Metamorphoses of Glenwood Power Plant to BETTER at Glenwood By Hezi Aris

YONKERS, NY – It was Friday last when all the public so inclined came to attend REMI Companies’ founder Erik A. Kaiser’s presentation of the much anticipated plans to rejuvenate the stilled Glenwood Power Plant. The Glenwood project would transform the Power Plant switch house into a contemporary art museum with residential units above. Gone would be the towering chimney stacks that enhanced its unique look; in its place something more. It is called BETTER.

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The BETTER at Glenwood was designed by world renowned architect Will Alsop and founded on principles of excellence envisioned for BETTER at Glenwood by developer Erik Kaiser. "I'm really excited,” said Alsop. “Not only is this my first building in the US but I have the opportunity to build on a river, adjacent to a World class city with a client that is enthusiastic about creating a carbon-free building."

As some in Yonkers mourn the passing of the Glenwood Power Plant, others will delight in the second chance at life the Glenwood project transformation will take "BETTER at Glenwood will serve as a model that will change the character of the Hudson River and elevate the cachet of Yonkers. Yonkers deserves world class architecture and New York's first carbon-free building", said Erik Kaiser of REMI Companies.

The Hudson River Museum was the venue for the presentation. It was comfortably attired, anticipating high attendance. Approximately 75 people came. They relaxed with a glass of wine or a bottle of beer.

The project has seemingly been in development over a three-year period. During that protracted period, not all in Yonkers were permitted access to the impact of its undertaking. Perhaps the developer will recognize to be as open to the entire community of Yonkers as he portends to be to the playful and whimsical styles incorporated in Alsop’s renderings. If this presentation is to be accepted as an initial “outing,” then REMI Companies, and their partners displayed an ingratiating manner, devoid of the confrontational demeanor too often witnessed at such proceedings. Such tactfulness, devoid of any behind the scenes deals, may prove to be worthy of being recognized as “BETTER” all around.

SMC ALSOP is an award winning architectural firm with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore. Alsop won the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize in 2000 and was awarded the 2004 RIBA Worldwide Award and the City of Toronto Urban Design Award in 2006 for the Toronto OCAD Sharp Centre for Design.

Founded in 1994 by Erik A. Kaiser, REMI Companies are a forward thinking, real estate investment, development and management company.

Comments

That looks AWFUL!

Rated Z for ZERO.

It looks like some kid's version of a pagoda. That design
doesn't belong within 50 miles of the Hudson riverfront facing the majestic Palisades.

Blow it up and try again.

Or let Trump use it in Vegas. That's how tacky and out of place it is.

They have the New York Hotel in Las Vegas, which makes no sense. Now they want the Singapore Sling in Yonkers.

Go out to Marina Del Rey, or to Monterey or a few other places. Even do a virtual tour on the internet. See what good waterfront design looks like.

It does NOT look like this one.

This looks like one of those slums in Rio, all put together with spit and glue. It is more fitting of a Paul Klee painting.

The british have a bizare sense of humour, but this takes the mickey......

Hezi, I have a name befitting of this project. It should be called RECYCLEVILLE, as It looks like it is to be constructed with bottles and cans. Better still it looks like stacks of recycled newspapers all tied together.

Can anyone improve on RECYCLEVILLE!

To the above poster, you are right the British always look down on us here in the USA and make fun of our lack of history and culture.

This is them mocking us again. This looks like something from the fresh kills garbage dump on Staten Island, garbage all piled on top of itself.

Mr Allslop may have awards, but this poster awards him the SLOPPY AWARD, for Yonkers most tasteless design.

Just like the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars: Yonkers now has the SLOPPYS. Congrats...

This looks like it was designed by some pre-k kids. The were given pictures and told make a building. Using cut outs they put these collages together.

Yonkers looks like this anyway, this would add to its zoneless "charm"

It's a Marx brother sketch the one that goes like this:

BETTER LIKE THIS OR BETTER LIKE THIS, IS IT BETTER LIKE THIS OR BETTER LIKE THIS, BETTER LIKE THIS OR BETTER LIKE THIS... AND SO ON...

McDOW and CHUCK all over this. Two Pees in this pod like structure.

It looks like a building wrapped for demolition, or maybe Hezi chose the word "Metamorphosis" to describe the rendering in what appears to be a catepillar turning into a fly.

The developer from Hoboken can easily replicate a much better design from his own hometown such as The Tea House condo or most of the others advertised and pictured in the Sunday NY Times.

Col Von Ryan

You should complain to the mayors office. Giambruno will be right on it.

Is that where SpaNO put him, in with dollar phil.

So. with this absurd design, is it that the Brits still want revenge for the Revolution and the War of 1812?

They should instead concentrate on giving a few shots of courage to their wussy sailors, who rolled over like little baby weasels when held in Iran for only two days.

My God, Americans were tortured for years in the "Hanoi Hilton" and 99 percent of them never cracked.

These Brit pansies are disgraceful. What is the name for cigarettes in Britain? Yeah, that's what they are.

The British should take this design and do with it just what they did a long time ago when they were of a different and much better cut and stock -- Sink The Bismarck.

WOW.

Now THAT'S ugly. And I mean really FUGLY. It looks like one of those NYC scaffolds after a bunch of punks plastered it with posters and ads.

Who the hell thought that design would be good idea?

Maybe it's an April Fool's joke.

But imagine it with about 50 Chinese junks slowly sailing by in the Hudson. Maybe Lesnick the canoe guy likes that vision.

The British lost Hong Kong. Could be they want to recreate it on the Hudson River in Yonkers.

Seriously, this developer should be institutionalized for even presenting this fiasco. And so should any city official who thinks this nightmare is good.

What it is....is JUNK.

Henry Hudson is rolling over in his grave.

This will soon rival the "Colonnades" for sheer folly. It looks like a melting layer cake, and to say that it is totally out of keeping with the structure's and area's architecture is an understatement. I would like to see the design proposals which were turned down in favor of this pastel horror. Leave it to Yonkers' politicians to be sold on this garbage.

This modern-day "Hudson's Folly" must be stopped. If it takes 1,000 residents to storm the Council, it must be stopped.

This design is a horror.

What were the Council's take on all of this? Anyone who attended know?

What are we in competion with the show UGLY BETTY? UGLY YONKERS POWERHOUSE. Who know?

The council does not have a take on anything unless it is told to have one by the political ring masters. So its either the Mayor or the heads of the political parties telling them to wag their tails.

As for this building it looks like a place where everyone is saving energy by hanging the clothes out to dry. It could be called BLOW DRYER TOWER

Absolutely right, laundry flapping in the breeze, or maybe the building is dressed in Halloween drag? But this is no treat.
Chuck better get to landmarking or this boondoggle will be on his head too!

Ticky-Tacky to the max!

[steve]

Timmothy Leary had better hallucinations

[g]

Not to sound too obtuse but is this conversation about architecture and urban regeneration or is it about beating up on the British? Who really cares where the architect is from...what matters is what we are going to have on our waterfront and whether it will be the same old...there is a reason why the play is entitled "Lost in Yonkers"... With respect to some comments posted earlier, you should be reminded that the River that we all look out onto is named after a Brit and unfotunately it was the other side, not us, that won the war of 1812. A poor reading of history usually means that we are incapable of making history ourselves!