
A Lost Monument to Industry and Traditional Urbanism - wyndham
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/urbs/a-lost-monument-to-industry-and-traditional-urbanism/
======
pseudolus
The old Penn Station, mentioned in passing in the article, was apparently
incredibly beautiful and aesthetically a rival to Grand Central Station (which
itself barely escaped becoming the home of an office tower [0]). For those
interested Mashable had a great article that featured some spectacular
photographs of the old Penn station [1].

[0]
[http://gothamist.com/2016/05/25/fred_papert_grand_central.ph...](http://gothamist.com/2016/05/25/fred_papert_grand_central.php)

[1] [https://mashable.com/2015/07/20/original-penn-
station/#NAhQI...](https://mashable.com/2015/07/20/original-penn-
station/#NAhQIG_6TPqT)

~~~
Wowfunhappy
Recommended listening: [https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/penn-station-
sucks/](https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/penn-station-sucks/)

The tearing down of old Penn Station is what kickstarted the movement to
preserve historical buildings. Grand Central almost certainly would have met
the same fate, had Penn Station's destruction not served as a wakeup call.

------
oftenwrong
>Today, Americans have grown more cautious; when it comes to old buildings, we
now have laws at our disposal that allow us to designate and preserve what we
value. Yet the enactment of such laws, at such a late stage, illustrates how
the Singer’s fate coincided with another milestone: an end to the idea that
American industry might be trusted to build permanent things, without
answering to the deeper values of law or community or tradition.

Given the state of American cities, I wouldn't say this has worked out.
American cities are defined by preservation: of property values and of
plentiful free parking. These laws are used to prevent change of any kind.
Building a neighbourhood on par with great American neighbourhoods like Beacon
Hill and SoHo is basically impossible.

~~~
ehnto
We spend so much space on parking. Our local hospitals most recent achievement
is a new parking lot. More floor-space than the rest of hospital, and bigger
in footprint than all the rest of the campus. Future archaeologists will
probably think we were a society of sentient cars that kept people as pets.

~~~
ethebubbeth
[https://youtu.be/wFaHArkYLsM](https://youtu.be/wFaHArkYLsM)

"This animated short proposes what many earthlings have long feared -- that
the automobile has inherited the planet. When life on Earth is portrayed as
one long, unending conga-line of cars, a crew of extra-terrestrial visitors
understandably assume they are the dominant race. While humans, on the other
hand, are merely parasites. An Oscar® nominee, this film serves as an
entertaining case study."

~~~
ehnto
That was perfect!

------
derekdahmer
> Today, Americans have grown more cautious; when it comes to old buildings,
> we now have laws at our disposal that allow us to designate and preserve
> what we value. Yet the enactment of such laws, at such a late stage,
> illustrates how the Singer’s fate coincided with another milestone: an end
> to the idea that American industry might be trusted to build permanent
> things

Ironically if preservation laws were there in 1908 then the Singer building
would likely never have been built because it would mean demolishing some old
two-story building in the "historic downtown financial district".

~~~
iguy
Indeed. But there's necessarily some judgement in these things, and it's very
very hard to judge the 60's concrete blocks as superior to the best works of
1906.

~~~
taffer
I think it's just another irony of history: At all times, people tend to be
ambivalent about contemporary buildings, while they hate buildings of the
previous generation (50 years old) and love everything older than 100 years.
You just have to read what people have said in the past, and you recognize
this pattern.

~~~
iguy
You really believe this? That the only difference between the old Penn station
and the new one is that we aren't quite nostalgic enough about the new one
yet? It's already older than the other one ever was.

Some eras built grand public buildings as symbols of their pride and progress.
Some knocked them down.

~~~
IIAOPSWmobile
yes. i really believe that. ill be the rare voice to say i like current penn
station. i like that smell that i think comes from the breaks of commuter
trains. i like the simple linear layout. i like the shops that line the
mezzanine of the lirr.

but most of all i like penn station because it reminds of a time before the
divorce when i would come into the city by train with my father.

whats my point here? my point is that weve deluded ourselves into thinking we
have architectual taste when really all we have is nostalgia on a societal
scale. whatever buildings were most cost effective to make during high times
eventually become the definition of good. its only obvious to me because i
have the misfortune to see my fav building shit on by every "expert".

~~~
iguy
Certainly affection for things you have a personal connection to is different.
For most of us this applies to certain foods, and certain paintings, books,
too.

Maybe my point is that it's not just "whatever buildings were most cost
effective to make" \-- those I agree come in many flavors. But Penn station
was nothing like that. It was a grand and very expensive statement of
confidence, permanence, and belief in the virtue of public space. Of the idea
that the plebs catching the train would notice and appreciate the classical
features. There were many many such statements made at that time.

~~~
IIAOPSWmobile
At the time Penn was buily Long Island was still a place for the rich (think
great gatsby) and the PRR lines to other cities were still an expensive
affair. Travel was not a commonplace thing like airplanes today.

GCT and NYP werent built for the civic enjoyment of the plebs out of the
kindness of Vanderbelt et al. Quite the opposite in fact. They were built so
that the railroad and its rich clients could show off just how far above the
plebs they really are. They built monuments to themselves greater than any
church built to god. It wasnt faith in the public it was a middle finger to
it, just like salesforce tower is today.

------
mauvehaus
In fairness to the powers that dismantled the building, Singer itself was
probably on the ropes or well on its way, at least in the sewing machine
market. Postwar, the sewing machine market at the low end was flooded with
import clones of the classic Singer 15 (see next paragraph), and zigzag
machines from abroad were taking a bite out of the higher end of their
market[0]. Combine that fact with the fact the needle work industries had left
NYC at that point, and it probably made sense to demo the Singer building. All
that said, I do wish it was still there to see.

I own a Singer 15. In a residential setting, it'll keep doing what it does
well for another 200 years with a little care. It isn't an industrial machine,
but if you can't do it once on a 15, it's even odds it can't be done at all.
All that said, it's a straight-stitch only machine; they aren't technically
complex (for a sewing machine). The imports I've seen are also excellent
machines.

[0] Interesting thread:
[https://sewing.patternreview.com/SewingDiscussions/topic/561...](https://sewing.patternreview.com/SewingDiscussions/topic/56161)

~~~
iguy
But lots of buildings find new owners, new uses. Was the building that
specialised for sewing-machines? It seems a crying shame to have lost so many
of the highlights of an era.

------
cfmcdonald
I recommend the book Lost New York by Nathan Silver, to anyone interested in
these lost architectural icons of New York City.

It was originally written in the midst of the NYC preservation debate of late
1960s, which resulted from the destruction of buildings like the Singer
building, the old Met Opera House, and especially Penn Station.

------
howard941
Fun fact: Singer had a profitable high-tech aerospace business
[https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/24/business/singer-s-
aerospa...](https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/24/business/singer-s-aerospace-
success.html)

