55 Central Park West

The Shandor Building is anything but ordinary. Located in New York’s Upper West Side, it seems it fits in the cityscape and looks similar to a lot of other buildings. However, it’s the other buildings that look similar to it.

It was designed in the 1920s as the first of its kind; the only fully-styled Art Deco structure in the area.

It quickly became famous and set a trend for other buildings throughout the city. Over the years, the Shandor Building has attracted many famous tenants. Here is a brief history of some of its celebrity residents.

The architect was Ivo Shandor. The Shandor was the only building he ever designed, but even more noteworthy is that he was a prominent doctor at the time. In fact he did a lot of interesting (for lack of a better word) things throughout his life. You can read about them in his brief biography.

Although the Art Deco style is heavily inspired by the art of ancient civilizations, the Shandor very closely resembles a ziggurat. There even appears to be some type of shrine on the top, which some historical evidence suggests was a common feature of ziggurats. Normal for temples, but it seems somewhat misplaced atop an apartment complex.

The building is no doubt unique, but parts of it are confounding. Here are just some of its odd and unusual features:

-       Iron-work extends down through fifty feet of bedrock

-       Roof cap was fabricated with a magnesium-tungsten alloy

-       Cold-riveted girders with pure selenium cores

I do not think there has been a building that has been made with such strange materials.  Nor can I understand why the structure extends so deep.

For a more detailed look at the structure, here is a copy of some of the blueprints.

In style and structure, the building encompasses the non-traditional. Shandor must have either been a madman or an architectural genius. The jury is still out on that one.

Underground Houses

As I watched “Star Wars” as a kid, the one thing I first fell in love with was Luke Skywalker’s house. It was a small, above ground entrance and then an entire home/garage/courtyard completely underground. Genius.

Apart from super-fanboys, most people do not know that the location used in the movie was an actual underground development in Matmata, Tunisia (info).

These cave-like structures can be found all over the middle-east regions, most notably Turkey. These ancient ruins have become tourist “hot spots.” Some, like one in Turkey, have been converted into hotels. It seems odd that people would pay money to sleep and eat in caves or sides of rocks, but it actually looks like a unique experience. 

Although these rock villages are centuries old, this new attention has inspired architects over the last few decades to design homes in their likeness.

Most houses that draw from Skywalker’s residence usually are partially in the ground.  It is like builders sliced pieces out of hills, and then beautifully crafted buildings were slid in the hole. It is a practice that has been going on for years, but it always looks futuristic to me. 

One of the pioneers of these “earth houses” is Switzerland native Peter Vetsch. According to his website, “he has built over 70 earth houses” just in the last 30 years.

The two images below show Vetsch's handiwork. This is a small community consisting of nine homes that surround a man-made lake.

More of his designs and future projects can be found here.

While Vetsch’s style exudes the pueblo look, contemporary architects have taken the designs of underground houses to new levels.

This is just one example of the modern underground home. While the styles may vary between different houses, most of them are very minimalist in overall appearance. But I think that is part of the appeal. The fact that they are made of materials such as glass or stone add to the natural aesthetic.

Here are some of the 12 Coolest Underground Houses.

Some are whimsical, which remind me of something that would come out the Shire. Most are eco-friendly. And then there are a select few made for celebrities that are bit extravagant.

I am still waiting for the one that properly evokes Skywalker’s home. Something else for George Lucas to work on, I suppose.