Uncouth Reflections

epiminondas writes:

A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.  So does a good skyscraper.  It should feel well grounded, like it is where it belongs.  As you look up at the building, your eye should be enchanted and encouraged to dwell on details as it follows the building skyward.  And when you see the top, it should look like the end. It should make a statement, put a period on the sentence.  Or an exclamation point.  It should end with dignity and grace, not just STOP.  In my estimation, the General Electric building in New York City possesses all the characteristics of a truly great architectural masterpiece.  It definitely has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Above is a view of the GE building as seen from my hotel room in the recent past. It stands at the corner of Lexington and 51st avenue to the left of the Waldorf Astoria. What is really enchanting about it is the top…

Now this is the kind of elegance and panache you just don’t see any more in architecture.  Vibrant, muscular, restrained, and yet flamboyant at the same time.  You don’t really notice the spectacular detail from the ground looking up.  But from a height (and we were in the 30-range of floors) you can see how dazzling the top of the GE building really is.

At any point you gaze at this structure, you linger to see the details.  This is the kind of architecture we once took for granted. It is a masterpiece. Long may it stand as a testament to an artistic vision of the early American skyscraper.