The Palazzo Chupi is a refreshing architectural gesture long needed in the West Village. Designed by film director and painter Julian Schnabel, the “Pompeii red” palazzo stands about seventeen stories high on West 11th Street. The hot pink fairy tale-like building was predictably met with much outrage and protest from the neighbors when the scaffolding fabric was recently unveiled.
The façade composition is a direct reference to Venetian vernacular with a touch of eastern influence. The new volume rests on top of an existing stable structure without direct engagement, as if just imported from a far Mediterranean island. This oneiric presence embodies memories of distant travels in sunny villages. Along with the dream, the palazzo imports centuries’ old history in a city, where anonymous glass towers designed by starchitects seem to be the norm. New York City needs more palazzos throughout its grided neighborhoods. Since the Chrysler and Empire State, the city has not produced note-worthy buildings. With careful impregnation, the Dubai-effect of importing non-referential kitsch can be reversed. Cities can enrich their environments by borrowing significant cultural moments from one another.
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