Editor's Note

By Kyle Patterson

It’s so easy to take for granted all the beautiful things our region has to offer. This issue we give a glimpse into the many assets we have in real estate and architecture. We take a sampling of some of the best we have to offer and relay a bit of our affection for the buildings that make Buffalo what it is. The thing about architecture is that it is with you forever, engraving the skyline of the place you call home. Lynda Schneekloth Professor at the UB School of Architecture and Planning had some insightful things to say about the architecture in Buffalo. Quoting her extensively, “The City of Buffalo, New York, was once described by Frederick Law Olmsted, as ‘the best planned city in America.’ It is this plan, this structure, that is the foundation for the city fabric and its architecture.  The radial plan designed by Ellicott in 1804 is one of only 3 radial planned cities in the United States.  No matter where you are in the city, one of the radials will take you downtown to Niagara Square.  And the pattern of streets generated by the radial plan overlaid by the various grids that framed the  early city make for interesting building sites, and when buildings respond, interesting architecture. The city’s location on Lake Erie and the Niagara River add an ‘edge’ to the city that is unsurpassed.  And this great structure is overlaid with the Olmsted Park and Parkway System that integrates green spaces and green fingers throughout the city.  In other words, Buffalo has great ‘bones’ – a good structure, a great urban  architecture.

     The city was also fortunate to be wealthy during one of the most architecturally   interesting periods – the late 19^th and early 20^th century.  From the Guaranty Building to the grain elevators to the housing, the wealth of the city was used to bring the best architects to do some of their best work here.  And that legacy has been preserved through countless hours of effort by citizens who have recognized the importance of the architecture.  Now, at the beginning of the 21^st century, the citizens of Buffalo have again claimed the heritage of beauty that lay at the foundation of this city, and are  insisting that buildings bear the responsibility of innovation, sustainability, and       community.  Buildings are not isolated objects, but participants in a conversation that makes a city.  This is evident in the investment, renovation and preservation of existing structures such as the Statler and in new construction such as the federal courthouse.  Cities only get good architecture if they demand it – and Buffalo once again is raising its voice and demanding that new buildings are of legacy quality.  In the next hundred years, we’ll not only have the early 20^th century architecture to celebrate, but the early 21^st century buildings as well.”

     It is with these thoughts in mind that we present to you Architecture We Love and many more great articles in this issue, enjoy!

 

Kyle Patterson, Publisher and Editor