Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Arts & Culture
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Arts & Culture

‘Never Built New York’ Queens Museum Exhibition with SU, School of Architecture Connection Explores Alternative NYC Never Seen

Monday, September 18, 2017, By Elaine Wackerow
Share
Bird LibraryexhibitionSchool of Architecture
Marcel Breuer print

Marcel Breuer, Grand Central Tower, 1968. Graphite, ink and gouache on illustration board with trace overlay, 42in x 30.5in. Courtesy Marcel Breuer Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries

Buried somewhere in the universal archive of architectural projects lies a massive catalogue of unbuilt proposals: a treasure trove of “what ifs” and visions of what could or might have been. Though seemingly inert and consigned to the past, these proposals have the potential to inspire those who contemplate and design for the present and the future.

In 2013, the A+D Architecture and Design Museum in Los Angles hosted “Never Built Los Angeles,” an exhibition co-curated by Greg Goldin and Sam Lubell, based on the pair’s successful book of the same name. Goldin, an architecture critic, and Lubell, an architectural writer and editor, featured more than 100 proposed projects that never came to fruition, painting a dramatic picture of what might have been.

The speculation continues and moves to the east coast with “Never Built New York” exhibition curated by Goldin and Lubell, which opened this month at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows, New York City. Christian Wassmann is the exhibition designer. “Never Built New York” runs through Feb. 18, 2018.

A selection of Marcel Breuer drawings from the Marcel Breuer Papers Special Collections at Syracuse University Bird Library has been sponsored by Syracuse Architecture and Bird Library, and is included in the exhibition.

The exhibition invites visitors to explore “the alternative paths New York City could have traveled” and “encourages us to think beyond the present tense and push the boundaries of what the future of the metropolis holds.”

In conjunction with the exhibition, Goldin and Lubell are teaching a “Never Built New York” course this fall to Syracuse Architecture students studying in the school’s New York City studio program at the Fisher Center.

Marcel Breuer print

Marcel Breuer, Grand Central Tower, 1968. Pencil on transparent drafting paper, 41in x 45in. Courtesy Marcel Breuer Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries

“This is an exceptional opportunity for our students,” says Dean Michael Speaks. “Greg and Sam not only have incredible insight on New York City architectural history, but also the unique energy and challenges faced by the design community at the core of this urban center.”

In their book, Goldin and Lubell write “On close scrutiny, the catalogue of unbuilt New York projects demonstrates just how hard it is, when a designer conceives of something new or outside the orthodoxy, to realize that innovation. In most other cities, this cold fact might be taken for granted; but in New York, where ceaseless creativity and aspiration are the norm, it is surprising how many potentially brilliant buildings are confined to the archives, and how many city plans have been erased, in some cases even before they were made public.”

The “Never Built New York” exhibition promises to provide backward reflection and forward inspiration for designers and non-designers alike.

 

  • Author

Elaine Wackerow

  • Recent
  • Important Information Regarding Proof of Eligibility for and Access to the COVID Vaccine
    Saturday, January 16, 2021, By News Staff
  • COVID-19 Update: Vaccination | Testing | Important Reminders | Zoom Sessions
    Friday, January 15, 2021, By News Staff
  • Important Update: Spring 2021 Pre-Arrival Testing Requirements (Students from New York State and contiguous states)
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By News Staff
  • Important Update: Spring 2021 Pre-Arrival Testing and Quarantine Requirements (Students from all states non-contiguous to New York State and international locations)
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By News Staff
  • Students and Families Invited to Participate in Zoom Sessions to Discuss Return to Campus Planning
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By News Staff

More In Arts & Culture

College of Visual and Performing Arts Flexes Creative Muscle to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic

“Visual and Performing Arts students wouldn’t have a reason to be here if they couldn’t sing or hold an instrument or act onstage or spend time in the studio.  The arts are a social activity, not something that lends itself…

Special Collections Research Center Receives Grant to Process Forrest J. Ackerman Papers

The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation is providing Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) with a $17,000 grant to process the Forrest J. Ackerman Papers. Ackerman was a popular American science fiction author, editor, agent, collector and fan. His…

Architecture Students Help Design Street Renovation Project in China

Since April 2020, a team of students from the School of Architecture have been working on a master plan to transform a street scape in the future city of Xiong’an New Area in China’s Hebei province. After a long delay…

Rolling Appointed to Everson Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees

James Haywood Rolling Jr., a dual professor of arts education and teaching and leadership in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and School of Education, has been appointed to the board of trustees of the Everson Museum of…

Romita Ray’s Research on Tea Leads to Unexpected Connections and Personal Discovery

Associate professor of art history Romita Ray specializes in the art and architecture of the British Empire in India. With assistance from the University’s Proposal Support Services and internal grant funding, Ray is doing research she feels an intimate personal…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2021 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.