Archtober Itinerary: Amanda Dameron

I have only lived in New York for five years, and it pleases me to know that my education of the city’s architectural history will continue for the rest of my life. 

A few of my favorite places in New York are: 

The Morgan Library & Museum 
I love to peruse Pierpont Morgan’s personal collection (and look for secret passageways) in the East Room. It was designed in 1906 by architect Charles Follen McKim to house Morgan’s rarest books. Don’t forget to look up to see the signs of the Zodiac in the ceiling's hexagonal spandrels. Then go out to have a beverage beneath Renzo Piano’s lyrical glass-and-steel canopy. 

The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at the Bronx Botanic Garden 
This Victorian glass-enclosed oasis is a New York City Landmark, and Beyer Blinder Belle’s 1993 restoration saved this building from oblivion. 

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden 
Weiss Manfredi’s visitor center offers a seamless introduction to this astounding outdoor space founded in 1911. Fall is a perfect time to check out the Japanese Hill-and-Pond garden, where tons of Maples will be turning all sorts of hues.

There is so much to see and appreciate, and that’s why, for the month of Archtober, a packed itinerary awaits me. Here are but a few of my won’t-miss events. 

Tour34: Empire to Penn 
Friday, October 7, 12:30pm 
The Municipal Art Society of New York

From railroads to retail, sidewalks to skyscrapers, expertly trained MAS docents lead guests on an exploration of the untold history and unfolding future of this bustling hub of transportation and commerce. 

Confluence: Industrial Waterfronts and Freshkills Park Boat Tour
Sunday, October 9, 1:30-4:45pm
AIANY / Classic Harbor Line / Freshkills Park 

Officially closed in 2001, Freshkills Park is the largest landfill to park transformation project in the world and when complete will be one of the largest parks in NYC. Its rolling grasslands, wetlands and waterways are already home to an abundance of birds, fish, and wildlife. 

Building of the Day: Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage and Salt Shed
Tuesday, October 11, 3:00pm; 3:30pm 
Dattner Architects with WXY architecture + urban design

The Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage, at the corner of Spring Street and West Street, houses three district garages for the NYC Department of Sanitation, accommodating over 150 sanitation vehicles, separate vehicle wash and personnel facilities for each district, and centralized fueling and repair facilities. 

Building of the Day: Pivot 
Monday, October 17, 12:00pm 
Architecture Workshop

Pivot is a pre-war studio revamped into a modern adaptable space containing a secret bedroom. The project emphasizes open space while overlaying multi-functionality, transforming in response to different needs. 

Teen Design Fair 
Tuesday, October 18, 4:00-6:00pm 
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

New York City teens learn about design careers and educational opportunities from National Design Award winners, jurors, and guest designers. 

Architecture and Ornament in the Heart of Central Park 
Thursday, October 20, 11:00am-12:30pm 
Central Park Conservancy

Explore structural and landscape architecture that were fundamental guiding elements in the design and execution of Central Park. This tour highlights symbolic and artistic features that may be easily overlooked even by the daily Park goer. 

Building of the Day: Lever House
Sunday, October 23, 12:00pm
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Midtown Manhattan’s Lever House marked a watershed in U.S. architecture when completed in 1952. The corporate headquarters, with its facade made of blue-green glass and stainless steel mullions, was one of the first glass-walled International Style office buildings in the country. 

Global Migration, Refugees, and a Role for Design
Monday, October 24, 6:00-8:00pm 
AIANY

This panel will discuss the design community’s responsibilities and obligations to the global refugee crisis, and will share global case studies, best practices and solutions for how to integrate these migrant and refugee populations within existing urban contexts. 

Photography and Tibet
Wednesday, October 26, 7:00-8:30pm
Rubin Museum of Art

Dr. Clare Harris introduces her new book, Photography and Tibet, which offers remarkable new insights into the attempts of foreign and Tibetan photographers to document the country.