Buffalo From the Outside Looking In
Shattering the genteel calm with muscular power. Well, yes, Frank Lloyd Wright designs have muscle, but the 12-year $50 million remake, in my humble opinion, has a lot to say about the strength of the people in this community who made this happen. Money, sure--a project like this doesn't get done without plenty of it--but it's a passionate lot who put in the time and effort toward this restoration effort. And what we all end up with is an architect's monument to his own extraordinary vision along with a source of pride for Buffalo itself. Then there's Darwin Martin to thank, and John Larkin, too.
This is one of those knee-jerk Buffalo associations we can live with. Beyond a certain crystalline form of precipitation and parts of foul (fowl) previously deemed scraps, we have--say it with me--extraordinary architecture. And extraordinary people who help to preserve it.
So, to the Martin House Restoration Corporation's key players and everyone who helped to make this happen, thank you. A thousand times, thank you. You're looking good.
Photo courtesy of Chuck LaChiusa at http://www.buffaloah.com/
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TranspoGuy
I am a huge fan of Architecture, especially in Buffalo. But it is tough to see where 50 million dollars went, that is a TON of money.
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sbrof
It went to inkind reconstruction. Not something close but as close to exact replication of materials and process as possible. As one of our main architectural jewels and one that will bring in more people, name and fame than blocks of other buildings combined I feel it was worth it.
Even if it came 100% from taxesor government (which it didn't, lots of donations). That's about 50 bucks per resident of Erie county... Considering it took many years that cost could be spread over 5 bucks a year for 10 years.. People will spend more than that for coffee every day but instead gives us as a region something to be proud of.
Money well spent!
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Dave
Transpoguy: That’s the exact same thing I was thinking. How could that project cost 50 million? Is someone getting rich off of this?
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Your_Intellectual_Superior
"Beyond a certain crystalline form of precipitation and parts of foul previously deemed scraps, we have--say it with me--extraordinary architecture." Can someone please tell me the point this sentence is trying to convey?
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PaulBuffalo
YourIntellectualSuperior, she is saying that Buffalo is so much more than snow and chicken wings. I think everyone who reads BRO is already aware of that, though.
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Assaroni
$50 MILLION??? WOW!!! Whose pockets got lined for this? Wish Iwas the GC on this, we couldve done it for about $3mil. WTF $54 million for the Whipple truss bridge and a wood plank deck??? WOW we are getting so fleeced that it's getting blatant
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Hoss
When are they gonna take the damn fence down?
As for the 50 large. Amongst other things, didn't they have to re-open a decommissioned quarry to get the right materials to replicate the bricks? Or was that was a rumor?
I live in the neighborhood, and throw them a few bucks every year. Hopefully Ciminelli isn't hosing them too bad. I'd be surprised if they were. A lot of eyes are watching that one.
Don't the Eskimos have like 50 words for snow? Maybe Ms. Buscarino is trying to outdo them:). Most likely, she is just trying to broaden the literary comprehension of her readers. Maybe trying to improve and define her own writing style during the process. Gotta give her credit for that. Even if it is deemed pompous by some of the readership. The "foul previously deemed scraps" line is simply lacking a comma (I believe) to give it the gravitas she most likely intended. Without proper grammar, it reads as both awkward, and ironically arrogant. But hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained, huh? It's ain't the NY Times people. It's a blog, isn't it? A blog primarily about middle class happenings in Buffalo, NY.
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al-alo
50 mill does seem like quite a lot, however, i dont exactly know what that covers.
does it pay for the fancy new visitor's center and its famed (read: expensive) architect? does it pay for exhibits? educational materials? does it pay to reacquire the architectural features spirited out of the house over the years? how about a historic structures report? the demo of the old building that was on site?
and i do doubt many of the materials in this house are in stock at home depot. are the light fixtures custom or were they found in situ? new ones - figure potentially $500-700 bucks apiece or more. custom made bricks (im sure they are moulded and not quarried)? that new statue of Nike? lord know what that costs. fancy exotic woods? things add up quick.
lets not forget all of new new systems required (fire suppression, HVAC, plumbing, etc). try and find a way to get those in without disturbing the original building's fabric. tough stuff. is the plaster repairs done with drywall patches, or is it new lathe? go find a guy who knows who to do that well.
now make it handicap accessible.
glad it wasnt my project.
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al-alo
i didnt even count staff time and furnishings. whoops!
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Your_Intellectual_Superior
PaulBuffalo,
I was reading that sentence as written and not 'parts of fowl' as implied. Thanks for the clarification.
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al-alo
sorry - but i jsut thought of more price stuff: lead and asbestos remediation, removing paint for original wood work and then there are the windows.
could you imagine how much reacquiring an original FLW window would be? or conserving one you had? or even recreating one from scratch? thousands per window - easy.
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Hoss
Just the sod and cyclone fence that went down this past spring was probably close to 5 grand in materials alone. 6 guys taking a day to install it adds another 1-2 as well.
Fowl. That's hysterical. I was reading way too deeply into it. Trying to get into the mindset of all the old historically relevant buildings demolished before they could shine again. Time to get off the internets for awhile I guess...
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TranspoGuy
50 million dollars could build roughly 400 new homes at $125,000 a piece to build.
My point is that 50 million dollars seems like a crazy amount, even if they opened up a rock quary to get the stone or whatever.
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sonyactivision
It's a pretty big and comprehensive project and I assume a fair amount of that tab is for the visitors center and a painstaking recreation of the interiors. It just goes to show that FLW was way too persnickety about making all the elements of his work unique to him. If The Great Master had read his A.N.S.I. Manual, instead of lining his parakeet cage with it, life would have been easier for the rest of us.
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bklyndave1
Why would anyone want to build 400 new homes at $125,000 a piece? Doesn't buffalo have a glut of unoccupied buildings and a decreasing population every year? 50 million is a drop in the bucket. Some paintings are valued at more than that. It was a bold smart move that will definitely bolster tourism. I'll probably check it out when I come into town.
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Colin
"50 million dollars could build roughly 400 new homes at $125,000 a piece to build."
So? How is that a relevant comparison? Do you have expertise in rehabilitating classic architecture?
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TranspoGuy
Colin - my point wasnt that they way overpaid or anything for the restoration. My point was the 50 million dollars could be spent much more equitably elsewhere.
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cherokee
I think taking a tour right now would explain were the money is going and seeing the 100 paying visitors a day right now you can better imagine when done how much tourism dollars you are going see. In reference to the bricks they were not quarried but formed in beehive kilns like the originals to create the multi colors however current ansi standards would not allow a brick cast that thin so they were created in Ohio, shipped here and saw cut individually to the spec size. where's all the expense-You forgot to add because of a portion of public funds are used it is all prevailing wage on the project. On a labor intensive project like this it probably added 20% or more. $$$$$$$
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