I was at a NYC school project yesterday.

Ken, I also went to a NYC school project (the day before) yesterday.  It was a classroom of kids making lizards out of papier mache. (I was picking up the Komodo dragon from my wife's classroom because she is afraid of Komodo dragons.)  This is one of those crisp, optimistic, we-can-change-the-world C. B. J. Snyder H-plan schools, behing the Museum of the City of New York.  About ten? years ago it got the top to bottom masonry treatment that has been progressing around the public schools - indeed, I believe they just took all the brick off, and replaced all.  Which was a waste, as far as I was concerned, and I imagine the union thought the same but why say anything?  

 

At any rate, PS 171 has a pristine (indeed, too pristine) exterior but inside ... all the wonderful old transoms and plywooded up, the paint on the woodwork and trim rests in globs (and I am sure the woodwork was originally "natural"), the hardware is dinged up, the beautiful 1903 tiles are abused etc. etc.  If you believe in the healing power of architecture, these kids are completely missing it.

 

I assume that is the case because a) the needless exterior work is done for "safety" (they don't want a loose brick falling and killing a little kid in the courtyard ooops the courtyards are full of teachers' cars never mind)  and b) it is easy for big firms to bid masonry work, but hard to do so for the interior restoration work that is "only cosmetic."

 

Your opinion, maestro?                                    yrs  hall monitor

 

PS  And, do you think the scaffold guys should be forced to wear their masks?