Snøhetta has revealed an updated proposal for the overhaul of Philip Johnson's AT&T Building, after a major backlash against its initial scheme resulted in the postmodern tower gaining landmark status.
Johnson's postmodern AT&T Building was awarded landmark status earlier this year, sending Snøhetta's controversial renovation plans for the Midtown Manhattan skyscraper back to the drawing board.
Since the landmarking, the architecture firm has worked on revising the scheme to meet approval from New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC).
Revealed 4 December 2018, the updated design scraps the original proposal to replace part of the masonry building with large expanses of glass, which triggered the outcry in the architecture industry, and instead aims to "preserve and revitalise" Johnson's existing design. Image courtesy of LMNB and Snøhetta"We're leaving the bulk of the building alone," Snøhetta co-founder Craig Dykers told a group of journalists during a presentation of the design on 29 November 2018. "We're not changing the iconic identity, and the pediment that everyone is familiar with will stay the same."
"We think it will be transformative without stepping on the toes of the people who think there are important components we need to respect," he added.
Snøhetta has now proposed restoring and sprucing up the existing brickwork, and offered...