Did I ever mention I really like our Professional Practice class – I mean really like it , I might even use the other l word. The class is an itinerant vagabond in the curriculum, we seldom actually meet in the AAP studios. Instead we meet at a series of offices around the city; getting to know the professional landscape of New York. The class is taught by Jill Lerner, who in her own right, is an incredibly successful and articulate architect – she is also well connected, hence the various office tours.
A while back we were offered the chance to do a little extra credit – in the early evening DS+R hosted a lecture given by Ben Gilmartin (who also teaches the thesis proseminar class at AAP NYC). Perhaps it’s the mid-rise view north, in their historically designated building by the second phase of the High Line (an office project) that keeps the majority of the staff working past 8, when we arrived and 9.30 as we were leaving.
Ben’s talk focused on the Lincoln Center and Alice Tully Hall which he was the architect on. It’s always enlightening to hear the architect’s own recount of a work – you start to realize the amount of time and detail which goes into a project, one of the great strengths of this class and being in New York. I doubt anyone will look at the Lincoln Center the same.
