it all comes down to one thing: greed. If renovations are feasible and affordable, they renovate but otherwise, historic buildings are demolished. In Toronto, we see it all the time.... now they don't tear them down, they gut them and use on the facade, absolutely horrible.
There are some bldgs that should be preserved at any cost. They are the soul of a city. Wrigley(Chi.)Empire State(NYC), u.s.w. Hundred year old bldgs. can be maintained in diverse uses.😊
I can’t imagine NYC without the Empire State, 30 Rock or the Chrysler. Now Billionaires row skinny towers are something I don’t think anyone would miss. They look completely unsafe, and serve nobody other than their owners vanity.
1960-70's Architecture is the WORST and ugly compared to 1890-1920 buildings. Sad the City Investing building was demolished, the site at 165 Broadway is now an cold monolithic building that is a soulless tombstone.
111 and 115 Broadway are still there. Same Gothic style. The old hydraulic lifts are gone but there are still many historic feature to these buildings.
As masonry buildings with opulent architectural features have been torn down crime rates keep rising. They may not seem related but I think as people and companies become more greedy morals seem to decline and the quality of life continues to deteriorate. Our society needs to appreciate beauty and culture not just money and consumerism.
@@rdmorris1947 It looks like a gigantic industrial plumbing project, UGLY! Saw renderings of the ground floor. Why it's even being is a mystery. That city is almost in a state of anarchy. The movie, "Escape from New York" is becoming a reality.
@@rdmorris1947Agreed. The renditions I’ve seen look like an oversized modern day Art Deco radiator. They should’ve left the old original facade of the Commodore Hotel alone although it was looking shabby in the seventies. So many hotels and theaters were demolished.
At 10:39 The view of the Manhattan Bridge from Washington Street looks the same, but some of the buildings changed --- what a great vintage view of the bridge.
In America it's all about greed and profit since culture never had a chance there. Americans would even demolish the Louvre if it would promise profit.
Had the high maintenance cost not been an issue I could see this building being repurposed into a condo or apartments … I definitely prefer the character of the art deco , romanesque period over these boring glass structures they are putting up nowadays
Any building with great historical or architectural value should be preserved. While making space for progress and modernity, many cities in the world protect their architectural heritage and are among the most visited, interesting and beautiful cities in the globe. In New York we have lost innumerable examples of grand and history filled structures making perhaps the city skyline more impressive but the city itself uglier and missing an important part of its culture..
Well done.. thank you for shining a light on this forgotten gem. We lost the Singer Bldg the same year. I had always thought the two buildings were connected somehow since One Liberty replaced them both.
Notable that buildings from the 1950's and 1960's are themselves becoming obsolete and are candidates for landmarking. They was attempted but failed with 270 Madison Avenue/Union Carbide of 1960 which also occupied an entire city block and was demolished for the a taller building. Transportation terminals like the National Airlines Sundrome at JFK Airport (built 1970) were also considered for preservation but it was demolished in 2011.
The history of the world has always included boom and bust eras, and when time are good, opulence is in vogue. But when times go bad, no one can afford the upkeep of opulence. It’s a sad reality of life that seemingly, nothing lasts forever. And there will come a time when today’s landmark buildings will be removed to make way for something considered better.
I live here in New York City and when I look at these micro-documentaries, I think to myself. People wanted change but at what cost because (now) all those beautiful building stand as a beacon of talent and style. Now, building today have no creativity only convenience.
Sad that these historic structures have to come up against and compete against money, profit, and other adverse conditions in order to survive. Don't we have enough of the bland, boring "international style" chrome and glass monstrosities in every major city? Maybe our society needs a return to uplifting, inspirational designs in our buildings -- especially public buildings, schools, etc.
I’ve worked in lower Manhattan since the 70s and been a buff of the history of the area since then and have worked at One Liberty Plaza and yet never heard of this building. So it shared the block with another early skyscraper the Singer Building. Many of the architecture details seem the match the still existing building just across Zucotti Park. I believe it’s part of the Trinity Church property and is called the US Realty building.
I mourn the loss of the Singer building tho I have never seen it. This city, the country, needs to build for aesthetics and not just utilitarian functionality
it depends on the architect. I adore the style of pre-WW2 buildings and the way that many of them have renovated internally to suit modern times, but there is a place for modernist styles as well. The problem is that few postmodern architects have the imagination to excite with sublime style rather than garishness.
So-called "modern" architecture in Manhattan is just a mass of hideous glass boxes that have no grace or beauty. "Refrigerator Architecture" is a good name for all those ugly, faceless monstrosities. They are designed to squeeze the maximum square footage out of the lot, never mind grace or beauty. Manhattan is looking like a collection of gigantic tombstones.
Location, location, location. However, had the City Investing building managed to endure another three decades, its "F" configuration would have made it ideal for residential conversion.
@@robertewalt7789 It was located in between Broadway and Church Street facing Cortland St. It shared the block with the Singer Building and another small building you can see in many of the pictures.
70 Pine Place, another classic skyscraper not too far from the CIB, was converted to apartments in the late 2000's. If the latter had survived, it may well have ended up being a fully residential or mixed use building.
Edificios únicos .sustituidos por edificios que ahora hay en todos los rincones del mundo .una pena .el edificio singer a mí me llama mucha la atencion
Why was everything built in the past so impressive and everything replacing it today so simple and ugly. Even our statues and paintings are ugly and simplistic now. In our city the high school built around 1900 is a grand formal building something along this style, and they're apparently spending millions on a new school. I've seen the drafts. Its another soul-less misshapen glass box. Bigger, but uglier. Humanity is witnessing some kind of loss that is hard to explain........
I'm curious to know why you think that the building's destruction was "Inevitable." To me, that's only obvious in retrospect, but it didn't mean that demolition was the *only* fate that lay in store for it.
Hate to say, but not all the old buildings can be saved "Progress marches on." But pick and choose the Cream of the Crop to save and there will be a better chance to save them. If there wasn't change/improvement there would be more than three million pounds of horse manure per day on NYC streets. UGH
Your statement has validity but that's why NYC is ugly, boring, and dirty. Progressivism ☠ destroys the past, erases history, cities, neighborhoods, industries, education, religions, the economy, and especially families. Just because it's modern doesn't mean it's healthy. 🇺🇸🗽👍
Progressivism destroys the past, erases history, and society. Now, here in New York City, we have ugly and boring architecture. Thanks to talentless artist.
They could have saved the City Investing Building if they could have modernized the interior floor space to accommodate the needs of the 1970's. That's why many older structures were saved in NYC because they could accommodate modern amenities like better telecommunication lines, better climate control and more open floor spaces. Indeed, the inability to modernize the interior was why the Singer Building was replaced by what is now One Liberty Plaza, especially given the insatiable appetite for office space in the 1950's and 1960's.
You can't just make more open floor plans. All those beams hold the building up. Plus there was a hold out in the corner that gave the building an odd shape.
I never bought the tired old bs of “it was just too expensive to operate” they just want to be lazy and something new. Often cheaply made junk builds that won’t make it 50 years
No it s not smart at all, the old skyscrapers are masterpieces compared to the boring rectangles and straight lines you get now ,it s about as stupid as if the Parisians demolished Paris and replaced it with Le Corbusiers monstrous vision, they had the good sense to decline it ,if the New Yorkers had been as wise we d still have Penn station ,the City Investment building and money others.Ugliness reigns supreme now.
Having being born, lived, worked and breathed NYC, I have never heard of the City Investment Building. I guess it never reached the level of buildings like Penn Station. The upkeep of the CIB and the Singer Building was too much and too impractical.
COMMENT: Do you think New York is smart to demolish “out of date” skyscrapers and replace them with new ones?
it all comes down to one thing: greed. If renovations are feasible and affordable, they renovate but otherwise, historic buildings are demolished. In Toronto, we see it all the time.... now they don't tear them down, they gut them and use on the facade, absolutely horrible.
There are some bldgs that should be preserved at any cost. They are the soul of a city. Wrigley(Chi.)Empire State(NYC), u.s.w. Hundred year old bldgs. can be maintained in diverse uses.😊
I can’t imagine NYC without the Empire State, 30 Rock or the Chrysler. Now Billionaires row skinny towers are something I don’t think anyone would miss. They look completely unsafe, and serve nobody other than their owners vanity.
Out of date? Those classic buildings are timeless, works of art, like the Woolworth building.
@@oldmoneymansions depends.
1960-70's Architecture is the WORST and ugly compared to 1890-1920 buildings. Sad the City Investing building was demolished, the site at 165 Broadway is now an cold monolithic building that is a soulless tombstone.
111 and 115 Broadway are still there. Same Gothic style. The old hydraulic lifts are gone but there are still many historic feature to these buildings.
As masonry buildings with opulent architectural features have been torn down crime rates keep rising. They may not seem related but I think as people and companies become more greedy morals seem to decline and the quality of life continues to deteriorate. Our society needs to appreciate beauty and culture not just money and consumerism.
Strongly agree.
What a shame they destroyed this, Pennsylvania Station and the Singer Building. NY you really f cked up!!!!!!!!
I love the Chrysler Building! Hope it never gets demolished.
Once the Commodore project is completed across Lexington Avenue, Chrysler's dominance will be dwarfed, and its view corridor will be severely imposed.
@@rdmorris1947 It looks like a gigantic industrial plumbing project, UGLY! Saw renderings of the ground floor. Why it's even being is a mystery. That city is almost in a state of anarchy. The movie, "Escape from New York" is becoming a reality.
muhahaha, later era...
Trump is German, he did it.
I believe the Chrysler Building is in the National Landmark Register and can’t be demolished. My parents met in that building.
@@rdmorris1947Agreed. The renditions I’ve seen look like an oversized modern day Art Deco radiator. They should’ve left the old original facade of the Commodore Hotel alone although it was looking shabby in the seventies. So many hotels and theaters were demolished.
At 10:39 The view of the Manhattan Bridge from Washington Street looks the same, but some of the buildings changed --- what a great vintage view of the bridge.
In America it's all about greed and profit since culture never had a chance there. Americans would even demolish the Louvre if it would promise profit.
Absolutely disgusting that so many great and beautiful buildings like this were destroyed for disgusting cubes. What the hell were they thinking?...
That taking our heritage from us makes us weaker and easier to control.
And they're right.
They were thinking about milking the maximum amount of money out of the parcels, that's what.
Had the high maintenance cost not been an issue I could see this building being repurposed into a condo or apartments … I definitely prefer the character of the art deco , romanesque period over these boring glass structures they are putting up nowadays
The old buildings should be preserved today in the 21th century they are appreciated more.
There's not much left to preserve.
Any building with great historical or architectural value should be preserved. While making space for progress and modernity, many cities in the world protect their architectural heritage and are among the most visited, interesting and beautiful cities in the globe. In New York we have lost innumerable examples of grand and history filled structures making perhaps the city skyline more impressive but the city itself uglier and missing an important part of its culture..
That's the american way!
A good example that in life nothing ever stays the same whether it’s physical or mental.
Also a good example that change is not always for the better. It can be for the worse, as those glass monstrosities illustrate.
Well done.. thank you for shining a light on this forgotten gem. We lost the Singer Bldg the same year. I had always thought the two buildings were connected somehow since One Liberty replaced them both.
Notable that buildings from the 1950's and 1960's are themselves becoming obsolete and are candidates for landmarking. They was attempted but failed with 270 Madison Avenue/Union Carbide of 1960 which also occupied an entire city block and was demolished for the a taller building. Transportation terminals like the National Airlines Sundrome at JFK Airport (built 1970) were also considered for preservation but it was demolished in 2011.
unbelievable they destroyed such a wonderful bldg. and replaced it by such a ugly black monster, its a disgrace.
... chortled the $$$men, NOT!
The history of the world has always included boom and bust eras, and when time are good, opulence is in vogue. But when times go bad, no one can afford the upkeep of opulence.
It’s a sad reality of life that seemingly, nothing lasts forever. And there will come a time when today’s landmark buildings will be removed to make way for something considered better.
As long as they are structurally sound, keep them.
I live here in New York City and when I look at these micro-documentaries, I think to myself. People wanted change but at what cost because (now) all those beautiful building stand as a beacon of talent and style. Now, building today have no creativity only convenience.
Treasure your relics. Convert old office buildings into residential space. The city sorely needs homes.
Almost all of the Wall Street aera has done this. Most of the older office buildings are now residential
@@hewitc ... and it seems to be one of the better kept secrets to non-New Yorkers.
Sad that these historic structures have to come up against and compete against money, profit, and other adverse conditions in order to survive. Don't we have enough of the bland, boring "international style" chrome and glass monstrosities in every major city? Maybe our society needs a return to uplifting, inspirational designs in our buildings -- especially public buildings, schools, etc.
Since 1950 all skyscrapers are shit
Had it survived that 'quirky layout' would have lent itself to residential conversion.
I liked this one, very good
Thank you! Cheers!
What a shame....
Thanks again❤😊
While it is sad to lose those beautiful old buildings, they are real money pits. I wouldn't want to pay for their upkeep.
I’ve worked in lower Manhattan since the 70s and been a buff of the history of the area since then and have worked at One Liberty Plaza and yet never heard of this building. So it shared the block with another early skyscraper the Singer Building. Many of the architecture details seem the match the still existing building just across Zucotti Park. I believe it’s part of the Trinity Church property and is called the US Realty building.
The Gothic building, people still needed that Jesus back then.
they did build too many churches, new stories took over.
I mourn the loss of the Singer building tho I have never seen it. This city, the country, needs to build for aesthetics and not just utilitarian functionality
it depends on the architect. I adore the style of pre-WW2 buildings and the way that many of them have renovated internally to suit modern times, but there is a place for modernist styles as well. The problem is that few postmodern architects have the imagination to excite with sublime style rather than garishness.
So-called "modern" architecture in Manhattan is just a mass of hideous glass boxes that have no grace or beauty. "Refrigerator Architecture" is a good name for all those ugly, faceless monstrosities. They are designed to squeeze the maximum square footage out of the lot, never mind grace or beauty. Manhattan is looking like a collection of gigantic tombstones.
I used to like nyc. I now find it cold dirty and dangerous. I look forward to never visiting this sh*thole again.
Location, location, location. However, had the City Investing building managed to endure another three decades,
its "F" configuration would have made it ideal for residential conversion.
It would have been nice to know the location of this building.
@@robertewalt7789 It was located in between Broadway and Church Street facing Cortland St. It shared the block with the Singer Building and another small building you can see in many of the pictures.
70 Pine Place, another classic skyscraper not too far from the CIB, was converted to apartments in the late 2000's. If the latter had survived, it may well have ended up being a fully residential or mixed use building.
Edificios únicos .sustituidos por edificios que ahora hay en todos los rincones del mundo .una pena .el edificio singer a mí me llama mucha la atencion
*NYC still reaches the top of bldg little by little*
Shame that architects and civil designers have no foresight. Architects should be made to think, what would it cost to build today?
Some old buildings should be kept.
Could have been Wayne Tower
Trump is the crusher here !
NY real estate !
Need Germans ?
Why was everything built in the past so impressive and everything replacing it today so simple and ugly. Even our statues and paintings are ugly and simplistic now.
In our city the high school built around 1900 is a grand formal building something along this style, and they're apparently spending millions on a new school. I've seen the drafts. Its another soul-less misshapen glass box. Bigger, but uglier.
Humanity is witnessing some kind of loss that is hard to explain........
Property rights.
Dedicated follower here ❤
Thanks, Nora!
Hi what about Singer building on that same spot?
Well it's in the name city investing building, investing means long term, a part of peoples love for grand designs was lost forever.
I think the building could have been converted into a beautiful hotel.
Great story. One error though. In the figure showing The World Building and The Park Row Building, the captions are reversed!
keep old icons, as keep on mixing old and modern .
I'm curious to know why you think that the building's destruction was "Inevitable." To me, that's only obvious in retrospect, but it didn't mean that demolition was the *only* fate that lay in store for it.
Hate to say, but not all the old buildings can be saved "Progress marches on." But pick and choose the Cream of the Crop to save and there will be a better chance to save them. If there wasn't change/improvement there would be more than three million pounds of horse manure per day on NYC streets. UGH
Your statement has validity but that's why NYC is ugly, boring, and dirty. Progressivism ☠ destroys the past, erases history, cities, neighborhoods, industries, education, religions, the economy, and especially families. Just because it's modern doesn't mean it's healthy. 🇺🇸🗽👍
Yeah and that change meants building a bunch of souless cubes
Progressivism destroys the past, erases history, and society. Now, here in New York City, we have ugly and boring architecture. Thanks to talentless artist.
@@pelucheCR7 Soulless is a bit of a understatement.......
They could have saved the City Investing Building if they could have modernized the interior floor space to accommodate the needs of the 1970's. That's why many older structures were saved in NYC because they could accommodate modern amenities like better telecommunication lines, better climate control and more open floor spaces.
Indeed, the inability to modernize the interior was why the Singer Building was replaced by what is now One Liberty Plaza, especially given the insatiable appetite for office space in the 1950's and 1960's.
You can't just make more open floor plans. All those beams hold the building up. Plus there was a hold out in the corner that gave the building an odd shape.
I never bought the tired old bs of “it was just too expensive to operate” they just want to be lazy and something new. Often cheaply made junk builds that won’t make it 50 years
Because they don't like Italians and therefore they don't like buildings that are o-polenta ?
No it s not smart at all, the old skyscrapers are masterpieces compared to the boring rectangles and straight lines you get now ,it s about as stupid as if the Parisians demolished Paris and replaced it with Le Corbusiers monstrous vision, they had the good sense to decline it ,if the New Yorkers had been as wise we d still have Penn station ,the City Investment building and money others.Ugliness reigns supreme now.
Well done for getting Richard Burton to narrate your film from beyond the grave. Shame you gave him such a crappy script. Well, that's AI for you.
Cost cost cost 🤷♂️
Demolished for the same reasons Penn Station was. Unchecked capitalism and manifest destiny.
Why use a British accent to talk about New York?
Why not? Which accent would you have preferred?
@@htimsid The voice used is AI generated. They could have gotten a real person…
Having being born, lived, worked and breathed NYC, I have never heard of the City Investment Building. I guess it never reached the level of buildings like Penn Station. The upkeep of the CIB and the Singer Building was too much and too impractical.
*Matatan. (☞--(".🤫.")--☜) .Ribirin H-S*
the new building at that location is boring
old world beauty replaced with ugliness.... and the reasoning explained? hardly at all...
If only the script was as interesting as the subject matter. Repetitive, and full of clichés.
I just purchased a 2.8 million dollar 8 bedroom house and am having completely demolished to make way for a brand new build
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️tragic