Dial-switching brought me to the movie
"Kate and Leopold," which naturally made
me think of the Brooklyn Bridge. Here's
a slightly different view (and one that can
only be taken from a car, hence the shaky
composition). And no, I have no idea what
this space under the bridge was originally
used for. Any guesses?
What do I know fer nuthin?
ReplyDeleteFound this as a possible interior view.
And this:
About the Anchorage
Art in the Anchorage offered public access to one of New York's most spectacular and evocative landmark structures. Visitors to the soaring cathedral-like chambers have compared the vaults to Piranesi's "Carceri," to catacombs, and to the austere intimacy of a monastery. These arched spaces, framed by the piers which support the bridge, are a series of eight barrel-vaulted masonry and brick halls with ceilings nearly 50 feet high.
John Roebling, the bridge's engineer, envisioned this space as a double-tiered commercial arcade, or vault for the national treasury. In actuality, the spaces were used for an open air farmers' market, children's playground and then were walled off from the street as a WPA project in the 1930s. They were used for municipal storage until 1983 when the Borough of Brooklyn invited Creative Time to mount an exhibition in conjunction with the Brooklyn Bridge Centennial activities.
The Anchorage,under the eaves of the bridge on the Brooklyn side, hosted popular art and music events. The Anchorage's majestic archways, huge vaulted spaces and vertiginous catwalks created a stunning stage for the summertime multimedia program, Art in the Anchorage.
For the Art in the Anchorage summer series, artists employ advanced new technologies to explore contemporary issues, such as the ways in which technology affects our lives. Music in the Anchorage combined art and music and featured unusual combinations of artists as well as American debuts and premiere performances.
The Anchorage was closed in 2001 due security concerns. There are no plans to open it again.
Oh, that's gorgeous, Alexa! The colours ~ the weathered bricks ~ and from TG's imminently informative article and photo, it must have been an amazing space. It makes me really sad that it's not being used anymore. Hopefully it will be again some day.
ReplyDeleteTG -- thanks for doing my job for me! That's on the Bklyn side and this is actually the Manhattan side, but I'm sure they matched when the bridge was built. What a great space for art and music events (which I somehow never went to). Closed in 2001, huh? Gee, I wonder why. (My word verification is "binled.")
ReplyDeleteShell -- yeah, I love the old brick and rusted shutters—it's very wabi sabi.
BTW, I'm writing this on my brand new computer!
I read a book about the building of the bridge, but I don't remember anything about that.
ReplyDeleteDon't know much about the bridge...but, sure did love the movie!
ReplyDelete