New York City Architecture

Numerous ethnic groups and a diversified culture coexist in New York City. The evolution and expansion of architectural creations reflects the city’s culture and way of life. As an illustration, the structures were made to be adaptable to changes and switches to commercial or residential functions. According to history, the city is renowned for acquiring a large variety of intricately constructed structures and infrastructure in a variety of styles that reflect its history and cultural transformations. In the years 1900-1940, New York City is acknowledged to have constructed large, elegant residential districts built in distinctive styles and for certain purposes such as townhouses, tenements, and row houses made of brownstone. During this period, the city was experiencing rapid expansions in architectural work focused on commercial buildings, residential houses and industries. The city began its architectural work by use of wood for the construction houses and by the year 1920 they had shifted to use of stones and bricks. The building materials were sourced from many quarries and the buildings that were made of stone acquired a distinctive texture and quality (Kawada 33). Most of the architectures designed the buildings in the city with a common feature of constructing a roof that is made of wood especially the buildings that acted as water towers. The architectural work further advanced to the building of tall buildings that acquired more than six stories in order to prevent the necessity of using high pressures from water at low heights (Ludke 32). The use of pressures from the waters was not recommendable because they could have resulted to a bursting of the public water pipes. As people moved into the New York City there was increase in ethnic groups making it a center for cultural diversity. The building of apartments was significantly popular in the 1920s especially in the remote locations and this led to the expansion of subways to facilitate high levels of accessibility. More so, architectural structures that that had significance to the history of New York City and its culture is the skyscrapers. Initially, the NYC buildings were traditionally structured and designed low-rise skyscrapers (Kawada 40). Further, the architectural work in New York was also influenced by the rapid growth of the economy after the end of Civil War, and the intensive usage of the cities stimulated the construction of taller buildings in 1900. In addition, the advancements and changes in architectural designs were potentially influenced by the advancements in technology. This is because the architectures were exposed to reading materials, the cultural norms, and the opportunity provided by the growing demography. The paper seeks to analyze different architectural frameworks in New York City that were designed between 1920 and 1940, and how it impacted on the culture in New York and the rest of America (Ludke 32). The structures explored in this paper includes the Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State Building.

Empire State Building

At the time the structure was built in the 1930s, it was listed as the 8th wonder of the world. The building was designed with 64 elevators, built within a span of 1 year and 45 days. It was built on a full city block with a large part of it occupied by the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Construction of Empire State building began in the 1930s (Kawada 35). It was constructed using an efficient design and standardized work. In fact, the building was constructed at an average of four and half floors a week; making it faster than any other skyscraper at the time. By May 1931, the building had been officially inaugurated. It is designed by a mooring mast with dingibles such as zeppelins which anchor at the top of the building which enabled passengers to embark and disembark. More so, the usage of Art Deco in architecture was popular in the 1930s. It entailed the use of visual arts, designs and architectural skills in the building of structures.

The use of Art Deco was most common because it was in line with the culture of NYC. Art Deco involved using of styles that were derived from the visual arts. This includes the use of architecture skills, sculptures, and graphics. The practitioners of the Art Deco were more of futuristic in influencing modernization (Kawada 40). This was achieved through the invention of new designs and styles that could be physically attractive and not threaten to people. The people of New York treasured jewelry and fashion thus the architectures designed some buildings in relation to the culture of the city. This method involved the combination of the architectural skill with craft skills and incorporation of rich materials. In the social sector, the Art Deco represented the aspects of glamor, having faith in the progress of social and technology and luxury. Art Deco brought about an element of fashion, artistic designs, and incorporation of decoration in the modern age. The Empire State Building structure was acknowledged by the tallest building in the 1930s designed and styled using the skills of the craftsman. The building was particularly designed for the manufacturers of cars (Stevenson 32).

The designs of the building were later revised to facilitate affordable construction budget. The structure was constructed in 1928 by use of materials that included; rivets and bricks. Due to the complexity of the design additional engineers and contractors were recruited to coordinate its construction. Upon its completion, the architects made additional changes which entailed increasing the height of pinnacle so that the building could surpass all other building in the world. This building was the first architectural work that had a height of more than a thousand feet (Sebestyén 45). In relation to incorporating the designs and styles of Art Deco architectural work, the Empire State building was entirely built by use of these designs especially in the use of steel material. The building was designed by use of eagle structures, steel frame, and metal. These designs marveled the people because it contained a mixture of stylish designs which was very attractive.

The building had a huge impact on the culture of the city. The skyscraper graces thousands of movies and television productions which entices everyday visits by celebrities and dignitaries. More so, the fact that the culture of the city was majorly based on commercial work, it facilitated the usage of jewelry, paintings and the decorative artistic work to be used for decoration at of homesteads, in designing of their garments, and as body jewelry decorations. Thus, these artistic works set out an outstanding culture in the NYC to which it is evidently seen in the modern age whereby most people use these Art Deco for decorations and interior designing of their houses. Chrysler was the most fashionable and well-decorated building in the period of 1920s up to 1940s.

The culture of New Yorkers were made up of different ethnic groups as a result of immigration of people. The diversity of cultures, therefore, provided the ability of people to share ideas and integrate cultures which acted as the cornerstone of the development and advancement of the architecture designs. In addition, due to the establishment of financial entities and businesses, NYC was characterized by a commercial culture which valued people who upheld hard work. Thus, due to the characteristics of the NYC culture, it significantly favored the establishment and growth of the architectural work. The changes in the architecture work were mainly based on the current trends, availability of technology, and growth of commercial operations in New York City.

Historically, NYC was identified with skyscrapers which were constructed mainly because it was highly favored by the Manhattan Sea Port. Furthermore, the history of America’s colonization made the real estate to be segmented into small parts of land acquiring minimal sites. In the19th century the city experienced economic growth and became the center for the commercial businesses of America (Stevenson 67). The economic prosperity and positive response of the population led to enhancement of state of the art infrastructures which propelled the growth of the economy. These changes in the architectural work significantly reflected and later shaped the culture of the people of New York. Due to the fact that the people of the city embraced change and new structures, it motivated the architects to be skillful, inventive and motivated to build new and captivating designs. In addition, the work of architecture was significantly favored by the growth of economy (Stevenson 67). The building of Empire State building was designed for commercial purposes and at the same time re-shaped the culture of the people enabling them to embrace art deco. In addition, it also advanced the artistic work whereby the people were motivated to design new cultural aspects that reflected their traditional culture and customs.

In addition, the technology brought about new inventions which include electric lighting and elevator that significantly contributed to designing and construction of elegant buildings. Therefore, due to the extensive architectural work, it also led to the growth of population in the urban cities from different cultural backgrounds thus bringing about the diversity nature of the NYC. The existence of technology made it practical and commercially relevant for the skyscraper buildings to be built for business purposes. One characteristic exhibited by the culture of New York people is the ability to appreciate and accept developments. This significantly motivated the architectures to come up with a new design, and it became a competitive profession which resulted in the building of beautiful and stylish buildings.

Brooklyn Bridge

The bridge is technically a suspension bridge. It is constructed with hybrid cable and some of its materials include limestone, granite and Rosendale cement. It is built on numerous passage ways and compartments. Also, there are large vaults under the Manhattan anchorage. Due to the location and cultural diversification of the city, the construction of Brooklyn Bridge was initiated. Located in the far west of the Long Island, it is the longest bridge with a main span of 1595.5 feet. The Brooklyn Bridge was built over the East River located in New York City. It was built in 1883 by use of granite and steel cables which act as towers and for safety passage to the millions of people who traveled in and out of the city by use of bicycles, cars or even for the tourists. The location at which New York City is placed highly favors the construction of bridges. The city is sitting on natural harbors that are globally acknowledged as the largest. The bridge was constructed by use of heavy materials in order to accommodate an approximate of some 160, 000 pedestrians and cars that use the bridge on a daily basis.

The Brooklyn Bridge was significant in enabling the culture of New Yorkers as it allowed easy integration of different traditions, values, and customs. Due to this effect, the bridge was highly regarded and acknowledged as a symbol of pride for the city (Sebestyén 23). Furthermore, its design and styling exhibit a distinctive cultural identity of the bridge. The bridge has significant impacts on the culture of the New Yorkers as it was evidently seen that some scenes of the movies and shows aired the bridge to signify its cultural essence and its broad impact on the American people.

The Brooklyn Bridge is acknowledged as the oldest architectural work in the history of NYC which brought about cultural, social, and economic significance. Moreover, it is acknowledged as one of the wonders of the earth because of how the early visitors were marveled by its design, length and the styles that were put in place. As such, the Brooklyn Bridge was constructed for fourteen years and with a financial budget that approximated to fifteen million dollars. After completion of the building, a huge number of people from different cultures gathered to honor the opening of the bridge ceremony which was described as the greatest gala. The celebrations were conducted by use of cannon fire and display of fireworks. It is indicated that about 150,000 audiences came to celebrate its opening. The aspect of celebration of the architectural work is a form of culture in NYC. People of the city love celebrating their achievements by honoring the work of the architectures, builders, and contractors who built the huge bridge without despair. Moreover, the bridge meant that New York would experience significant changes which would include re-shaping of their economy as well as impacting on political relevance and social integration of the people (McCullough 45).

The complexity of the architectural work in New York City resulted to harboring most of the historic landmarks which were highly treasured and attracted a large number of tourists. Brooklyn Bridge is acknowledged as one of the state historic landmarks of the city, and it is the oldest architectural work that heavily impacted the culture of the people. The bridge connects the whole city from the districts of Brooklyn to Manhattan and over to the side East River. The bridge was designed in a beautiful manner, and due to the popularity it attracted around the globe it played a significant role to integration of cultures (Stevenson 60). The architectural work combined with technology in the 1920s significantly changed each and every aspect of the city, and it symbolized the optimism of the period. Considering that it was an era of expansion and progressiveness it required the builders of the bridge to have faith that they could control technology and eventually it resulted in significant changes in the cultural segment. The bridge abounded in the culture of America because most people wrote poems about the bridge or incorporated the architectural work of the bridge in their stories to narrate its importance to culture, economy, and politics (McCullough 40).

The commercial and social aspect that led to architectural developments were the availability of land, the growth of the economy, the establishment of financial companies and the cultural population. The Brooklyn Bridge not only did it bring about cultural diversity, but it was also a gateway to economic development through sharing ideas and commercial trade. In this era of 1920s to 1940s significantly shaped the culture of the New York people as a result of architectural work (Haw 40).

Conclusion

To conclude, the paper analyses the architectural framework of New York City using Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State building as examples. Brooklyn Bridge brought about the aspect of cultural integration because it facilitated accessibility, enabled the movement of people, and attracted a massive number of tourist. History dictates that when the bridge was being launched people celebrated the construction and completion of the building. Similarly, the Empire State building became a substantial part of pop and other daily vernacular. Further, the use of Art Deco architecture shows that the people embrace the artistic work of traditions and incorporation of historical relevance. Therefore, it is evident that there is a relationship between the culture of NYC and its architectural work which brought out a positive change to the people of NYC. As such, it can be seen that in the modern age the people embrace, treasure and educate people on these historical achievements of New York which have led to the current state of New York City in respect to their culture, economic status, and social status.

Work cited

McCullough, David. The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Simon and Schuster, 2012.

Haw, Richard. The Brooklyn Bridge: a cultural history. Rutgers University Press, 2005.

Kawada, Tadaki. History of the Modern Suspension Bridge. Solving the Dilemma between Economy and Stiffness. 2010.

Ludke, Reinhard. “The Golden Gate Bridge Art Deco Suspension Bridge Masterpiece.” Structures Congress 2013: Bridging Your Passion with Your Profession. 2013.

Sebestyén, Gyula. Construction-craft to industry. Taylor & Francis, 2003.

Stevenson, Heon. American Automobile Advertising, 1930-1980: An Illustrated History. McFarland, 2008.