Buffalo Rising Online

nice story steel, this building is timeless in it's appeal, and has always been one of my favorites also.

As an employee, I am proud of the fact that M&T is such a responsible and generous corporate citizen. I am also pleased to be able to visit M&T Plaza and M&T Center on occasion, for meetings.

M&T Center, the old gold dome, is arguably one of the most beautiful and impressive buildings in Buffalo. In fact, the intersection of Washington and Huron, with M&T Center and the Electric Tower, is my favorite spot in the city.

(Sigh) the ground floor windows remind me of the World Trade Center in NYC. It's a shame that they are not rebuilding the World Trade Center in it orginal form. Well at least I have the M & T Bank building

Not a huge fan of Yamasaki nor plaza superblock site placement, but this building looks great from a distance and really helps define Buffalo's skyline.

I have always been a fan of this building. It definitely picks up where Sullivan left off with the Guaranty Building. The verticality from the pedestrian level makes you feel as though the building will continue forever into the sky. I recommend just standing at the base of both M&T Plaza and the Guaranty and just observing the subtle details in both as they expand into the sky.

Great story Steel... one of my first jobs out of college was working at M&T and I always felt like I was in a special place working out of One M&T Plaza.

Allow me to throw one blast from the past regarding this building.. the old Plaza Suite restaurant on the 20th floor. It was one of Buffalo's finest dinest expereinces and spectacular views of the lake and river. It closed sometime around 1980 and is still missed!

Lastly - the M&T "Plaza Events" performance series has been a staple of downtown Buffalo's daytime vitality during the summer months.

Well, my favorite memories of downtown Buffalo include the M&T but its alittle different....because back when more families lived in the city (eastside, westside, southside)....schools had field trips into the city to visit the science museum or the cathedral or city hall and we walked down the street from one place to the next.

It was a majical experience, especially at christmas, because there was still retail downtown and the stores had christmas decorations (not holiday decorations) to a much greater extent than today and practically every church had a manger in front. There was so much vibrancy and beauty...going downtown was an event for a child as well as an adult.

To a child and even now as an adult: old was never old and new was never really new. You looked at a building and it was either an inspiring building....or it wasnt and even some of the less inspiring buildings ... the owners made sure ... they were decorated and inviting and well maintained (this is back when people swept their driveways, sidewalks and curbs).

M&T was special not because it was modern (as so many elitist architects tell you we can no longer build anything period)...but because it was a quality building that even those who knew nothing of art or design could look at and see grace and beauty. M&T has always been a wonderful addition to Buffalo and we can only hope that more Buffalo businesses put as much design and quality into their contributions to our city (whether old or new or period)

The building is truly beautiful, it makes one appreciate the beauty and art, of architecture. All these comments about what great people M&T Bank are is a little much. Let us not forget that in creating their wealth they have done much to hurt Buffalo. There money and politcal manuevereing has shown much bias based on social, racial and economic class. While they have done some good things for Buffalo let us not become blinded minions of The Corporation.

Kelly, companies like people have to compete in order to survive. The more they have to struggle the harder the choices and decisions that confront them.

I dont know enough about M&T but I do know that there are virtuous companies like Hersheys....and ruthlessly malicious evil companies like Enron.

There are those that hated Buffalo Oil and Steel companies because of their pollution...but look at all those people and families who lost their lives, homes and retirement even their ability to stay in Buffalo when they left.

Its not easy for companies today. Democrats and Republicans dont care about the poor or the middle class....as they both allow unlimited illegal immigration....and unlimited outsourcing of jobs to foreign companies...and unlimited sales of our most technologically sophisticated technologies to foreigners...in effect dismantling our high paying manufacturing and service economy.

Whats my point? My point is that if M&T has done something egregious, then please share it. If your going to reference the redlining of districts and minorities...back in the 60s...well that was the ignorance of the time...and it was standard practice among many banks.

What Buffalo does a poor job is shaming companies into being good corporate citizens of their community! Especially with those companies that have a significant presence in Buffalo but are not headquartered here. They need to understand the impact their decision have but if your just going to bash corporate america...let me remind you that its hard to be a virtuous person if your unemployed and dont have any income!

No one is saying that the M&T corporation is virtuous....most of the comments are about the building and how it contributes to our city so if you have a point...please share.

It indeed reminds me of the World Trade Towers!

It's clean modern Gothic arches were always a delight to see. I think of the M&T building as a model for or "mini" World Trade Tower!

M&T is the classiest modern building in Buffalo!

L,

As a child I certainly remember recognizing which buildings were old and which were new. I understood as I walked through the Albright-knox as a child which part was older and which was newer. The M&T is indeed liked by some because it represesnts modern ideas and values. Some also appreciate the fact that a beautiful design like this one is born from the modern sensibility and lifestyle of the designer. The materials reflect modern methods of construction and popular or affordable materials of that time. Your use of the word elitist seems to be born out of some arrogance. Simply because you dont remember a sense of old/new as a child doesn't mean all children don't and because you believe the appeal of this building is in some timeless beauty doesn't mean we all agree. I think from your romantic view of the past you are see this world through a very narrow tunnel. It seems that you are the one is an elitist.

"(this is back when people swept their driveways, sidewalks and curbs)"

Instead of sweeping the sidewalk, I'm typing my opinion on a blog while listening to hip-hop music. Time and place are reflected in the way I speak, what I eat, the proffesion opportunities available to me, where I live and the buildings that I live and work inside. The only period that new building can reflect is this period, our period! I live in a modern way and I like that it is modern. Maybe you should try to appreciate the here and now as much as your seem to appreciate the values of a period gone by.

Peter, give me a break I was talking about a grammer school field trip downtown...I had no understanding of architecture or design then.

Secondly, I do live in the present....and if you saw how I live then youd see that I have a mixture of modern and period and they coexist beautifully. I dont have many antiques..so some of my period pieces are new so anyone who tells me that I cant live in a brand new tudor because its not original to the period is an elitist in my book, anyone who tells me that I cannot have a piece of period art or furniture because its not an original is an elistist in my book....and architecture is absolutely no different. ITS ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE DESIGN AND THE MATERIALS USED! SULLIVAN IS JUST AS BUILDABLE TODAY AS CALATRAVA! THAT WAS MY POINT. IM NOT LIVING IN THE PAST....IM MAKING A POINT ABOUT QUALITY AND ASTHETICS (WHICH SEEMS OBLIVIOUS TO YOU THOUGH YOU MAY NOT BE AN ELITIST)!

Then why aren't buildings like the Guaranty building not being built today?

scratch that double negative: Then why are buildings like the Guaranty building not being built today?

It is actually about more than THOSE THINGS LISTED IN ALL CAPS! by L. It is also about ideas and the advancement of ideas. There is no period in art and architecture that has stood still. There is always been advancement of ideas assisted by technology. It is funny that L brings up Sullivan because he was appalled at the use of historic styles and said of the classical wonderland built for the Chicago World's Columbian Expo "The damage wrought by the fair [to the profession of architecture] will last a half century". And it was another 50 years until modern architecture took hold.

Let's stop tossing out names like elitist just because you don't understand a position or idea. That Rush Limbo tactic is so tired.

STEEL,

In your opinion, why is modern architecture so unpopular among most BRising bloggers. Throughout the whole Elmwood hotel discussion, the B-P art center discussion and the push for new Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings many people expressed a desire for traditional or historic looking new buildings. I go to the UB Architecture lectures and see many many beautiful examples of modern buildings that I would love to see here in my city. But I doubt many of my neighbors would like them. What's the deal?

Peter

Because they have not experienced that kind of high quality modernism.

Also I would say most BRO people are not against modern architecture. Based on the modern architecture being used to sell things in magazines and on TV these days I would say that most people in general are very receptive to modernism. I think many people are actually reacting to bad architecture not modernism. For example the Dulski building (subject of another Bro story) In my opinion it is bad architecture. It is also modern architecture. Its modernism is not the source of its badness. Cladding that building in historic detail would not eliminate the problems it has. I would also suggest (in my opinion) that the Elmwood Hotel is not "historic". Nor does it use historically based detailing. Anyone who thinks that it does needs to study up on their architecture. I personally do not like the proposed detailing of that building but, it is a building that will contribute to the city in a very positive way. This is because it uses very good urban design principles. It has nothing to do with its brick or cornice. These principles have nothing to do with the way it is clad.

Successful buildings first and foremost must use sound urban design principles. They must respect how people use buildings and how the building contributes to the street. Unfortunately many modern buildings have not done this in the last 60 years. But that does not mean that modern buildings can not contribute to great urban streets. M&T Bank is very successful as a modern building, Main Place Mall is not. There are many many examples of supposedly historically detailed buildings that are also pathetic additions to the city.

I advocate for the addition of high quality modern buildings because they offer so much more potential for an energetic and vital city that is evocative of what we have achieved in this country over the last century. Things that a historically detailed buildings ignore.

One irony I often find is that the same people who often advocate for the demo of old "deralict buildings are the ones most strongly calling for historically detailed new buildings.

Another good post, Steel.

My first memories of M&T Plaza (or as my brother in law said when he first caught sight of it: "MT Bank? (empty bank?) - kinda like "Am-I-Gone?" (Amigone) & "Burry" funeral homes - were when I first saw the huge pit that was created for the project one day while christmas shopping with my Mom & Sister - peeking thru the construction fence on our way to Hens & Kelley's, then AM&A's and Kobachers, followed by LL Bergers to look at all the Christmas windows. Then to eat at one of the department store classy restaurants - that's where we all learned our "table manners" with countles other kids and their Moms.

My father was a carpenter on that project - he used to bring home blueprints of the buiding that I had until a few years ago (they all faded to blank paper, unfortunately).

Used to go eat at the top floor Restaurant when it opened after my dad finished doing the woodwork, doors and trim work - it was all sooooo tall and soooo impressive! And what a view!

He used to bring home drawings all the time - I remember riding the still unfinished elevators to the top of the Marine Midland Tower - my ears burning red from listening to all the very "descriptive" adjectives being gleefully tossed around for my benefit by all the construction workers in the elevator! Once getting to the top, they convinced me to crawl to the edge of the building to look down the face! - I almost passed out! But the sight of the "new" M&T Tower just down the street was magnificent. It always stood out.

I still have all the paper clippings I used to carefully cut and save everytime a new building was announced to be built somewhere in the boxes around my now new home in Henderson (Las Vegas).

There are many of that "new" building - as well as the Erie County Savings Bank Tower - which opened within a short time of each other.