Walking Tour: The Architecture of Bryant Park

Before Bryant Park became New York’s “Living Room” and home to the New York Public Library, Bryant Park served the city as a potters' field, as a receiving reservoir for the Croton Water System, and as the site of the Crystal Palace Exhibition building. A revised landscape plan executed during the Great Depression, but following a decline in the social and physical conditions of the area in the 1970s and 80s, the park underwent a major restoration, which was completed in 1990. Today, Bryant Park, one of the premier outdoor spaces of Manhattan, serves as a model for public and private revitalization. This walking tour will explore the architecture lining the perimeter of the park, which offer an interesting timeline of the development of Midtown. Keynote projects include the New York Public Library by Carrère and Hastings, the Radiator Building by Hood and Howells, One Bryant by COOKFOX, the Grace Building by SOM, and the Bryant Condominiums and Hotel by David Chipperfield. Urban and architectural issues will be discussed, including NYC zoning law, business improvements districts, and the evolution of skyscraper design.