How one man’s vision displaced thousands and destroyed an entire neighborhood — The Story of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY
This is the story of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY
The Empire State Plaza is a government complex in Albany, New York. The complex began construction in 1965 and was the vision of then Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller. The architecture firm Harrison & Abramovitz designed all of the structures on the site.
The site consists of about seven buildings stood on top of a six-story platform which holds the main concourse and parking levels.
Walking up to ESP, it is apparent that costs were not spared during construction. The whole complex resembles a palace: expensive marble, dozens of water fountains, and vast landscaping. The site plan is centered around a large reflecting pool and plaza which provides a passage between all the buildings outdoors. It also provides a link between the historical State Capital Building and the complex. This is the only instance that I can recognize where the ESP attempts to interface with the pre-existing environment. The rest of the site sits above street level and displaced an entire downtown neighborhood (more on this later). On northern side of the reflecting pool sits several buildings including the 4 agency buildings which are identical to each other. This is one of the most recognizable things about the project, and rightfully so. It is not often, in the United States at least, that we encounter 4 identical, 19 story buildings, all in a row. On the southern side sits the Erastus Corning Tower (which is the tallest building in in NY outside of New York City) and the infamous Egg, a performing arts center which is known for its distinct “egg” like shape.
The whole complex feels different, it is something that is unfamiliar to most visitors. It is not like American’s are unfamiliar with Modernist or International architecture, in fact we are very familiar and became very fond of it after World War II. The complex has such a profound effect on people because it is the climax of all Modernist theories and urban planning ideas of the time period. It is one of the few examples of a true implementation of Le Corbusier’s Radiant City model in the United States; A model that is synonymous with the rise of the automobile as a main method of transportation and Modernism’s takeover of planning and design philosophies.
Legend tells us that the idea for the ESP was brought about after Nelson A. Rockefeller gave Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands a tour of Albany in 1959. He was embarrassed of the deteriorated area in the South End known as “The Gut”. The 98-acre South End area was comprised of about 7,000 residents who were primarily poor ethnic minorities. Eminent domain was used to force them out of their neighborhood and find housing and a community elsewhere. All told, it is hard to measure the effects of this displacement because this was such a diverse group of citizens and were easily forgotten by the civic machine.
It’s important to realize that while there was a need for new government offices, the scale and vision of the project were entirely the vision of Rockefeller. He was the projects main supporter and carried enough political capital to get what he wanted. Many believe that Rockefeller built the complex as a monument to himself. ESP embodied Rockefellers love for Modern art and saw the buildings as a works of art themselves. In fact, there is a massive collection of Modern art that is on display in the Plaza’s main concourse.
Rockefeller’s vision left Albany with a $2,000,000,000 plaza in the place of a once bustling neighborhood. Critics often argue whether the plaza was for the better and the general public consensus seems to depend on whether you miss the Albany of yesterday or if you only know the Albany of today.
Regardless, walking though the Plaza it feels like stepping in the past and this is quite ironic because it was built to be the complex of the future. The whole thing feels detached and institutional. Many have compared the Plaza to that of works created by a Fascist government. Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea shares striking resemblances to the Plaza. Long concrete pathways, stately buildings lining the sides, and an overall unfriendliness to the pedestrian.
It’s tough to say whether the ESP is a “failure”. It does was it was designed to do. It looks the way it was envisioned. It functions as office space, a gathering area, and a tourist attraction. However, could something better been put in its place? How would the neighborhood it destroyed have looked today? Would Albany have been better off with a dense urban core?
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