The view of the arena from Flatbush--and the departure of Frank Gehry from the project as a whole

The New York Times yesterday published a semi-helpful slideshow with four renderings of the Ellerbe Becket arena/arena block, and one rendering of the Frank Gehry design.

The aim was to ask readers to weigh in, and they did, generally trashing the new design, but it wasn't completely fair, given that the Gehry rendering was not from the same perspective.

Three of the four Ellerbe Becket renderings had previously surfaced, all of them--as far as I can tell--showing the view from Atlantic Avenue. The rendering at right, however, seems to show the view from Flatbush, with the cars going in the direction of Atlantic.

That glass-enclosed structure seems to be the replacement for the Urban Room; more than anything, it looks to serve as a ticket window.

Slideshow

Here's the slideshow from the Times:


View from Atlantic Avenue

At right is the view from Atlantic Avenue. I'm still waiting for the view from Dean Street. (Here's the original site plan, though the arena now would point north-south.)

Gehry gone

Meanwhile, WNYC has confirmed, albeit with unnamed sources, that Gehry is not only gone from the arena, but has left the project completely.  Forest City Ratner says no, but wouldn't answer questions.

Gehry's departure isn't surprising, giving that the arena block towers he designed were supposed to envelop the arena, and they can't, and the schedule for Phase 2 ("decades") would tax any 80-year-old architect. 

But Forest City Ratner hasn't exactly been forthcoming. How long will it take until they revise the official AY web site?