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Coordinates: 40°43′31″N 73°59′49″W / 40.725387°N 73.997053°W / 40.725387; -73.997053
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{{Short description|Minimalist art in Manhattan, New York, U.S.}}
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"The Wall" is a piece of minimalist art that was constructed in the [[SoHo]] neighborhood of [[New York City]]. It was part of the building that stands at 599 [[Broadway]] until 2002 when the [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] of New York City gave the owners permission to take it down so the interior wall can be repaired. While the owners of the building have since refused to put it back up, it was recently announced that a settlement was reached that will allow The Wall to be reconstructed.
{{italic title}}
{{coord|40.725387|-73.997053|format=dms|display=title}}
[[File:The Wall Gateway to SoHo Forrest Myers wide.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''The Wall'', also known as ''The Gateway to Soho'']]


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'''''The Wall''''', also known as '''''The Gateway to Soho''''',<ref>Plaque located at 599 Broadway, accessed:2010-10-26</ref> is a piece of [[minimalism|minimalist art]] that was constructed in the [[SoHo]] neighborhood of [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]]. It was part of the building that stands at 599 [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] until 2002 when the [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] (LPC) gave the owners permission to take it down so the interior wall could be repaired. The artwork has since been re-installed.
== The Artwork ==
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The Wall was built in [[1973]] under a $2,000 commission by the now defunct City Walls, Inc. It consists of "42 aluminum bars bolted to 42 steel braces, painted green against a blue background"<ref>{{cite news |first=Ronda|last=Kaysen |title=Soho 'Wall' dispute returns to the courts |url=http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_94/sohowalldisputereturns.html |work=Downtown Express|publisher=Community Media, LLC. |date=[[2005-2-25]] |accessdate=2007-04-23}}</ref> and takes up 3/4 of the building's wall that it resides on. It stands about 8 stories high. The artist was Forrest "Frosty" Myers.


== Removal ==
== The artwork ==
⚫
''The Wall'' was built in 1973 by [[Forrest Myers]] under a $2,000 commission by the now defunct City Walls, Inc. It consists of "42 aluminum bars bolted to 42 steel braces, painted green against a blue background"<ref>{{cite news |first=Ronda|last=Kaysen |title=Soho 'Wall' dispute returns to the courts |url=http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_94/sohowalldisputereturns.html |work=Downtown Express|publisher=Community Media, LLC. |date=2005-02-25 |access-date=2007-04-23}}</ref> and takes up 3/4 of the building's wall that it resides on. It stands about 8 stories high.
⚫
Owners of 599 Broadway complained to the LPC in 1997 that the wall was leaking into the building and causing structural damage. The LPC finally allowed the removal of the artwork in 2002 under the condition that the owners put the art back up after work was completed.


The piece was originally commissioned to "cover existing architectural scars" from when Houston Street was widened at the expense of an adjoining building.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sohobroadway.org/a-look-back-at-sohos-broadway-forrest-myers-the-wall/|title=A Look back at SoHo's Broadway: Forrest Myers' The Wall|first=Yukie|last=Ohta|date=February 28, 2017|website=SoHo Broadway Initiative}}</ref> Myers has explained that, symbolically, the piece reflects the transformations during SoHo's artistic history while remaining a reminder that the neighborhood "still represents the spirit of the artists from those days."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ocula.com/magazine/art-news/frosty-myers-reflects-on-50-years-of-the-wall/|title=Frosty Myers Reflects on 50 Years of 'The Wall' in SoHo &#124; Ocula}}</ref>
In September 2004 the owners were sued by the city to replace the wall. [[US District Court]] Judge Deborah Batts threw out the initial defense by the owners that the wall was an infringement of their First Amendment rights.


== Removal and re-installation==
⚫
In May of 2005, however, Judge Batts ruled that the City was violating the owners' 5th Amendment rights and the city cannot force the owners to maintain the wall. However, if the city did decide to go through with an order to replace the wall, it would owe the owners fair compensation for the wall's construction.<ref>{{cite news|first=Ronda|last=Kaysen|title=Judge’s roadblock to 'Wall' return|url=http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_106/judgesroadblockto.html|work=Downtown Express|publisher=Community Media, LLC.|date=[[2006-5-20]]|accessdate=2007-04-23}}</ref>
⚫
The owners of 599 Broadway complained to the LPC in 1997 that the artwork had caused the wall it was mounted on to leak into the building, and that it had caused structural damage. The LPC finally allowed the removal of the artwork in 2002 under the condition that the owners put the art back up after work was completed.


⚫
In September 2004 the owners were sued by the city to replace the wall. [[US District Court]] Judge Deborah Batts threw out the initial defense by the owners that the wall was an infringement of their [[First Amendment rights]]. In May 2005, however, Judge Batts ruled that the City was violating the owners' [[Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fifth Amendment rights]], and that the city could not force the owners to maintain the wall. However, if the city did decide to go through with an order to replace the wall, it would owe the owners fair compensation for the wall's construction.<ref>{{cite news|first=Ronda|last=Kaysen|title=Judge's roadblock to 'Wall' return|url=http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_106/judgesroadblockto.html|work=Downtown Express|publisher=Community Media, LLC.|date=2006-05-20|access-date=2007-04-23}}</ref>
⚫
In April of 2007, the City and owners announced a deal whereby the exterior of the building would be increased by 30 feet so the artwork could be installed higher, allowing for street level [[advertising]] space.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Bragg|title=High, bright, 'The Wall' will return to Soho wall|url=http://thevillager.com/villager_207/highbrightthewall.html|work=The Villager|Publisher=Community Media, LLC.|date=[[2007-04-18]]|accessdate=2007-04-23}}</ref> Without the artwork, the owners estimated that the wall could generate up to $600,000 in advertising [[revenue]] a year.

⚫
In April 2007, the City and owners announced a deal whereby the exterior of the building would be increased by 30 feet, so that the artwork could be installed higher, allowing for street level [[advertising]] space.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Bragg|title=High, bright, 'The Wall' will return to Soho wall|url=http://thevillager.com/villager_207/highbrightthewall.html|work=The Villager|publisher=Community Media, LLC.|date=2007-04-18|access-date=2007-04-23}}</ref> Without the artwork, the owners estimated that the wall could generate up to $600,000 in advertising [[revenue]] a year.


== References ==
== References ==
;Notes
<references/>
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commonscat-inline|The Wall (Gateway to Soho)}}

{{SoHo, Manhattan|state=collapsed}}
{{Public art in Manhattan}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wall}}
[[Category:Outdoor sculptures in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Minimalism]]
[[Category:Aluminum sculptures in New York City]]
[[Category:Steel sculptures in New York City]]
[[Category:1973 sculptures]]
[[Category:SoHo, Manhattan]]

Latest revision as of 09:24, 29 August 2024

40°43′31″N 73°59′49″W / 40.725387°N 73.997053°W / 40.725387; -73.997053

The Wall, also known as The Gateway to Soho

The Wall, also known as The Gateway to Soho,[1] is a piece of minimalist art that was constructed in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was part of the building that stands at 599 Broadway until 2002 when the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) gave the owners permission to take it down so the interior wall could be repaired. The artwork has since been re-installed.

The artwork

[edit]

The Wall was built in 1973 by Forrest Myers under a $2,000 commission by the now defunct City Walls, Inc. It consists of "42 aluminum bars bolted to 42 steel braces, painted green against a blue background"[2] and takes up 3/4 of the building's wall that it resides on. It stands about 8 stories high.

The piece was originally commissioned to "cover existing architectural scars" from when Houston Street was widened at the expense of an adjoining building.[3] Myers has explained that, symbolically, the piece reflects the transformations during SoHo's artistic history while remaining a reminder that the neighborhood "still represents the spirit of the artists from those days."[4]

Removal and re-installation

[edit]

The owners of 599 Broadway complained to the LPC in 1997 that the artwork had caused the wall it was mounted on to leak into the building, and that it had caused structural damage. The LPC finally allowed the removal of the artwork in 2002 under the condition that the owners put the art back up after work was completed.

In September 2004 the owners were sued by the city to replace the wall. US District Court Judge Deborah Batts threw out the initial defense by the owners that the wall was an infringement of their First Amendment rights. In May 2005, however, Judge Batts ruled that the City was violating the owners' Fifth Amendment rights, and that the city could not force the owners to maintain the wall. However, if the city did decide to go through with an order to replace the wall, it would owe the owners fair compensation for the wall's construction.[5]

In April 2007, the City and owners announced a deal whereby the exterior of the building would be increased by 30 feet, so that the artwork could be installed higher, allowing for street level advertising space.[6] Without the artwork, the owners estimated that the wall could generate up to $600,000 in advertising revenue a year.

References

[edit]
Notes
  1. ^ Plaque located at 599 Broadway, accessed:2010-10-26
  2. ^ Kaysen, Ronda (2005-02-25). "Soho 'Wall' dispute returns to the courts". Downtown Express. Community Media, LLC. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  3. ^ Ohta, Yukie (February 28, 2017). "A Look back at SoHo's Broadway: Forrest Myers' The Wall". SoHo Broadway Initiative.
  4. ^ "Frosty Myers Reflects on 50 Years of 'The Wall' in SoHo | Ocula".
  5. ^ Kaysen, Ronda (2006-05-20). "Judge's roadblock to 'Wall' return". Downtown Express. Community Media, LLC. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  6. ^ Bragg, Chris (2007-04-18). "High, bright, 'The Wall' will return to Soho wall". The Villager. Community Media, LLC. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
[edit]
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