AOL Time Warner Center stands as modern masterpiece

The new AOL Time Warner Center rises above Columbus Circle, a reflective gem that has revitalized this previously unpolished section of New York. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), one of New York's most prestigious architectural firms, has managed to crystallize America's culture of consumption in light blue reflective glass, steel, marble and dark lacquered wood veneers.

I visited the Center yesterday, taking the A-train from 34th Street Penn Station to the Time Warner Center's stop at 59th Street. Upon emerging from New York's bowel-like subway network, I looked up only to see the graceful towers of the Center literally scraping the clouds and capturing the city lights. Its glass finish gives it a luminousness that invites the casual passerby to escape the drab gray and black color palette of the street and enter this contemporary Crystal Palace.

I approached the mega-structure from the ground level (called the "podium") through a curtain of glass, only to be immediately greeted by a concierge who kindly asked me if I needed help finding my way around. "No thank you," I wanted to get lost in its luxury, wandering around its chic stores and restaurants.

The "podium" is a semicircle in plan, concentric with Columbus Circle — a sensitive design choice on behalf of David Childs, SOM. At the central point of the curvature is a series of balconies that encourages visitors to slow down and take a moment to look through the glazing of the entrance onto Central Park, 59th Street, the Trump Towers, et cetera. The combination of glass and the curved plan makes the colossally scaled shopping area a much more manageable space for visitors, as one can see nearly every store from these balconies.

The stores within this magnificent jewel-box are not as exclusive as those on the nearby blocks of Fifth Avenue, yet they are, nevertheless, very tasteful and cater to a larger range of budgets — one can buy everything from a Jaeger Le Coultre watch at Tourneau to a pocket-sized "Kama Sutra" at Borders. Other stores include Sisley, Thomas Pink, Stuart Weitzman, Face Stockholm, Armani Exchange and Montmarte. Additionally, the Time Warner Center accommodates a Whole Foods Market below the "podium," which offers a vast selection of prepared foods — in keeping with the Center's theme of lavish abundance — that one can enjoy in its café-style seating area. There is also a Mandarin Oriental hotel, an Equinox gym, a jazz center and luxury flats.

The penthouses fetched between $25 (this one probably went to either the sneaky/savvy developer or builder) and $35 million when the Center was near completion. However, in July of 2003, a British entrepreneur was reported to have paid $45 million for one of the 10 penthouses. It is a split-level 12,600-square foot penthouse — roughly the same surface area as 8,400 copies of this 'Street' issue — and has views comparable to those from the viewing level of the Empire State Building.

Though still in its infancy, the Time Warner Center speaks of timeless architecture fit for the modern, well-to-do cosmopolite.

Though it selectively caters to an affluent demographic, it nonetheless alludes to the mega-structures of architects like Le Corbusier, Sant'Elia and Oscar Niemeyer. The skyscrapers of these architects similarly worship natural light, technology and civic interaction. It is a (literally) brilliant city center, and I'm certain that this will be a fascinating project to watch New Yorkers inhabit over the years to come.