NY Observer > Inter IKEA Systems BV http://www.observer.com/taxonomy/term/25668/feed Articles from Observer.com en The Afternoon Wrap: Monday http://www.observer.com/node/35728
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  • The bones of Brooklyn's Ikea have been erected, representing a long stride toward the borough's horrifying self-destruction. Doomsday is near, via inexpensive Swedish furniture. [Gowanus Lounge]
  • Vanity Fair lovingly dubs The Bowery Hotel "funky." Why? Because the building "was literally built out of Styrofoam, with hideous aluminum windows." [VF, via Curbed]
  • Apparently, Chinatown (an oasis of "whimsy, mystery, and grit") has singularly rebuffed the tide of NYC gentification. That means the area will never be as horrifying as West 27th Street's clubland [pictured above]. [NY Mag]
  • The "sickest rental in Brooklyn right now" is a Park Slope brownstone. The owner won't sell, and won't break up the apartments either, and has generously opted to paint the whole house eggshell. [Brownstoner]
    • - Max Abelson]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35728#comments Real Estate Brooklyn Gowanus Inter IKEA Systems BV Styrofoam Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:08:25 -0500 Observer Staff 35728 at http://www.observer.com The Afternoon Wrap: Monday http://www.observer.com/node/35427
    • Oh, Ikea! The Swedish furniture kings are rolling out ready-built "timber-framed homes" in London. They're called BoKloks (prounced booklook), which means "live smart" in Swedish. In English, it means "homogenous Scandinavian design is slowly taking over the world, leading inevitably to a deathly, red-and-white colored dystopia." [Interior Design]
    • 11 Spring Street is officially the blogosphere's favorite piece of Manhattan real estate. But who can resist a graffiti-heavy Murdoch palace? Here's a realty/art fetish video. [A Blog Soup]
    • Speaking of sneak peeks, Brownstoner takes a look at the unholy, unapproved church-to-townhouse conversion at 232 Adelphi Street in Brooklyn. The Lord is not happy. [Brstnr]
    • First poor Yves Saint Laurent's French 75-acre estate was price-cut to a paltry $19.9 million. Now, his Jed Johnson-designed Pierre Hotel apartment is down to $7.75 mill. At least he still has those bags. [WSJ]
      • - Max Abelson]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35427#comments Real Estate Brooklyn Inter IKEA Systems BV London Manhattan Mon, 04 Dec 2006 10:39:36 -0500 Observer Staff 35427 at http://www.observer.com Red Hook Ikea Faces Suit Over Civil War Site http://www.observer.com/node/35385 A remnant of the Civil War may trip up the Ikea store planned for Red Hook, Brooklyn. The Municipal Art Society announced on Tuesday a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which plans to allow a parking lot for the Ikea store on what was once a graving dock.

      The society is suing to require the Corps to do a full review of the effects of the Ikea on all historic properties in the area, including the dock, which dates to the 1860s. "The law requires a proper historic review, and the public deserves it," said Municipal Art Society president Kent Barwick in a statement.

      The society filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Friday.

      The nonprofit's full release after the jump.  read more »

      - Tom Acitelli ]]>       http://www.observer.com/node/35385#comments Real Estate Brooklyn Inter IKEA Systems BV Municipal Art Society Red Hook Tue, 21 Nov 2006 06:42:17 -0500 Observer Staff 35385 at http://www.observer.com       Global Media Report: Oggi Magazine Turns Five http://www.observer.com/node/32964 BEIJING -- Oggi, a Japanese fashion magazine with a Chinese edition, held a fifth anniversary celebration the night of Nov. 10, at the Rui Fu nightclub. At first glance, it appeared that Rui Fu had closed and been replaced by another nightclub--a routine thing to happen in Beijing, with or without bulldozers involved--and that the new nightclub was called Oggi. There were lit-up signs that said "Oggi" and an "Oggi" backdrop in front of which arrivals were required to pause, standing on footprint markings, for photographs before entering. In the vestibule was a gigantic bowl that said "Oggi" again. But inside, the club was still Rui Fu, though a narrow tan carpet with the Oggi logo on it snaked the length of the room, making right turns to get around the bar. A spur of the carpet led to the vestibule and the stairs. The main event of the evening was a fashion show by the Beijing label Zemo Elysee, for which the tan carpet would be the runway.  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/32964#comments Media Beijing Elysee Yang Inter IKEA Systems BV Rui Fu Tue, 14 Nov 2006 08:43:52 -0500 Observer Staff 32964 at http://www.observer.com Time Takes a Cigarette http://www.observer.com/node/34794
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      The New York Shipyard today.

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      The New York Shipyard a month ago.

      Here's a little before and after of the Ikea site in Red Hook. (be in awe of our Photoshop skillz!) Demolition seems to be going quickly. We'll try and see what's happened to the graving dock this weekend.

      -Matthew Grace]]>       http://www.observer.com/node/34794#comments Real Estate Adobe Photoshop Inter IKEA Systems BV Red Hook Fri, 02 Jun 2006 09:59:19 -0400 Observer Staff 34794 at http://www.observer.com       Witness an Episode of Clean Sweep http://www.observer.com/node/32131 AIMEE: Toodle-oo Ikea pots and pans! Hello All-Clad! Goodbye mismatched tumblers, hello sassy martini glasses!

      We've spent hours unpacking our wedding gifts and our apartment is a disaster area, COVERED with open boxes, mountains of china, stemware, kitchen appliances and millions of little pieces of styrofoam and sheets of bubble wrap.

      aimeeunpacking.jpg
      Disaster zone.
      "This is soooo comfy," I call out to Brian. I'm submerged in a box the size of a small bathtub brimming with styrofoam packing peanuts. We've both run out of steam earlier than expected.

      Brian pulls me up and I stumble out, adjust the "hard at work in the home" bandana that's tied around my hair and return to the kitchen to continue tearing it apart.  read more »

      ]]>       http://www.observer.com/node/32131#comments Inter IKEA Systems BV Styrofoam Thu, 25 May 2006 12:55:44 -0400 Observer Staff 32131 at http://www.observer.com       In the Shadow of Ikea http://www.observer.com/node/34750
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      Taking a break from our coverage of the Fairway opening yesterday, we walked over to the Ikea site that sits on the Erie Basin. While officially inaccessible, smart adventurers know how to gain access to the site--which is where we found this creepy tableau that's suggestive of horrors too eh, horrible to mention. These children's bicycles were found, as is, feet from a former homeless encampment adjacent to the Ikea site.

       read more »]]>       http://www.observer.com/node/34750#comments Real Estate Erie Inter IKEA Systems BV Thu, 18 May 2006 10:04:32 -0400 Observer Staff 34750 at http://www.observer.com       Ikea's Animated Short http://www.observer.com/node/34658
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      Yeah, it's clever of Ikea to use a Dire Straits song for its animated walk-through of their planned Red Hook store (the Erie Basin and the long struggle to get this store approved are but two referents we can think of immediately), but "Walk of Life"? Song blows, yo. Nonetheless, this video (click on connection speed at top of page) shows a livable compromise between Ikea's big boxiness and public access to the waterfront. The cranes in Ikea yellow and blue does seem like a sellout--can't they be kept decrepit and maritime?

      (Via Amy's New York Notebook.)

      -Matthew Grace]]>       http://www.observer.com/node/34658#comments Real Estate Erie Inter IKEA Systems BV Red Hook Mon, 01 May 2006 07:34:29 -0400 Observer Staff 34658 at http://www.observer.com       M.A.S. Responds (to Ikea's Response) http://www.observer.com/node/34543 The Municipal Art Society's president for communications passes on this communique from Kent Barwick, president of the M.A.S. (with spellin' lessons--our bad).
      "The Municipal Art Society did indeed develop two alternative site plans for the Ikea project that would meet their publicized program needs while preserving the rich history of the site. And, it is true that Ikea rejected both of these alternatives, in one case for financial and political reasons and the other for newly disclosed operational reasons. Nevertheless, these two alternative plans demonstrate another fact we've long known: talented design professionals can develop creative solutions to challenging problems when there is a will to do it. But, so far Ikea has been unwilling to even try.

      We continue to hope that Ikea will recognize that they can build their store and their parking lot, while saving Civil War-era buildings and a functional ship repair dry dock that dates to the Lincoln Administration. They can also save high-skill, high-wage jobs on the working waterfront by allowing the shipyard to remain open. When it comes to Brooklyn's historic past and its promising future, Ikea can be a hero in this matter and we hope they will be.

      PS: I'd like to gently point out to the original writer that it's Erie Basin and Erie Canal, not Eerie.

      Kent Barwick, President, Municipal Art Society"
      -Matthew Grace]]>       http://www.observer.com/node/34543#comments Real Estate Brooklyn Inter IKEA Systems BV Kent Barwick Municipal Art Society Fri, 07 Apr 2006 09:39:13 -0400 Observer Staff 34543 at http://www.observer.com       Sugar Factory Death Knell http://www.observer.com/node/34537
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      The Revere sugar facory--R.I.P.?
      We just got word that the Revere sugar factory, which sits in between the Ikea site and the just-open-already! Fairway grocery store in Red Hook, barely dodged the Industrial Business Zone bullet today. Thor Equities, which bought the site last year for $40 million, wants to develop the property into residential and commercial buildings. But standing in its way was the likely I.B.Z. designation that the area was due to receive. Update: We've got the final Southwest Brooklyn I.B.Z. map after the jump.  read more »]]>       http://www.observer.com/node/34537#comments Real Estate Brooklyn Inter IKEA Systems BV New York City Thor Equities LLC Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:29:35 -0400 Observer Staff 34537 at http://www.observer.com