Observer » Inter IKEA Systems BV

The Afternoon Wrap: Monday

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:08:25 -0400

The bones of Brooklyn's Ikea have been erected, representing a long stride toward the borough's horrifying self-destruction. Doomsday is near, via inexpensive Swedish furniture. [Gowanus Lounge]

Vanity Fair lovingly dubs The Bowery Hotel "funky." Why? Because the building "was literally built out of Styrofoam, with hideous aluminum windows." [VF, via Curbed]

Apparently, Chinatown (an oasis of "whimsy, mystery, and grit") has singularly rebuffed the tide of NYC gentification. That means the area will never be as horrifying as West 27th Street's clubland [pictured above]. [NY Mag]

The "sickest rental in Brooklyn right now" is a Park Slope brownstone. The owner won't sell, and won't break up the apartments either, and has generously opted to paint the whole house eggshell. [Brownstoner]

- Max Abelson

The Afternoon Wrap: Monday

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 15:39:36 -0400

Oh, Ikea! The Swedish furniture kings are rolling out ready-built "timber-framed homes" in London. They're called BoKloks (prounced booklook), which means "live smart" in Swedish. In English, it means "homogenous Scandinavian design is slowly taking over the world, leading inevitably to a deathly, red-and-white colored dystopia." [Interior Design]

11 Spring Street is officially the blogosphere's favorite piece of Manhattan real estate. But who can resist a graffiti-heavy Murdoch palace? Here's a realty/art fetish video. [A Blog Soup]

Speaking of sneak peeks, Brownstoner takes a look at the unholy, unapproved church-to-townhouse conversion at 232 Adelphi Street in Brooklyn. The Lord is not happy. [Brstnr]

First poor Yves Saint Laurent's French 75-acre estate was price-cut to a paltry $19.9 million. Now, his Jed Johnson-designed Pierre Hotel apartment is down to $7.75 mill. At least he still has those bags. [WSJ]

- Max Abelson

Red Hook Ikea Faces Suit Over Civil War Site

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:42:17 -0400

A remnant of the Civil War may trip up the Ikea store planned for Red Hook, Brooklyn. The Municipal Art Society announced on Tuesday a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which plans to allow a parking lot for the Ikea store on what was once a graving dock.

The society is suing to require the Corps to do a full review of the effects of the Ikea on all historic properties in the area, including the dock, which dates to the 1860s. "The law requires a proper historic review, and the public deserves it," said Municipal Art Society president Kent Barwick in a statement.

The society filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Friday.

The nonprofit's full release after the jump.

- Tom Acitelli

MAS SUES TO COMPEL HISTORIC REVIEW AT BROOKLYN'S IKEA SITE

The Municipal Art Society has sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with a goal of forcing a legally-mandated review of historic resources at the Ikea site in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The Corps has allowed construction to proceed that will cover over a Civil War-era graving dock on the site with a parking lot -- an act that will forever tarnish the historic character of the site and weaken the city's maritime industry.

"For nearly two years, the Corps has said that civic groups and others would be allowed input and comment on demolition and construction plans at Red Hook." said Kent Barwick, MAS President. "That time never came and we are left with no alternative but legal action. The law requires a proper historic review, and the public deserves it."

MAS is calling on the Corps to fulfill its responsibilities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act which requires a full and fair review of the effects of the Ikea project on all historic properties in the area, including the dock itself. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on Friday, November 17.

Dating to the 1860s, the dock has obvious historic significance but it also holds great importance as a functioning and virtually irreplaceable piece of maritime infrastructure. The 710-foot ship repair facility is one of only two docks in New York Harbor that can accommodate large, tall ships. Filling it in will diminish maritime capacity in the region.

In February 2005, MAS commissioned alternative plans showing that the site can accommodate the graving dock, the store, and the same number of parking spaces as laid out in Ikea's original plan. The site at 1 Beard Street in Red Hook is roughly the same size as the Atlantic Yards site in Prospect Heights. MAS maintains that Ikea can fit the dock, the store and a parking lot in the same amount of space that the developer Forest City Ratner plans to fit 16 skyscrapers, a park and a sports arena.

"Ships have been built and repaired in Red Hook since the mid-1700s and up until a year ago this graving dock continued to provide important maritime services and local jobs," said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of New York State. "The League placed the graving dock on its statewide Seven to Save Endangered Properties list because we believe that, in addition to the loss of those jobs and services, its loss will mean the demise of a unique, functioning and historic feature of the waterfront that helps to define the character of Brooklyn. A thorough Section 106 review, which includes adequate public participation, could result in the retention of the graving dock while allowing for growth and economic development."

"Without the graving dock, New York City's ship repair and support services infrastructure is presently inadequate to accommodate the current demand for ship repair, let alone the confirmed future requirements," said Edward J. Kelly, Executive Director of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey.

The Municipal Art Society is a private, non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote a more livable city. Since 1893, the MAS has worked to enrich the culture, neighborhoods and physical design of New York City. It advocates for excellence in urban design and planning, contemporary architecture, historic preservation and public art. A project of MAS is the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, which is dedicated to helping the region reconnect to its greatest natural resource -- the harbor, rivers and estuaries of the New York and New Jersey waterfront.

Global Media Report: [em]Oggi[/em] Magazine Turns Five

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 13:43:52 -0400

BEIJING -- Oggi, a Japanese fashion magazine with a Chinese edition, held a fifth anniversary celebration the night of Nov. 10, at the Rui Fu nightclub. At first glance, it appeared that Rui Fu had closed and been replaced by another nightclub--a routine thing to happen in Beijing, with or without bulldozers involved--and that the new nightclub was called Oggi. There were lit-up signs that said "Oggi" and an "Oggi" backdrop in front of which arrivals were required to pause, standing on footprint markings, for photographs before entering. In the vestibule was a gigantic bowl that said "Oggi" again.
But inside, the club was still Rui Fu, though a narrow tan carpet with the Oggi logo on it snaked the length of the room, making right turns to get around the bar. A spur of the carpet led to the vestibule and the stairs. The main event of the evening was a fashion show by the Beijing label Zemo Elysee, for which the tan carpet would be the runway.

Zemo Elysee is run by Elysee Yang, who studied in Paris and who runs a small shop in a lane off the Sanlitun bar street, a nightlife strip popular with expatriates. Further back on the lane are an Argentine restaurant and a tapas restaurant.
Upstairs at Rui Fu, Yang and her models were getting their hair done. Someone had brought a large sack of Big Macs. Downstairs, roving waiters--young white men in shirtsleeves, smiling ironically--poured champagne. Lowball glasses of Bailey's Irish Cream, an event sponsor, were lined up on the bar.
Giant projected images of Oggi covers played on the bare east wall. Oggi reads from back to front, or right to left--at any rate, the binding is on the right-hand side, as the magazine faces you. The November issue includes a pictorial of women as the perfect or consummate embodiments of five occupations: CEO (Audi, pale trenchcoat, fur bag), secretary (dark tweed thigh-top miniskirt suit), fashion editor (ruffled pink-and-white skirt), PR (sheer black dress over opaque black dress), and consultant (white-gold Cartier watch). It also includes a profile of a Jack Russell terrier named Faye.
A children's choir gathered at the first bend in the runway and began to sing. The boys wore red bowties and the girls were in white dresses, like Degas dancers. A plump boy with rosy cheeks, standing on the end, sang with particular earnestness. The tiniest of the girls was in front of him.
Plates of sushi came in, from the patio. There was a sushi buffet out there, and steam trays of grilled Japanese things, and a table of desserts. Each slice of cake was individually cradled in cellophane, covering the cut parts.
Then, after a hasty and incomplete clearing of the runway: the models. The models were model-shaped and model-sized, verging on six feet tall. The hair and makeup had been done by a visiting Japanese stylist, The results left the models looking a bit sooty and stern, as if they had been setting off demolition charges to level an unwanted and unattractive building.
Yang stood half out of view in the vestibule, directing model-traffic. Stragglers from the buffet tried to sneak in during the pauses between models, ducking and scuttling down the runway carpet.
Zemo Elysee's clothes were well tailored, with asymmetric touches to the shaping: an extra-long bit on one side of a skirt or a jacket. The fabrics were variously reversed against themselves or crumple-pleated or burned out. A model shrugged off her jacket and it peeled downward and inside-out to become an overskirt. The clothes are popular with the Japanese in France, less so with the Japanese in China.
A dress in brilliant green finished the show. There was applause. A pianist played "Happy Birthday" and the actress-singer Chen Hao cut a birthday cake with Oggi's name on it.
On the runway, now just a carpet again, a Bulgarian man in leather pants was having a drink. He had been hired to juggle fire for the outdoor part of the event. There had been fire-juggling projected on the wall inside, hadn't there? But hadn't that juggler been wearing a bra or something? That was the other juggler, the Bulgarian explained.
The Bulgarian said he had been in Beijing for 10 years. He is the guitarist in the city's leading AC/DC cover band--tribute band, that is. AC/DC tribute band. He was talking to a Swede who worked for Ikea. The Ikea store in Bejiing is the second-largest one in the world, behind only the one in Stockholm.
Earlier in the day, at that Ikea, a small, inconspicuous group of Swedes and Chinese had been touring the store, studying the layout. A young Swede suggested moving the aisle displays on the ground floor about a foot from their current position, to improve the flow. The placement of the orange tool boxes, a defining Ikea necessity-impulse buy, met with approval.
According to the Swede at the Oggi party, that group had included Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Ikea and one of Bill Gates' few serious rivals for the title of richest person on earth.
A model walked by, in street clothes, but still looking sooty. She was carrying a big plate full of the cellophane-wrapped cake slices.
On a second-floor balcony overlooking the patio, the fire juggler did a second set. The fire was in pots on the end of chains--more fire-swinging or fire-dancing than fire-juggling. It traced loops and curls in the darkness. One of the champagne pourers, off duty, drank a slug of Bailey's. The second fire-dancer followed, swinging flaming lengths of rope. She wore a red Thai outfit, with spangles on it, and matching red Doc Martens.
At the door, on the way out, a woman with smoked glasses handed over a gift bag. In it were, among other things, a plaid plastic tote bag, a miniature bottle of Bailey's, a mouse pad flecked with Swarovski crystals, and a gift certificate for a free massage. It did not contain a copy of Oggi.

Time Takes a Cigarette

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 13:59:19 -0400

The New York Shipyard today.

The New York Shipyard a month ago.

Here's a little before and after of the Ikea site in Red Hook. (be in awe of our Photoshop skillz!) Demolition seems to be going quickly. We'll try and see what's happened to the graving dock this weekend.

-Matthew Grace

Witness an Episode of Clean Sweep

Thu, 25 May 2006 16:55:44 -0400

AIMEE: Toodle-oo Ikea pots and pans! Hello All-Clad! Goodbye mismatched tumblers, hello sassy martini glasses!

We've spent hours unpacking our wedding gifts and our apartment is a disaster area, COVERED with open boxes, mountains of china, stemware, kitchen appliances and millions of little pieces of styrofoam and sheets of bubble wrap.

Disaster zone.

"This is soooo comfy," I call out to Brian. I'm submerged in a box the size of a small bathtub brimming with styrofoam packing peanuts. We've both run out of steam earlier than expected.

Brian pulls me up and I stumble out, adjust the "hard at work in the home" bandana that's tied around my hair and return to the kitchen to continue tearing it apart.

We've made three piles, like on Clean Sweep: Things we're definitely keeping but can't find anywhere to put in our one-bedroom apartment (our fancy schmancy china), things we need to return and the old stuff we're going to give away to our sisters whether they want it or not.

But by 6:00 we're starting to get punchy. Styrofoam bits adhere to my hands. I pick them up and try to throw them away and I'm throwing and they're still sticking. It's like an unamusing vaudeville act.

We cave and take a break to order pizza. When it arrives I go to the kitchen, open the cupboards and gaze lovingly at our pristine china. Not yet. I have to give the new dishes some time to acclimate. I don't want to traumatize them.

We have some perfectly nice leftover "Happy Birthday" paper plates and I dig those out instead.

In the Shadow of Ikea

Thu, 18 May 2006 14:04:32 -0400

Taking a break from our coverage of the Fairway opening yesterday, we walked over to the Ikea site that sits on the Erie Basin. While officially inaccessible, smart adventurers know how to gain access to the site--which is where we found this creepy tableau that's suggestive of horrors too eh, horrible to mention. These children's bicycles were found, as is, feet from a former homeless encampment adjacent to the Ikea site.

Peering into the actual site, we found that demolition is going ahead quickly. Where there was once a large warehouse, now only its skeletal shell remains. Since the sun was going down, and it being a dangerous construction site and all, we decided to venture no further. We should, within a week or so, get some better pictures of the actual property. We need to see if the graving dock is still around, or if it's already been filled in.

Nearby is the Added Value community farm. We blogged a bit about it yesterday, and we wanted to know if our future salad has yet sprouted. From the look of this picture, it seems that everything is coming up green! Since it sits directly across the street from the Ikea site, we're very curious as to what'll happen when the box store opens. We've a call out to the farm's jefe maximo, and we'll be getting back to you on it soon.

-Matthew Grace

Ikea’s Animated Short

Mon, 01 May 2006 11:34:29 -0400

Yeah, it's clever of Ikea to use a Dire Straits song for its animated walk-through of their planned Red Hook store (the Erie Basin and the long struggle to get this store approved are but two referents we can think of immediately), but "Walk of Life"? Song blows, yo. Nonetheless, this video (click on connection speed at top of page) shows a livable compromise between Ikea's big boxiness and public access to the waterfront. The cranes in Ikea yellow and blue does seem like a sellout--can't they be kept decrepit and maritime?

(Via Amy's New York Notebook.)

-Matthew Grace

M.A.S. Responds (to Ikea’s Response)

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 13:39:13 -0400

The Municipal Art Society's president for communications passes on this communique from Kent Barwick, president of the M.A.S. (with spellin' lessons--our bad).

"The Municipal Art Society did indeed develop two alternative site plans for the Ikea project that would meet their publicized program needs while preserving the rich history of the site. And, it is true that Ikea rejected both of these alternatives, in one case for financial and political reasons and the other for newly disclosed operational reasons. Nevertheless, these two alternative plans demonstrate another fact we've long known: talented design professionals can develop creative solutions to challenging problems when there is a will to do it. But, so far Ikea has been unwilling to even try.

We continue to hope that Ikea will recognize that they can build their store and their parking lot, while saving Civil War-era buildings and a functional ship repair dry dock that dates to the Lincoln Administration. They can also save high-skill, high-wage jobs on the working waterfront by allowing the shipyard to remain open. When it comes to Brooklyn's historic past and its promising future, Ikea can be a hero in this matter and we hope they will be.

PS: I'd like to gently point out to the original writer that it's Erie Basin and Erie Canal, not Eerie.

Kent Barwick, President, Municipal Art Society"

-Matthew Grace

Sugar Factory Death Knell

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 16:29:35 -0400

The Revere sugar facory--R.I.P.?

We just got word that the Revere sugar factory, which sits in between the Ikea site and the just-open-already! Fairway grocery store in Red Hook, barely dodged the Industrial Business Zone bullet today. Thor Equities, which bought the site last year for $40 million, wants to develop the property into residential and commercial buildings. But standing in its way was the likely I.B.Z. designation that the area was due to receive.

Update: We've got the final Southwest Brooklyn I.B.Z. map after the jump.

Under the I.B.Z. designation, the Bloomberg administration:
--guarantees "not to support the rezoning of industrial property for residential use";
--will strengthen zoning enforcement through increased monitoring and inspections of illegally converted buildings;
--impose greater fines for illegal conversions;
--give a one-time $1,000-per-worker tax credit to business that move to a I.B.Z.

But the sugar factory is now merely in the I.B.Z. ombudsman area (shown in pink on map), just out of the I.B.Z. proper, which will allow Thor Equities much more latitude in its future developments.

The newly amended Southwest Brooklyn I.B.Z. map.

From the "New York City Industrial Policy: Protecting and Growing New York City's Industrial Job Base" white paper:

Outside IBZs, mixed-use neighborhoods present unique challenges to industrial businesses and their neighbors. The City is committed to supporting businesses in these areas through services provided by the new Industrial Ombudsman Program that will operate out of nearby BSCs.

BSCs near mixed-use districts will provide an "on the ground" ombudsman to assist local businesses as necessary. This individual will:

•Develop strong relationships with the business community to understand, identify and respond to area problems;
•Serve as the first point of contact for questions or issues as they arise;
•Provide direct access to incentive and assistance programs offered by SBS and other City
agencies; and
•Help resolve maintenance or regulatory issues.

Basically, help retain industrial uses without the regulations imposed within the I.B.Z. boundaries.

-Matthew Grace