Largely unseen—and usually unappreciated—a seldom regarded architecture represents an essential prerequisite for urban life. The provision of clean water, the disposal and treatment of human waste, the collection of solid waste, the cleaning and salting of streets, the shipment of waste out of the city—are all critical infrastructure we can’t live without. More visible, but equally essential, are the transit facilities allowing urban movement and the structures housing the firefighters and police who maintain a safe city. These buildings are the necessary underpinning for the entire urban constellation of work places, commercial establishments, housing, educational facilities, cultural buildings, streets, sidewalks, and parks.
Kicking off the 2019 NYCxDesign week – New York City’s annual celebration of all things design – Richard Dattner led a Design Talks presentation featuring and defining New York City’s Essential Architecture. Richard founded the firm in 1964. Under his leadership and creative direction, Dattner Architects has designed a wide variety of award-winning projects. With Dattner Architects’ strong roots in the design of critical urban infrastructure, we are proud to lead the conversation as well as convey how modern infrastructure facilities can be functional, aesthetically pleasing, and integrated into the fabric of the communities they serve.
