#New York architecture 1930s

[scavengedluxury]

Lightning strikes the Empire State Building, New York, 1932. From the Budapest Municipal Photography Company archive.

[new-york-central-official]

One of our favorite pieces of artwork depicting a part of our grand rail system is featured here on the cover of a promotional pamphlet full of activities and information for people visiting New York courtesy of us. The New York Central Building was our headquarters until the bitter end, and it is rendered beautifully here dominating park avenue. It is (illegitimately) called The Helmsley Building today. On the table of contents a banner image containing the New York Central Mercury, a streamlined 4-6-2 introduced in 1936.

[voca1ion]

Many of the postcards from the 1930s and 1940s do a very bad job touching up the Chrysler Building, particularly mangling the crown. It’s nice to see that this one is very faithful to the real thing.

[newyorkthegoldenage]

The first architectural rendering of the future Rockefeller Center (then called Metropolitan or Radio City) was revealed on March 6, 1931.

The press was not kind. "The crux of the problem is that Radio City is ugly," wrote the Herald Tribune. "The exterior is hideously dull and ugly." The Times referred to its "architectural fallacies and horrors." The central feature of the design, a circular structure to house Chase National Bank, was called an "oil drum."

The architects were sent back to the drawing board, with Raymond Hood now advising. He opened up the campus, which had had a lot of buildings crammed into a small space, replaced the brick with limestone, and scrapped the oil drum. He also added rooftop gardens to several buildings and placed a fountain in the sunken plaza.

Photo: istoriadelosrascacielosdenuevayork

[sealedintime]

Manhattan snow storm, 1947, photo by Al Fenn for the New York Daily News

[semioticapocalypse]

Carl Russell waves to his co-workers on the structural work of the 88th floor. 1930

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[inthedarktrees]

Berenice Abbott, Night Vew, New York, 1932

[nickysfacts]

This could have been so cool, if logic didn’t get in the way!

😩

[alightinthelantern]

Lobby of the International Building aka 45 Rockefeller Center, NYC, after the 2024 renovations by Gabellini Sheppard Associates (source)

[rabbitcruiser]

The Chrysler Building in New York City opened to the public on May 27, 1930.  

[scavengedluxury]

World Fair, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 1939. From the Budapest Municipal Photography Company archive.

[voca1ion]

1930s trifold postcard depicting the then-new Chrysler building on Lexington Avenue 42nd street.

[inthevintagekitchen]

The Magical Second Life of Samuel Gottscho and a Locally Inspired Recipe to Match

Orient Point, Long Island en route to Southold, NY When Samuel Gottscho began his professional photography career at the age of 50, it was a leap of faith and a vast change from the garment industry salesman job he had known all his adult life. By this point, as he entered into his fifth decade, he was a husband and a father with a young daughter to raise and a long-time reputation in the…

[kronika-ilustrowana]

Нью-Йорк, самый большой театр в мире (Мюзик-Холл)

[nobrashfestivity]

R. Buckminster Fuller A Dymaxion Home, project Elevation, axonometric, and plan Architectural Drawing Drawing date: c. 1930 Project date: c. 1930

(model made later) Unbuilt Fuller's 1927-29 Dymaxion House project inspired his Wichita House, Wichita, Kansas, of 1945-46 (212.1978 and 213.1978). The Wichita House was the only Dymaxion-type house built. "R. Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion House was inspired by a desire to create widely available low cost housing. Fuller believed that by adopting the efficient and cost-effective assembly-line production methods used for the automobile he could produce a home at the same price as a car. The unusual hexagonal-shaped house was clad with double-panel vacuum-glazed walls and was fully air-conditioned. Its central aluminum core housed all mechanical equipment and provided the support structure for the roof and floor. Fuller's goal, 'maximum gain of advantage from minimal energy input,' was never realized, but his concept introduced a radical new way of living to the general public. Despite numerous early orders, only one modified postwar version of the house was ever built." - Bevin Cline and Tina di Carlo in "The Changing of the Avant-Garde: Visionary Architectural Drawings from the Howard Gilman Collection" (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2002).

[blackbird5154]

Some possible sources of inspiration for Meliora design

It is known that when creating Meliora, Tobias Forge was inspired by the movie "Metropolis" and the art deco style of the 1920-30s. Here I want to share my findings of some borrowed elements in the third era.

The Palace of the Soviets was a project to construct a political convention center in Moscow on the site of the demolished Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The project was never realized. Zbigniew Bielak wrote in his blog: "Check out the rough concept sketches leading up to this apotheosis of Soviet esprit". Meliora is probably referring to the USSR as a failed utopia.

The building beneath the lustful megalomaniac resembles Boston Avenue United Methodist Church (1929).

This element is taken from the old RKO building (usually known as the General Electric Building) (1929-31). The theme of electricity is given a lot of attention in Meliora.

The lanterns in the hands are made in the style of the Helsinki Central Railway Station (1907) lamps. Papa Emeritus is compared to Lucifer the Light-bringer, and at the same time he is the bearer of the idea of enlightenment.

Another unrealized building, a concept by visionary artist Hugh Ferriss, can be seen in the City's urban landscape from the music video. Hugh Ferriss was an American architect and illustrator who created many images of futuristic New York in the 1920s, he's also the author of the book "The Metropolis of Tomorrow".

This building is the actual Odeon Cinema in Glasgow. It was built in 1934 and was originally owned by the American Paramount movie studio. A prime example of mid-1930s architectural modernism.

The cover of "From the Pinnacle to the Pit" is painted from Nick Gaetano's "Romantic Manifesto." It is a 2006 painting inspired by Ayn Rand's book "Atlas Shrugged".