When will Olin's new open space designs be released? (Soon)

First Frank Gehry's new designs, then more from Laurie Olin? That sounds like developer Forest City Ratner's new Atlantic Yards strategy.

Remember, in May 2006, architect Gehry and landscape architect Olin appeared together at a press conference announcing new designs for the Atlantic Yards project. A photo of the two men with Jim Stuckey, then Forest City Ratner's point man on the project, showed them somewhat beleaguered.

(Photo from 5/12/06 New York Times article headlined Developer Defends Atlantic Yards Plan for Brooklyn.)

New strategy

Gehry and Olin appear to be under wraps, with Gehry making pronouncements ("slimmer, more elegant and more festive") via press release. On Monday, Gehry's new designs were given to the Daily News as an exclusive, then released by the developer.

As I pointed out Tuesday, Olin's somewhat stale designs, curiously enough, remain in the Atlantic Yards Image Gallery.



However, as Gehry's new graphics suggest, the Urban Room would be quite different. Thus Olin's designs surely will be updated--but when?

New designs coming

Maybe Olin's a slower worker than Gehry. It's possible that Forest City Ratner wants another media bounce before May 15, when Barclays Center luxury suites go on sale.

After all, the magazine Landscape Architecture, published by the American Society of Landscape Architects, predicts coverage of Atlantic Yards in the June issue (below). Then again, it predicts coverage of Atlantic Yards in the September issue, as well.

Will we get any perspectives like those (above) produced Monday by the Municipal Art Society? Stay tuned.