Monday, July 9, 2012, by Dave Hogarty
[Photos of East of East facade from StreetEasy and QueensCrap]
The East of East condo building on Jackson Avenue in Long Island City drew inspiration from painter Piet Mondrian and sculptor Richard Serra, but some online critics sound like they wish the building’s facade would be tagged by graffiti artists…using spray cans of Rust-Oleum. Following Serra’s artistic lead, architects RSVP Studio used Cor-Ten steel—a “distinctive steel material known for its bright oxidized patina”—on East of East’s facade, at 13-14 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City. According to Wikipedia, Cor-Ten steel was “developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form[s] a stable rust-like appearance if exposed to the weather for several years.”
That break-in period is not impressing the Queens Crapper or his site’s readers, who note that runoff from the rusting exterior is staining surrounding materials. One commenter wrote that it is not unusual for Cor-Ten’s rustproof layer of rust to degrade and fail. “You think this thing looks ugly now? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” Another reader said that a weak acid bath is all that is required to remove rust stains from the sidewalk. That sounds super.
Know anybody that lives in or near the East of East building? We’d like to know if the condo board or residents have discussed this rusting-in process internally. Hit us at the Tips Line if you have any information.
· Getting Rusty in LIC [QueensCrap]
· Art and Architecture [EastofEast]
· East of East [StreetEasy]
· Weathering Steel [Wikipedia]
13-14 Jackson Avenue, Queens, NY
USA
