populated it is. Thing is, I think just about every computer in the store is equipped with a webcam and online access, so...
Labels: Apple Store, SoHo, Thomas W. Lamb
posted by Michael at
10:10 PM
1 Comments:
These architecture shots are great!!
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