[Click to enlarge rendering to full size]
We’ve taken our share of shots at architect Henry Radusky and his firm, Bricolage Designs, over the years, so we were surprised yesterday to find several comments from one of the architect’s colleagues and an offer to send us a rendering of his latest building going up at 574 Fourth Avenue near the Prospect Expressway. Earlier, one of Mr. Radusky’s colleagues had written of buidings at Fourth Ave. and Carroll Street of which we have written of quite negatively:
I am sure it would be better to have the crack addicts and other previous scum hanging out in front of grafitti ridden auto repair shops that were previously located on these sites than new construction. Also everyone should realize it is not always the architects who are to blame for undesirable architecture we present clients with a set of plans and designs and everything is wonderful, but when the contractors get involved they undermine our designs by promising the owner cheaper costs and our designs get shelved. So please give the architect a break!
Then, we heard from Mr. Radusky himself about the other Fourth Avenue project. He wrote: “We will send you a rendering so you and your reader’s can comment. How’s that?” Dear readers, take Mr. Radusky up on his offer, if you please. We often talk about architects and their work, but Mr. Radusky is actually inviting comment from readers.
4 responses so far ↓
1 D // Feb 12, 2009 at 9:45 am
Thanks for letting us comment. Where can I buy the white plastic chairs rendered on the fourth floor balcony? How’s that?
2 Gari N. Corp // Feb 12, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I’m not sure what, not even Frank Gehry’s super-expensive glass, could have saved that beige sliver of a building on Carroll from mediocrity. And how come every single one of Mr Radusky’s clients seems to want to mar his designs with the same ugly-as-hell balcony railings? The best thing about the beige sliver is the impromptu open-air garage on the ground level. It seems like an absolutely perfect place for a crack-head to take refuge, assuming that Mr. Radusky really does think he is rescuing his buildings’ neighbours from the Scourge of Drugs. The new rendering? It looks like a suburban outpatient treatment center, only less calming.
3 IMBY // Feb 12, 2009 at 11:04 pm
I love these CAD drawings. The father and son jaywalking across 4th ave is a hoot.
Scrap (value engineer) ALL those balconies on the 4th Ave facade. There’s still time.
Street level looks shitty.
4 J // Feb 13, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I really like Henry Radusky, as an architect. His work is not something that stands out from everything else but rather fits in to each and every neighborhood his buildings are erected.
4th ave is really shaping out to be a great block that development will continue for a long long time. There are new restaurants opening up, condos and hotels. It is strategically located next to bay ridge, park slope, downtown brooklyn. I really expect big things from 4th ave within the next 10 years