Photo by Michael Bodycomb
How many times have you gazed at those stairs and wished you could ascend?
My favorite aspect of the Frick’s expansion plans won’t occupy any more space on E. 70th Street, won’t need government approvals, will greatly enhance the visitor experience and should attract nothing but plaudits from critics who (like me) are starting to grumble about some aspects of the Davis Brody Bond-designed expansion. (See my Twitter chain, below. And if you want to see more reactions, take a look at the readers’ comments—114 at this writing—attached to Robin Pogrebin‘s NY Times report.)
For the first time, the rope will be removed from the staircase to the second floor of Henry Clay Frick‘s palatial abode, allowing us to step into several of the family’s opulent rooms and giving the Frick’s curators additional space to install more of the permanent collection.
I say: Do this yesterday! Why do we have to wait for the new construction?
In the meantime, here’s my slideshow of the Frick’s images, giving us a tantalizing peek:
And here’s my rundown of the recent Twitter chatter: