Lincoln Square: Preserving the Modern Architecture of Slum Clearance, Urban Renewal, and their Architectural Aftermath (2007)

This document advocates for the value and relevance of Lincoln Square in a number of ways; beginning with the collection of modern architecture, the incorporated open spaces, the evolution of housing it exemplifies and the cultural and artistic importance of Lincoln Center. It is also intended to create a sense of appreciation, and a sense of urgency, to recognize the contribution of the Modern buildings in the area. Our suggestion for a long term plan includes immediate actions, intermediate steps and a comprehensive solution to fully protect these valuable resources. In this, we anticipate that Lincoln Square can survive and flourish in the 21st century.

The study area--bounded by 60th Street, the Hudson River, 70th Street, and Broadway and Columbus Avenues--was the site of the largest slum clearance and Urban Renewal projects in New York City. The destruction of San Juan Hill, the erection of Lincoln Center and the building demolition and construction that followed represent a half century transformation of a neighborhood from tenements and manufacturing sites to an area centered around a world class cultural institution and residential towers. We have identified many structures of social, historic and architectural significance as part of the Urban Renewal program and in the greater context of Modern Architecture.

Today, many of these structures are threatened and being destroyed because, for one, there is a deficiency of appreciation for Urban Renewal architecture. Part of the problem is the lack of nostalgia for architecture and planning that effectively razed the historic fabric of a neighborhood in the name of slum clearance. It is also difficult to consider these structures historic when some are young enough that many New Yorkers remember them being built. In the case of Urban Renewal Modern architecture, the sense of nostalgia and sentimental attachment simply is not there.

However, it is the public's responsibility to the built environment of New York City to appreciate and value these structures for what they are and what they represent. They are a physical manifestation of past social and architectural ideals so bold in their expression that they beg to be remembered. Amsterdam Houses--now neglected, abused and threatened as new towers multiply and draw uncomfortably near--stand in utilitarian silence as a valuable representation of a progressive approach to post-war urban planning. The public housing complex's initial commitment to the improvement of quality of life--through open space, landscaping and a sense of community while maintaining a relationship to the surrounding city--has been lost. Across the street Lincoln Center for the Performing Art's monumental and classically pure forms have fallen into disrepair. Its bold expression and antithetical solution to urban blight is also threatened by those who want to carelessly alter its inherent design. Down the street Skidmore Owings and Merrill's American Red Cross Headquarters--part of the Lincoln Square Urban Renewal Project along with Lincoln Center, Fordham University, Lincoln Towers and Public School 191--is slated for demolition so that a new high rise residential tower can usurp its position in the urban landscape. This building's exoskeleton construction, glass curtain walls and situation on a plinth define a period in mid-century American corporate architecture and its potential demolition represents a significant loss to the collection of modern architecture in New York City and in Lincoln Square. Also slated for demolition is Lincoln Square Synagogue, a circular travertine structure with six projecting points representing the six pointed star. This building is reflective of a movement in Modern design to adopt more free and sculptural forms, and, amid the giant brick slabs of Lincoln Towers and generic glass high rises, this modestly sized and unusually shaped synagogue has found its way into the hearts of local residents.

Under less immediate threat but in need of maintenance and repair are buildings such as Public School 191 and Martin Luther King Jr. High School. Prominent architect Edward Durrell Stone's Public School 191 was designed to accommodate the children from the middle income residence of Lincoln Towers. If the building were better maintained, the school's strong vertical piers of glazed brick would display the architect's aesthetic concepts in a clear and concise form. It is also an excellent example of Classically inspired architecture under the influence of the International Style, which significantly contributed to the Modern Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. High School was designed at the end of the Civil Rights Movement and its ties to Martin Luther King give it strength and importance in the community. The building's form and material choices are directly representative of its time, but its concept of transparency cannot be fully appreciated when it is in such dire need of cleaning and maintenance.

Other significant modern buildings in our area, such as First National City Bank, are in need of protection. This one-story building of dark brick stands alone in a field of demolition where new high rises will soon be erected. One must wonder how this small structure has managed to survive, but its strong arcade and visually grounded form--which is characteristic of a certain architectural language of the time--is reflective of its quiet strength.

The structures identified thus far represent only a handful in our study area. The entire collection of buildings range from vernacular to high style, with architects from the obscure to the well known. Yet, when viewed as a collective whole these buildings exemplify the ideals, styles and values that define the architecture of the 20th century. Lincoln Square is an exemplary collection of postwar modern structures found no where else in the United States.

With the aim of reevaluating the impact of urban renewal and slum clearance on urban architecture of the mid twentieth century we suggest a preservation plan, that recognizes the contribution of these design programs that have positively benefited their communities. From our research and our proposal we believe that Lincoln Square can survive and flourish in the 21st century by creating not only a sense of appreciation, but also one of urgency, intended to preserve the Modern buildings in this area.

Download full report (pdf)

Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Columbia University 1172 Amsterdam Avenue New York, New York 10027