October 11, 2021
Tammany Hall in IGS Magazine’s Autumn 2021 Issue
Tammany Hall featured in the Autumn edition of Intelligent Glass Solutions Magazine, “Glass Retrospective”. The overarching theme of this issue is renovation’, showcasing best practices in the design, engineering, and construction of retrofit building envelopes, with glass as the focal point. Todd Poisson, BKSK Partner, contributed an editorial titled “Tammany Hall’s High-tech Glass Dome Honors New York’s Original People”; it focuses on the Tammany Hall Glass Dome and its connection to the indigenous Lenape People.
“The complicated history of Tammany Hall’s use of Lenape culture presented us with an opportunity to bring attention to the relationship of New York City to its original inhabitants. As early as the 1700’s, the political organization incorporated a romanticized notion of a chief and other Lenape positions of honor within Tammany’s structure without caring for the Lenape people. We recognized the misappropriation of these cultural symbols and saw an opportunity to bring an authentic voice and representation back into the story. After modeling preliminary turtle shell-like domes as a device to add square footage to the building for RDI, we contacted the founders of the Lenape Center in Manhattan to discuss our proposal to use the Lenape symbol of a rising turtle in this context. We were thrilled with their positive reaction and benefitted from their support throughout the public regulatory approval process.”
