Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Will Hudson Companies Giant RI Welcome Monument Sculpture Be Welcomed On Roosevelt Island - Fun, Fanciful, & Whimsical Or Ugly Unnecessary Pedestrian Obstacle?

Yesterday afternoon, the Hudson Companies and Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) displayed a mock up of a proposed new Welcome to Roosevelt Island monument The gigantic RI monument was initially placed


placed on the Tram Plaza sidewalk a few feet perpendicular to the Red Bus Stop


After noticing the placement of the RI monument was obstructing pedestrian access to the Red Bus, the mock up was moved closer to the Tramway Plaza lawn.


Hudson Companies representative Alex Kaplan describes the purpose and plans for the RI Welcome monument wayfinding signage emphasizing the mock up is not a final version and there will be adjustments to the RI monument material and color.



Hudson Companies Principal David Kramer adds:

On behalf of the Main Street retailers, Hudson/Related has been working with RIOC on a wayfinding system for the island as well as welcome signage.

This is not intended to attract tourists to the island but instead to allow visitors to the island to understand where they are, what else is located on the island and how to get there.

I think most of us are in firm agreement that the island needs various "You are here" maps located throughout the island. We are working on that with RIOC.

At the same time, we thought it would be lovely to have a welcome monument along the lines of Welcome to Roosevelt Island.

We did a mock-up yesterday of a large RI sign and were very pleased by the results. Within a short period of time, children were running in front of the letters to have their picture taken. One woman walked off the Tram and exclaimed that the signage made her so happy to come home. That is our intent, and we will work with the RIOC Board to finalize plans for both wayfinding and a welcome sign.
Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) President Judy Berdy does not like the RI monument.

According to Ms Berdy:
The giant sculpture of a red RI at the Tram Plaza is an insult to the residents of our community and the Roosevelt Island Historical Society.

For 40 years, passengers emerged from the tram to a green lawn and a view of the Manhattan skyline. For the past ten years, people gazed upon the Beaux Arts visitor center kiosk nearby. The lawn affords beautiful panoramic views of boats in the river and the trams coming and going.

Now, RIOC decided the island needs an identity. The solution is a giant sculpture nine feet tall of the letters "RI", similar to the LOVE statue on Sixth Avenue and 55th Street. .

How this will identify the island is beyond anyone’s comprehension. It speaks only to the people who arrive here, not to those who have yet to discover Roosevelt Island.

The mockups of the letters arrived on Tuesday, September 26. The designers and RIOC staff were excited to see them erected.

The designers moved the letters around the area to find an optimal placement. It quickly became clear that the letters interfered with the pedestrian flow; they also blocked access to the bus stops and curb for the disabled. Observing the scene, it was clear to me most island residents and visitors ignored the sculpture.

Finally, the designers placed the letters near the lawn bordering the pathway to the RIHS visitor kiosk.

This location places the RI smack dab in front of tram passengers descending the ramp.

Plus, due to their large size and massive form, the letters obliterate the view of the kiosk and its signage of the Roosevelt Island Historical Society.

Needless to say, this location is upsetting to the members and staff of the Society, who maintain a beautiful garden and site. Now the view of the river will be blocked by giant letters. Visitors can no longer stand in the plaza to photograph the tram as it leaves and enters the station.

I encourage our neighbors to protest this siting and the need for RI altogether. This sculpture will not attract tourists. It will not promote the island. It will only clutter up a pristine area and detract from the magnificent views we treasure.

RIOC should focus on driving visitors to take the tram and furthermore providing information on the Manhattan side so visitors will know they can eat, drink, shop and walk around the island when they get here. An RI on the island will not attract visitors nor will it encourage them to leave Tram Plaza and explore the area.
RIOC President Susan Rosenthal likes the Giant RI Monument:
Sculpture, like any art, is totally subjective. (My son loves Soutine's portraits but you'd never find one hanging in my home!) Yesterday afternoon, I smiled watching mothers photographing their children by the mock-up of the welcome sign. Residents, coming home, smiled as they were welcomed by the sign as they came off the tram. It's fun and fanciful---and

I love it.
Roosevelt Island Resident Janet Falk says:
I wish RIOC would do more to promote Roosevelt Island as a tourist destination. New York is flooded with tourists and tourism is a significant part of the city’s economy, but not on the island. Many visitors arrive on the tram, walk around to the other side and re-board. They do not spend a dime here; they do not know they can eat at one of the seven restaurants, visit Gallery RIVAA and enjoy the vistas on our promenade.

The RI sculpture does not address this issue of attracting people. It speaks only to the people who are already here.

Positioning it near the tram affects the path of people descending from the tram; it blocks the view of the river and impedes access to the visitor center kiosk. When I viewed it, most residents seemed to ignore it.

Separately, what is the point of an identity with an RI whose font and color are inconsistent with those already in use?
and from Roosevelt Island resident Frank Farance:
Incredibly ugly "RI" mockup, use LinkNYC kiosks instead.

RIOC said this would be at the tram between 4:30 and 6:30 yesterday, but that was not so. As I arrived (around 5:20) I saw the mockup at the subway,


and they moved it to the Rivercross lawn.


I don't know how RIOC expected people to see this when it was not at the announced location, and kept moving.

It's Uglier than Ugly, it's Dumber than Dumb. I told David Kramer: "Really David, I could have done a better job ... really".

I suggested to David Kramer that instead of this ugly thing, and instead of the wayfinding signs, we install the LinkNYC kiosks, which serve a City-wide purpose, and can have a local map that can be updated electronically as nominal cost, rather that a fixed physical sign. In fact, one could place a free call to any of the merchants at that point via the LinkNYC kiosk.
Roosevelt Island resident Jonna Birgans saw the RI monument as she was getting off the Tram on her way home and loves it:
I love the new Roosevelt Island sign. I smiled as soon as I saw it. Living in Hollywood for years, it made me think the sign would almost be our own little version of the Hollywood sign, a sign of pride of your neighborhood!

It also reminds me of the famous Love sign in Manhattan that's a popular photo stop for tourists.

I would love for the RI sign to be placed next to the tram station. The iconic tram is a gateway taken by many to the island and it's also next to the newly opened Cornell Tech University. Not the mention the amazing bridge and Manhattan skyline.
If the purpose of sign is to create a moment of joy and happiness upon arriving on Roosevelt Island, perhaps a spot by the subway entrance is more appropriate.


 Subway riders are more likely to need a happy moment coming up from the F Train platform than those arriving by the aerial Tram.

The proposed RI monument sculpture is reminiscent of the Oy/Yo sculpture in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Williamsburg waterfront
as well as the LOVE sculpture
on 56th street in Manhattan.

UPDATE 2/13/18 - More info here.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 4:20:00 PM

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