"Intricate minglings of different uses in cities are not a form of chaos. On the contrary, they represent a complex and highly developed form of order."
Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), died recently on June 3rd. She had no formal background in the field of city planning, but her clear sighted and influential work illustrated why certain city neighborhoods function well and how to improve those that do not. (www.pps.org).
Jacobs advocated “mixed-use” development, in which different building types and uses, along with diverse populations, are crucial to a community’s vitality. This also includes historic landmarks, as well as just old buildings, even ones that may be a little dilapidated.
Landmark buildings she terms “prime orientation clues” that "emphasize and dignify the diversity of cities”. Most, but not all city landmarks are buildings. But similar principles apply to all landmarks; one pricipal being its “distinctiveness”, which is primarily dependent on reciprocity with its context.
She points to trinity church, at the head of Wall St., as one such landmark, which would be less effective if it were among other similar structures. But its appearance and function is distinct in the context of large modern office buildings. Similar is the case of the New York Public Library and many other buildings, which "...make their case about the importance of differences and their distinction of use...by suggestion".
The 1830’s warehouses at 211-215 Pearl St. will also be surrounded by high-rise office and residential towers, and being located at a curvature in the road that once formed the shoreline of New Amsterdam, they are visible from a few blocks distance. A history board can also enrich the site, informing and paying tribute to the important role of this mercantile district in the city and country’s growth (as distinct from the shipping and financial functions of South St. and Wall St.). Pearl Street was considered the city’s richest street and the highest valued mercantile establishments were located on this particular block.
Jacobs also advocates landmarks that are “set right amidst their neighbors”. The lower Manhattan historic landmark districts (South Street Seaport, Stone Street, Frances Tavern) achieve much of this ideal, with a backdrop of office buildings a few blocks away, largely avoiding an unavoidable problem with some landmarks, which Jacobs sees as ‘buffered off and isolated from the generalized scene. Contradicting, instead of explaining, and visually reinforcing an important fact about city difference, that they support each other.” 211 and 215 Pearl St., being located within a surrounding canyon of modern high-rise buildings, takes on this reinforcing quality in its preservation value from an urban planning point of view.
But how would Jacobs judge the preservation of just a facade? Probably critically, though she may regard it as better than nothing ie. complete demolition. But the issue of facade preservation (Facadism or Facadicide, as some preservationists have dubbed this strategy) will be discussed in more length in a future web log. But Jacobs, in an entire chapter titled “The need for Aged Buildings”, identifies the desirability of “a good lot of plain, ordinary, low value old buildings” in any successful urban area. And the implication here is for full buildings, not facades.
The facades, nonetheless, still preserve a vitality for the block, despite the severely compromised authenticity. Jacob’s final assessment may be ultimately determined by a number of other factors, including its reciprocity with the surrounding architecture and its specific associations with historical events and individuals. And despite the careful and highly bureaucratic preservation, the character of what unfolded reflects her ideal of the city as "organic, spontaneous, and untidy".
The Pearl St. facades make a strong visual statement and retain a level of authenticity that can still enrich the block with historical context. Fortunately, the developer and state officials involved have worked to prevent a total loss of this rich layer of heritage that helped transform New York in the early 1800’s. But mortared to this surviving relic of the city's early world trade district is the pathos of self-destruction.
Photo: Separate images of Pearl Street and Jane Jacobs were combined with Photoshop.
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