alt.hn

1/2/2026 at 1:25:43 AM

Norman Foster's steroidal new skyscraper is an affront to the New York skyline

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/dec/03/eco-obscenity-norman-foster-skyscraper-jp-morgan-new-york

by PaulHoule

1/2/2026 at 4:41:41 AM

What a strange article—it really goes out of its way to just try to insult every element of this building. It looks pretty incredible to me and I’m glad I live in a country where people push the boundaries of what can be built.

by hanklazard

1/2/2026 at 12:36:01 PM

Some of it's a matter of taste for sure but I found the repeated griping about how it tapers at ground level a truly bizarre complaint. Would he really prefer it if it took up its entire monolithic footprint to the total exclusion of pedestrians?

by amenhotep

1/4/2026 at 12:56:56 AM

This is just standard nimby style writing, describing every element of a proposal in a maximally negative and catastrophic light.

That the writer studied architecture tells you all you need to know - they have nothing of value to add and can only critique endlessly out of a misguided belief that the aesthetics of buildings can bring about a collectivist utopia. It’s the original home of social engineering and central planning.

by appreciatorBus

1/2/2026 at 10:15:48 AM

The country doesn’t have much to do with it. Norman Forster travels all over.

by alimw

1/2/2026 at 2:11:58 PM

Sure, I was just giving a different perspective. Congrats to Norman Foster for having such strong opinions about architecture, I also have an opinion and in this case it runs contrary to his.

by hanklazard

1/2/2026 at 11:04:15 PM

Norman Foster is the architect not the critic! His firm is based in London and does its stuff all over the world.

by alimw

1/2/2026 at 3:09:22 AM

I really have no comment about the amount of steel used but I definitely like the look and aesthetics of the building. I think its gorgeous.

by johng