Empire State Plaza
Encyclopedia
The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza (known commonly as the Empire State Plaza and less formally as the South Mall) is a complex of several state government buildings in downtown Albany
, New York
.
The complex was built between 1959 and 1976 at a total cost of $1.7 billion. It houses several departments of the New York State administration, and is integrated with the old New York State Capitol
, completed in 1899, which houses the state legislature
.
, who was inspired to create the new government complex after Princess Beatrix
of the Netherlands visited Albany for a celebration of the area's Dutch history. Riding with the princess through a section of the city known colloquially as the Gut, Rockefeller was embarrassed and said later, "there's no question that the city did not look as I think the Princess thought it was going to."
Rockefeller conceived the basic design of the complex with architect Wallace Harrison
in flight aboard the governor's private plane. Rockefeller doodled his ideas in pen on the back of a postcard, and Harrison revised them. They used the vast scope and style of Brasilia
, Versailles
and Chandigarh
as models. The massive scale was designed to be appreciated from across the river
as the dominant feature of the Albany skyline.The Mall here in Albany, for instance, can be characterized as a group of forms on a platform – sculpture on a pedestal, if you will. }}
Paying for the construction of the plaza was a major problem, since a bond issue for an Albany project would almost certainly have been disapproved by the statewide electorate. Despite the displacement of thousands of loyal political
voters, Albany Mayor Erastus Corning
worked with Rockefeller to engineer a funding scheme that utilized Albany County
bonds instead of state bonds. During repayment, the state guaranteed the principal and interest payments in the form of rent for a plaza that was officially county property. Ownership was then to be transferred to the state in exchange for regular payments in lieu of taxes. Control of the bond issues gave Corning and party boss Daniel P. O'Connell
influence when dealing with the Republican governor. The bonds were paid in 2001 and the state assumed ownership, though it required years to do the paperwork to change title.
After the 98.5-acre (39 ha) site was obtained using eminent domain
, construction was begun in 1959 with an initial cost estimate of $250 million. The project was plagued by delays. Unrealistic schedules set by the state forced contractors for various parts to interfere with each other during work. The poor working conditions caused some of the contractors to sue the state successfully later. The plaza finally began operation in 1976 at a total cost of $1.7 billion. The Cultural Education Center
was completed in 1961, The Corning Tower
and Agency buildings in 1966, and the Egg
in 1976. Today, more than 13,000 state employees work at the complex.
The Empire State Plaza consists of various marble
and steel
buildings, seated on a six-story marble platform, representing Rockefeller's concept of architecture as similar to sculpture. Their exterior columns and narrow windows make them similar in style to the now-destroyed World Trade Center
towers in New York City, which were completed about the same time. The buildings constituting the plaza include:
The plaza is connected to the Times Union Center (a covered arena, known formerly as the Pepsi Arena) by a pedestrian bridge and to the New York State Capitol
by an underground tunnel.
The plaza also features a skating rink and fountains, though the skating rink season has been shortened during recent years due to state budget issues. Several memorials are located on the plaza, including the New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial
as well as memorials for World War II
and the Vietnam War
.
The scale of the buildings in the plaza is impressive, and the complex is the most easily recognizable aspect of the Albany skyline. The Corning Tower
is the tallest building in New York state outside of New York City
; the Swan Street Building is more than a quarter of a mile long and modeled partly on Pharaoh Hatshepsut
's Temple at Deir el-Bahri
, Egypt
. The plaza itself is actually the largest building of all.
The plaza has shade trees on the edges, and in the side gardens and memorials. It has been closed to traffic for the past several winters, as of 2010.
The Concourse is Albany's "Underground City" completed in 1961 with food courts, a McDonald's
restaurant, banks, a YMCA
, a post office, a visitors center, and several retailers such as Hallmark Cards
. The Concourse connects all buildings of the state plaza. Many state workers spend their lunch hour there. The Concourse also features various works of art and sculptures.
The buildings are set around a row of three reflecting pool
s. On the west side are the four 23-story
, 310 feet (94.5 m) Agency towers. On the east side is the Egg
(Meeting Center) and the 44-floor (589-foot/180 m) Erastus Corning Tower
, which has an observation deck on the 42nd floor. On the south end is the Cultural Education Center
, set on a higher platform; and on the north end is the New York State Capitol
. While the Capitol predates the plaza, it is connected to the Concourse by an escalator
which allows underground access to the rest of the plaza, most notably (to the New York State Legislature, at least), the Legislative Office Building.
, buildings, and outdoor areas. The collection includes 92 painting
s, sculpture
s, and tapestries. The collection includes a large number of modern art
paintings and sculptures at various locations, and in particular includes works of the New York School
created in the 1960s and 1970s.
Artists represented include Jackson Pollock
, Robert Motherwell
, Alexander Calder
, Lyman Kipp
, Robert Rauschenberg
, Clement Meadmore
, Ronald Bladen, Herbert Ferber
, Forrest Myers, Dimitri Hadzi, William T. Williams
, Ellsworth Kelly
, Claes Oldenburg
, George Rickey
, James Rosati, Tony Smith
, George Sugarman and Chryssa. Glenn D. Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art
in New York City
, has termed the plaza's collection of American art
"...the most important State collection of modern art
in the country."
The complex was the subject of significant controversy about the time of its construction. About 9,000 people were displaced, mostly from working-class and poorer sections of older Albany which was home to ethnic communities of Jews
and Italians. The construction of the plaza occurred after the decline of Albany's downtown
shopping, and the massive displacement of population allegedly hastened the process. Numerous restaurants, specialty shops, two major department stores, and downtown's last movie theater had shuttered by the end of construction. The majority of the displaced residents had not owned cars, which forced them to shop locally. The elevated plaza separates the largely residential neighborhoods surrounding Washington Park
and points west from the largely commercial streets between the State Capitol and the Hudson River
.
The plaza has also been criticized for the cost of its lavish architecture (the towers are covered in marble
), its sheer size, and its period architecture. The 1991 book, The Shock of the New, refers to the buildings as being in "The International Power Style of the Fifties", comparing the buildings to those built by Fascist
governments.
Crossing through the plaza is the South Mall Arterial
, a short highway artery connecting to the Dunn Memorial Bridge
. Construction of this highway destroyed many buildings of Albany's downtown. In the initial proposal, the highway was to go from Interstate 90
in North Greenbush
(current exit 8 to NY Route 43
), through Rensselaer, under the plaza, and connecting to the also-cancelled Mid-Crosstown Arterial, which would have extended from I-90 Exit 6, through the city, traveling underneath Washington Park, meeting with the South Mall Expressway in the process, and continuing on to the New York State Thruway
at Exit 23. The current South Mall Arterial ends abruptly in a loop at Swan Street, with both eastbound and westbound lanes using the two outer portals of the four portal tunnel leading under the plaza. (The inner two were to be express lanes to the Mid-Crosstown Arterial/SME interchange underneath the park.) The only evidence of the original Mid-Crosstown Arterial is the four level stack interchange for I-90 at present day US 9.
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
The complex was built between 1959 and 1976 at a total cost of $1.7 billion. It houses several departments of the New York State administration, and is integrated with the old New York State Capitol
New York State Capitol
The New York State Capitol is the capitol building of the U.S. state of New York. Housing the New York State Legislature, it is located in the state capital city Albany, on State Street in Capitol Park. The building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million , was the most expensive government...
, completed in 1899, which houses the state legislature
State legislature
In the United States of America, a state legislature is a generic term referring to the legislative body of any of the country's 50 states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 24 states, the legislature is simply called the "Legislature", or the "State Legislature", while in 19 states,...
.
History
The plaza was the idea of Governor Nelson RockefellerNelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
, who was inspired to create the new government complex after Princess Beatrix
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
of the Netherlands visited Albany for a celebration of the area's Dutch history. Riding with the princess through a section of the city known colloquially as the Gut, Rockefeller was embarrassed and said later, "there's no question that the city did not look as I think the Princess thought it was going to."
Rockefeller conceived the basic design of the complex with architect Wallace Harrison
Wallace Harrison
Wallace Kirkman Harrison , was an American architect.-Career:Harrison started his professional career with the firm of Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray, participating in the construction of Rockefeller Center...
in flight aboard the governor's private plane. Rockefeller doodled his ideas in pen on the back of a postcard, and Harrison revised them. They used the vast scope and style of Brasilia
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
and Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
as models. The massive scale was designed to be appreciated from across the river
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
as the dominant feature of the Albany skyline.The Mall here in Albany, for instance, can be characterized as a group of forms on a platform – sculpture on a pedestal, if you will. }}
Paying for the construction of the plaza was a major problem, since a bond issue for an Albany project would almost certainly have been disapproved by the statewide electorate. Despite the displacement of thousands of loyal political
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
voters, Albany Mayor Erastus Corning
Erastus Corning 2nd
Erastus Corning 2nd was an American politician. He was Mayor of Albany, New York for more than 40 years, from 1942 to 1983, when Albany County was controlled by one of the last two classic urban political machines in the United States. Albany's longest serving mayor, the Democrat died in office in...
worked with Rockefeller to engineer a funding scheme that utilized Albany County
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
bonds instead of state bonds. During repayment, the state guaranteed the principal and interest payments in the form of rent for a plaza that was officially county property. Ownership was then to be transferred to the state in exchange for regular payments in lieu of taxes. Control of the bond issues gave Corning and party boss Daniel P. O'Connell
Daniel P. O'Connell
Daniel Patrick O'Connell was the leader of the Democratic Party political machine in Albany County, New York, from about 1919 until his death....
influence when dealing with the Republican governor. The bonds were paid in 2001 and the state assumed ownership, though it required years to do the paperwork to change title.
After the 98.5-acre (39 ha) site was obtained using eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
, construction was begun in 1959 with an initial cost estimate of $250 million. The project was plagued by delays. Unrealistic schedules set by the state forced contractors for various parts to interfere with each other during work. The poor working conditions caused some of the contractors to sue the state successfully later. The plaza finally began operation in 1976 at a total cost of $1.7 billion. The Cultural Education Center
Cultural Education Center
The Cultural Education Center is attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York, United States. Specifically located on Madison Avenue, it faces northward towards the New York State Capitol building...
was completed in 1961, The Corning Tower
Erastus Corning Tower
The Erastus Corning Tower, also known as the Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd Tower or simply the Corning Tower, is a skyscraper located in downtown Albany, New York. Completed in 1966 and sided with Vermont Pearl marble and glass, the state office building is part of the Empire State Plaza...
and Agency buildings in 1966, and the Egg
The Egg (building)
The Egg is a performing arts venue in Albany, New York.Named for the shape it resembles, it was designed by Harrison & Abramovitz as part of the Empire State Plaza project, and built between 1966 and 1978. It is located in the northeast corner of the Plaza...
in 1976. Today, more than 13,000 state employees work at the complex.
Characteristics
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
buildings, seated on a six-story marble platform, representing Rockefeller's concept of architecture as similar to sculpture. Their exterior columns and narrow windows make them similar in style to the now-destroyed World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
towers in New York City, which were completed about the same time. The buildings constituting the plaza include:
- the four Agency office buildings (numbered "Agency 1" through "Agency 4");
- the Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd TowerErastus Corning TowerThe Erastus Corning Tower, also known as the Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd Tower or simply the Corning Tower, is a skyscraper located in downtown Albany, New York. Completed in 1966 and sided with Vermont Pearl marble and glass, the state office building is part of the Empire State Plaza...
; - The EggThe Egg (building)The Egg is a performing arts venue in Albany, New York.Named for the shape it resembles, it was designed by Harrison & Abramovitz as part of the Empire State Plaza project, and built between 1966 and 1978. It is located in the northeast corner of the Plaza...
(a theater); - the Cultural Education CenterCultural Education CenterThe Cultural Education Center is attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York, United States. Specifically located on Madison Avenue, it faces northward towards the New York State Capitol building...
(State MuseumNew York State MuseumThe New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and towards the New York State Capitol...
, LibraryNew York State LibraryThe New York State Library is part of the New York State Education Department. The Library and its sister institutions, the New York State Museum and New York State Archives, are housed in the Cultural Education Center...
, and Archives); - the Robert Abrams Building for Law and Justice (known previously as the Justice Building);
- the Legislative Office Building (LOB);
- the Swan Street Building (sectioned into "Core 1" through "Core 4").
The plaza is connected to the Times Union Center (a covered arena, known formerly as the Pepsi Arena) by a pedestrian bridge and to the New York State Capitol
New York State Capitol
The New York State Capitol is the capitol building of the U.S. state of New York. Housing the New York State Legislature, it is located in the state capital city Albany, on State Street in Capitol Park. The building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million , was the most expensive government...
by an underground tunnel.
The plaza also features a skating rink and fountains, though the skating rink season has been shortened during recent years due to state budget issues. Several memorials are located on the plaza, including the New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial
New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial
The New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Albany, New York is dedicated to the New York firefighters who have died in the line of duty. Governor of New York George Pataki officially dedicated the memorial on October 5, 1998. It features a by gray granite wall, with 2,312 names...
as well as memorials for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
The scale of the buildings in the plaza is impressive, and the complex is the most easily recognizable aspect of the Albany skyline. The Corning Tower
Erastus Corning Tower
The Erastus Corning Tower, also known as the Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd Tower or simply the Corning Tower, is a skyscraper located in downtown Albany, New York. Completed in 1966 and sided with Vermont Pearl marble and glass, the state office building is part of the Empire State Plaza...
is the tallest building in New York state outside of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; the Swan Street Building is more than a quarter of a mile long and modeled partly on Pharaoh Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut also Hatchepsut; meaning Foremost of Noble Ladies;1508–1458 BC) was the fifth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt...
's Temple at Deir el-Bahri
Deir el-Bahri
Deir el-Bahari or Deir el-Bahri is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor, Egypt....
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The plaza itself is actually the largest building of all.
The plaza has shade trees on the edges, and in the side gardens and memorials. It has been closed to traffic for the past several winters, as of 2010.
The Concourse
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant, banks, a YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, a post office, a visitors center, and several retailers such as Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
. The Concourse connects all buildings of the state plaza. Many state workers spend their lunch hour there. The Concourse also features various works of art and sculptures.
Layout
Reflecting pool
A reflecting pool or reflection pool is a water feature found in gardens, parks, and at memorial sites. It usually consists of a shallow pool of water, undisturbed by fountain jets, for a calm reflective...
s. On the west side are the four 23-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
, 310 feet (94.5 m) Agency towers. On the east side is the Egg
The Egg (building)
The Egg is a performing arts venue in Albany, New York.Named for the shape it resembles, it was designed by Harrison & Abramovitz as part of the Empire State Plaza project, and built between 1966 and 1978. It is located in the northeast corner of the Plaza...
(Meeting Center) and the 44-floor (589-foot/180 m) Erastus Corning Tower
Erastus Corning Tower
The Erastus Corning Tower, also known as the Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd Tower or simply the Corning Tower, is a skyscraper located in downtown Albany, New York. Completed in 1966 and sided with Vermont Pearl marble and glass, the state office building is part of the Empire State Plaza...
, which has an observation deck on the 42nd floor. On the south end is the Cultural Education Center
Cultural Education Center
The Cultural Education Center is attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York, United States. Specifically located on Madison Avenue, it faces northward towards the New York State Capitol building...
, set on a higher platform; and on the north end is the New York State Capitol
New York State Capitol
The New York State Capitol is the capitol building of the U.S. state of New York. Housing the New York State Legislature, it is located in the state capital city Albany, on State Street in Capitol Park. The building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million , was the most expensive government...
. While the Capitol predates the plaza, it is connected to the Concourse by an escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
which allows underground access to the rest of the plaza, most notably (to the New York State Legislature, at least), the Legislative Office Building.
Empire State Plaza Art Collection
The Empire State Plaza Art Collection is located on the plaza within the concourseConcourse
A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space.-Examples:Examples of concourses include:* Meeting halls* Universities* Railway stations...
, buildings, and outdoor areas. The collection includes 92 painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s, and tapestries. The collection includes a large number of modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
paintings and sculptures at various locations, and in particular includes works of the New York School
New York School
The New York School was an informal group of American poets, painters, dancers, and musicians active in the 1950s, 1960s in New York City...
created in the 1960s and 1970s.
Artists represented include Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock
Paul Jackson Pollock , known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality, and...
, Robert Motherwell
Robert Motherwell
Robert Motherwell American painter, printmaker and editor. He was one of the youngest of the New York School , which also included Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and Philip Guston....
, Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder was an American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing mobile sculptures. In addition to mobile and stable sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, toys, tapestry, jewelry and household objects.-Childhood:Alexander "Sandy" Calder was born in Lawnton,...
, Lyman Kipp
Lyman Kipp
Lyman Kipp is a sculptor and painter who creates pieces that are composed of strong vertical and horizontal objects and are often painted in bold primary colors recalling arrangements by De Stijl Constructivists...
, Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
, Clement Meadmore
Clement Meadmore
Clement Meadmore was an Australian-American sculptor known for massive outdoor steel sculptures.-Biography:...
, Ronald Bladen, Herbert Ferber
Herbert Ferber
Herbert Ferber was an American sculptor and painter, born in New York City. He began his independent artistic studies in New York in 1926 at evening classes at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, while attending Columbia University Dental School...
, Forrest Myers, Dimitri Hadzi, William T. Williams
William T. Williams
William T. Williams was born in Cross Creek, North Carolina, United States. He received a BFA degree from Pratt Institute in 1966 and studied at The Skowhegan School of Art. In 1968 he received an MFA degree from Yale University School of Art and Architecture...
, Ellsworth Kelly
Ellsworth Kelly
Ellsworth Kelly is an American painter and sculptor associated with Hard-edge painting, Color Field painting and the Minimalist school. His works demonstrate unassuming techniques emphasizing the simplicity of form found similar to the work of John McLaughlin. Kelly often employs bright colors to...
, Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg is a Swedish sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring very large replicas of everyday objects...
, George Rickey
George Rickey
George Rickey was an American kinetic sculptor.Rickey was born on June 6, 1907 in South Bend, Indiana.-Life and work:...
, James Rosati, Tony Smith
Tony Smith (sculptor)
Tony Smith was an American sculptor, visual artist, architectural designer, and a noted theorist on art. He is often cited as a pioneering figure in American Minimalist sculpture.-Education:...
, George Sugarman and Chryssa. Glenn D. Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, has termed the plaza's collection of American art
American Art
American Art is the debut album of the band Weatherbox. It was released on May 8, 2007 on Doghouse Records. The album received critical acclaim from several sources including underground music distribution company Smartpunk, who lauded the band's style:...
"...the most important State collection of modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
in the country."
Controversy
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Italians. The construction of the plaza occurred after the decline of Albany's downtown
Downtown Albany Historic District
The Downtown Albany Historic District is a 19-block, area of Albany, New York, United States, centered around the junction of State and North and South Pearl streets . It is the oldest settled area of the city, originally planned and settled in the 17th century, and the nucleus of its later...
shopping, and the massive displacement of population allegedly hastened the process. Numerous restaurants, specialty shops, two major department stores, and downtown's last movie theater had shuttered by the end of construction. The majority of the displaced residents had not owned cars, which forced them to shop locally. The elevated plaza separates the largely residential neighborhoods surrounding Washington Park
Washington Park Historic District (Albany, New York)
Washington Park in Albany, New York is the city's premier park and the site of many festivals and gatherings. As public property it dates back to the city charter in 1686, and has seen many uses including that of gunpowder storage, square/parade grounds, and cemetery...
and points west from the largely commercial streets between the State Capitol and the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
The plaza has also been criticized for the cost of its lavish architecture (the towers are covered in marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
), its sheer size, and its period architecture. The 1991 book, The Shock of the New, refers to the buildings as being in "The International Power Style of the Fifties", comparing the buildings to those built by Fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
governments.
Crossing through the plaza is the South Mall Arterial
South Mall Arterial
The South Mall Arterial is a short expressway built in the early 1960's in Albany, New York, United States. It runs west from the interchange between Interstate 787, U.S. Route 9, and U.S. Route 20, at the west end of the Dunn Memorial Bridge, and runs under the Empire State Plaza...
, a short highway artery connecting to the Dunn Memorial Bridge
Dunn Memorial Bridge
The Dunn Memorial Bridge, officially known as the Private Parker F. Dunn Memorial Bridge, carries US 9 and US 20 across the Hudson River between Albany, New York and Rensselaer, New York. Completed in 1967 to replace an earlier span bearing the same name, the highway bridge has a steel girder...
. Construction of this highway destroyed many buildings of Albany's downtown. In the initial proposal, the highway was to go from Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
in North Greenbush
North Greenbush, New York
North Greenbush is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. North Greenbush is located in the western part of the county. The population was 10,805 at the 2000 census....
(current exit 8 to NY Route 43
New York State Route 43
New York State Route 43 is a state highway in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It extends for from Interstate 90 exit 8 in North Greenbush to the Massachusetts state line, where it continues into Williamstown as Massachusetts Route 43...
), through Rensselaer, under the plaza, and connecting to the also-cancelled Mid-Crosstown Arterial, which would have extended from I-90 Exit 6, through the city, traveling underneath Washington Park, meeting with the South Mall Expressway in the process, and continuing on to the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
at Exit 23. The current South Mall Arterial ends abruptly in a loop at Swan Street, with both eastbound and westbound lanes using the two outer portals of the four portal tunnel leading under the plaza. (The inner two were to be express lanes to the Mid-Crosstown Arterial/SME interchange underneath the park.) The only evidence of the original Mid-Crosstown Arterial is the four level stack interchange for I-90 at present day US 9.
External links
- Visiting the Empire State Plaza (official website)
- The Empire State Plaza at Emporis Buildings
- Images of the Empire State Plaza
- The Making of the Empire State Plaza
- Empire State Plaza at Everything2Everything2Everything2, Everything2, or E2 for short is a collaborative Web-based community consisting of a database of interlinked user-submitted written material. E2 is moderated for quality, but has no formal policy on subject matter...
- "Albany's Empire State Plaza delivers art and history" - Poughkeepsie JournalPoughkeepsie JournalThe Poughkeepsie Journal is a newspaper based in Poughkeepsie, New York owned by the Gannett Company, who bought the paper in 1977. Founded in 1785 , the Journal is the oldest paper in New York state, and is the third-oldest in the nation...
- Web page criticizing the Empire State Plaza