Decision on 510 Fifth Avenue Tomorrow?
Tomorrow (4/19/11) at 12:30, the Landmarks Preservation Commission is scheduled to hear Vornado’s modified proposal for 510 Fifth Avenue for consideration of approval . While HDC has been pleased by the direction the proposal has been taking – and are incredibly grateful and appreciative of the Landmarks Commissioners’ comments and advocacy for the building – we’re still worried about the escalators.
Unless the proposal has changed – and we dearly hope it has – there is still a request to reorient the escalators to an east/west position instead of their historic and current north/south axis. HDC believes strongly that this can not be permitted. To do so would be to change one of the fundamental building blocks of the design scheme; the LPC wisely protected. The way one moves though the building is an inherent, intentional and very visible feature of the building’s design, and the significance of the building’s design is its utter transparency. This should not be messed with lightly, particularly for the stated reason of transient fashions in retail. Frankly, the need and rationale for the reconfiguration is self-created and short-sighted. There are several stores which have escalators perpendicular to their entrances which function perfectly well – Macy’s springs immediately to mind.
Furthermore, this building is an individual interior landmark – one of the select few in New York City – and this basic fact can not be allowed to be pushed aside for short-term whims. There are many cases in other interior landmarks where building owners would doubtless be thrilled to be allowed to make expedient alterations, but these are not allowed. We are sure that the owners of the Empire State Building would appreciate being permitted to construct permanent interior lobby partitions to better manage traffic flow, but that is not allowed. The owners of Gage & Tollners probably desperately want to remove the interior and have an empty space but they are not allowed to. In fact, even when Grand Central Terminal was permitted to install a new eastern staircase – probably one of the biggest changes to an interior landmark ever allowed – it was based on the original, unbuilt design. Designating an interior as a landmark requires the utmost level of deliberative oversight and regulating them is truly one of the most extreme examples of the LPC’s power. This is why interior designations are not entered into lightly and why they are very rare. The flipside of this rarity is that they are particularly precious and should be treated as such. The reorientation of a major design element in an individual landmark is simply not appropriate – regardless of how it is dressed up.
HDC strongly urges the Landmarks Commission to continue its strong stance on the preservation of this important building and not allow the escalators to be moved.