When a building talks
“Buildings talk to us if you care to listen. They have a personality, they can be gentle, funny, sad or have an attitude (often the case in NYC), but the best ones are welcoming, timeless and larger than life. Just like people in a way.” A former urban planner, now a journalist and multimedia producer, Guglielmo in his free time wanders the streets of NYC trying to capture through pictures buildings’ personality and the stories behind them.
CHAPTER 1
Fluted
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WHERE: THE CORINTHIAN, MURRAY HILL
ARCHITECT: DER SCUTT AND MICHAEL SCHIMENTI
WHEN: COMPLETED IN 1989
HEIGHT: 153M / 504 FT
CRAVINGS: CAPPUCCINO WITH OAT MILK
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Land is scarce in Manhattan and very few modern buildings are built on virgin plots of land. The Corinthian, for instance, stands where once stood The East Side Airline Terminal. A sleek 1950s building in which airline passengers could buy air tickets, check-in, drop luggage and board buses to New York City airports.
It was one of three airline terminals scattered in Manhattan. By the 1980s, it was abandoned, then demolished and redeveloped into a luxury condo. Air travel has changed dramatically since so did this part of town.
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CHAPTER 2
Setbacks make me happy
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WHERE: NYC, 1400 BROADWAY
ARCHITECT: ELY JACQUES KAHN
WHEN: COMPLETED IN 1931
HEIGHT: 123 M
CRAVINGS: SINGLE ESPRESSO
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They call them wedding cakes, those buildings that, as they develop in height, they set back from the street line. The zoning code introduced this rule to avoid bulky buildings that would cast a large shadow around them. The result can be exhilarating and refreshing. Some see wedding cakes, I see steps for giants.
Guglielmo Mattioli Bio
He is a multimedia producer with a past as an urban planner. Through writing, video, audio and Virtual Reality, he produces stories mostly focusing on the built environment. Gugliemo's work has appeared on BBC News, The New York Times, National Geographic, Wondery INC, Chora Media, The Guardian, RAI, Arch Daily, Architect’s Newspaper, Metropolis Magazine and City Limits.