New York Ornament: Downtown

A walk through the familiar territory of the Civic Center and the Financial District will reveal much that is unfamiliar, as we continue our survey (began on the Upper West Side in the last tour cycle) of ornamentation in New York architecture. The purpose of these walks is to open your eyes to the awe-inspiring craftsmanship that is the supreme virtue–and one of the least-appreciated virtues–of New York buildings, particularly of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We’ll discuss the architects, the artists, and the (often anonymous) artisans, the types of ornament and decoration, the names of things (which even 99% of architects don’t know), the “grammar” of ornament, and much more.