191-511: Roosevelt Island is an island in New York City 's East River , within the borough of Manhattan . It lies between Manhattan Island to the west, and the borough of Queens , on Long Island , to the east. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) long, with an area of 147 acres (0.59 km), and had a population of 11,722 as of the 2020 United States Census . It consists of two largely residential communities: Northtown and Southtown. Roosevelt Island
382-578: A continent by plate tectonics , and oceanic islands, which have never been part of a continent. Oceanic islands can be formed from volcanic activity, grow into atolls from coral reefs , and form from sediment along shorelines, creating barrier islands . River islands can also form from sediment and debris in rivers. Artificial islands are those made by humans, including small rocky outcroppings built out of lagoons and large-scale land reclamation projects used for development. Islands are host to diverse plant and animal life. Oceanic islands have
573-579: A stutter and was diagnosed with cyclothymia . He attended the Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York , then studied as an undergraduate at Harvard University where he focused on learning Greek, philology , history and philosophy , particularly the work of the Pre-Socratic philosophers. Upon completing his studies in 1930, he made a series of trips to Europe, particularly Germany, where his family had
764-451: A "commuting" distance to an island that has enough resources to be sustainable. The presence of an island is marked by seabirds , differences in cloud and weather patterns, as well as changes in the direction of waves. It is also possible for human populations to have gone extinct on islands, evidenced by explorers finding islands that show evidence of habitation but no life. Not all islands were or are inhabited by maritime cultures. In
955-509: A "rafting event". This phenomenon is known as oceanic dispersal . Tropical storms have the capacity to transport species over great distances. Animals like tortoises can live for weeks without food or water, and are able to survive floating on debris in the sea. One case study showed that in 1995, fifteen iguanas survived a 300 km journey to Anguilla in the Caribbean , an island which no iguana had lived on previously. They survived floating on
1146-417: A combined 1,500 beds. The bridge was intended to relieve traffic caused by the island's new hospitals, while the additional hospitals would serve the city's growing elderly population. During the early 1950s, the city planned a 1,500-bed hospital on the island and wished to convert the island's Cancer Institute into a tuberculosis hospital. After Coler Hospital opened in 1952, patients were relocated there from
1337-436: A common area. The island was to become a car-free area with apartments, stores, community centers, and a waterfront promenade. The apartments ranged in size from studios to four-bedroom units and were a mixture of rental and cooperative units. There would be a hotel, public schools, stores, and office space, and several existing buildings would be retained. Services such as parks and schools were near every residence, and there
1528-455: A communal area for the island's various ethnic groups and socioeconomic classes. The island's residences and businesses are largely clustered around Main Street. Roosevelt Island is surrounded by a seawall of Fordham gneiss, quarried from the island itself. According to archaeological digs, the area around Roosevelt Island was settled by Paleo-Indians up to 12,000 years ago. In particular, the area
1719-426: A detailed review of 1,288 islands found that they were home to 1,189 highly-threatened vertebrate species, which was 41 percent of the global figure. Coral bleaching is expected to occur with more frequency, threatening marine ecosystems, some of which island economies are dependent on. Some islands that are low-lying may cease to exist given high enough amounts of sea level rise. Tuvalu received media attention for
1910-549: A drill ground and training facility at Blackwell's Island's northern end in 1901, although city officials opposed it. The following year, there was a proposal to turn the island over to the federal government and raze many of the existing structures; the city's controller was also against this plan. Other proposals for the island in the first decade of the 20th century included new tuberculosis (consumptive) hospitals, additional almshouses, an electric power plant, and general hospitals. A tuberculosis ward at Metropolitan Hospital opened on
2101-609: A few meters high, and are usually temporary. Changes in the flow speed, water level, and sediment content of the river may effect the rate of fluvial island formation and depletion. Permanent river islands also exist, the largest of which (that is completely inland) is Bananal Island in the Tocantins of Brazil, which has a maximum width of 55 kilometers. Lakes form for a variety of reasons, including glaciers , plate tectonics, and volcanism. Lake islands can form as part of these processes. The field of insular biogeography studies
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#17328553791002292-512: A grove of oak trees. The third fountain is the Active Pool, which challenges fit visitors to walk down 38 feet (12 meters) to the pool at the bottom, with water cascading all around them. In 1977, Johnson completed a much quieter garden in Dallas, Thanks-Giving Square . It features a non-denominational chapel in a spiral form, a meditation garden and cascading fountains, tucked between buildings in
2483-577: A half acres. The centerpiece is the 40-story tower, One PPG Place, which has a crown of spires at the corners which suggest the neogothic tower of the Houses of Parliament in London. During the 1980s, Johnson and Burgee completed a series of other notable postmodern landmarks. The TC Energy Center (formerly Republic Bank Center, later, Bank of America Center), in Houston (1983), was the first postmodern skyscraper in
2674-427: A hermetically sealed suburb than an integral part of New York City". One newspaper from 1989 described the island as a "small, self-contained, family-oriented community", with its own Little League Baseball team, newspaper, and library. A Washington Post article from the same year described the island as having the feel of a small town but with a closer connection to Manhattan. A New York Times article from 1999 said
2865-402: A higher carrying capacity also have more genetic diversity , which promotes speciation . Oceanic islands, ones that have never been connected to shore, are only populated by life that can cross the sea. This means that any animals present on the island had to have flown there, in the case of birds or bats , were carried by such animals, or were carried in a sea current in what is known as
3056-512: A laundry building were developed on Welfare Island during that era. The laundry building began construction in 1948 and was completed the next year. Work on a 2,000-bed facility, later known as the Bird S. Coler Hospital , also began in 1948. Further projects were proposed in the late 1940s, including the Welfare Island Bridge to Queens, a laboratory for Goldwater Hospital, and two hospitals with
3247-472: A loss of almost all the infrastructure in Dominica. Sea level rise and other climate changes can reduce freshwater reserves, resulting in droughts . These risks are expected to decrease the habitability of islands, especially small ones. Beyond risks to human life, plant and animal life are threatened. It has been estimated that almost 50 percent of land species threatened by extinction live on islands. In 2017,
3438-403: A mass of uprooted trees from a storm. Plant species are thought to be able to travel great distances of ocean. New Zealand and Australia share 200 native plant species, despite being separated by 1500 km. Continental islands, islands that were at one point connected to a continent, are expected to share a common history of plant and animal life up until the point that the island broke away from
3629-832: A minimum. Some islands became host to humans due to a land bridge or a continental island splitting from the mainland. Today, up to 10% of the world's population lives on islands. Islands are popular targets for tourism due to their perceived natural beauty, isolation, and unique cultures. Islands became the target of colonization by Europeans, resulting in the majority of islands in the Pacific being put under European control. Decolonization has resulted in some but not all island nations becoming self-governing , with lasting effects related to industrialisation , invasive species , nuclear weapons testing , and tourism . Islands and island countries are threatened by climate change . Sea level rise threatens to submerge nations such as Maldives ,
3820-743: A minority. Cultural attitudes related to communal ownership of land as well as a lack of individualistic decision-making may make some island cultures less compatible with the global capitalist economy, causing these nations to experience less economic growth. Islands have long been a popular target for tourism , thanks to their unique climates, cultures, and natural beauty. However, islands may suffer from poor transportation connectivity from airplanes and boats and strains on infrastructure from tourist activity. Islands in colder climates often rely on seasonal tourists seeking to enjoy nature or local cultures, and may only be one aspect of an island's economy. In contrast, tourism on tropical islands can often make up
4011-599: A permanent caisson , a steel or concrete structure built in a closed loop and then filled with sand. Some modern islands have been constructed by pouring millions of tons of sand into the sea, such as with Pearl Island in Qatar or the Palm Islands in Dubai. These islands are usually created for real estate development , and are sold for private ownership or construction of housing. Offshore oil platforms have also been described as
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#17328553791004202-524: A phenomenon where new oceanic crust is formed, pushing away older crust. Islands sitting on the continental shelf may be called continental islands. Other islands, like those that make up New Zealand , are what remains of continents that shrank and sunk beneath the sea. It was estimated that Zealandia , the continent-like area of crust that New Zealand sits on, has had 93% of its original surface area submerged. Some islands are formed when coral reefs grow on volcanic islands that have submerged beneath
4393-575: A polio treatment center at Goldwater, and a children's rehabilitation center at Coler Hospital. There were also proposals to establish a "fire college" and a women's jail on the island. Another medical facility for chronically ill and elderly patients opened on Welfare Island in 1958. By 1960, half of Welfare Island was abandoned, and the Goldwater and Bird S. Coler hospitals were the only remaining institutions there. The city government had been trying since 1957, without success, to obtain $ 1 million to demolish
4584-441: A pond. The building's sides are glass and charcoal-painted steel; the floor, of brick, is not flush with the ground but sits 10 inches above. The interior is an open space divided by low walnut cabinets; a brick cylinder contains the bathroom and is the only object to reach floor to ceiling. The New York Times described it in 2005 as "one of the 20th century's greatest residential structures. "Like all of Johnson's early work, it
4775-423: A press conference publicizing the ongoing submerging of the island country. Tuvalu signed a cooperation agreement with Australia agreeing to annually allow 280 of its citizens to become permanent residents of Australia. The Marshall Islands, a country of 1,156 islands, have also been identified as a country that may be existentially threatened by rising seas. Increasing intensity of tropical storms also increases
4966-483: A priority target of conservation efforts, to prevent the extinction of these species. Despite high levels of endemism, the total species richness , the total number of unique species in a region, is lower on islands than on mainlands. The level of species richness on islands is proportional to the area of that island, a phenomenon known as the species-area relationship . This is because larger areas have more resources and thus can support more organisms. Populations with
5157-411: A restricted set of natural resources. However, these nations control some of the largest fisheries in the world, deposits of copper , gold , and nickel , as well as oil deposits . The natural beauty of island nations also makes them a magnet for tourism . Islands also have geopolitical value for naval bases , weapons testing , and general territorial control. One such example is French Polynesia ,
5348-520: A seawall. The architect Santiago Calatrava was hired to design a visitor center in the 1990s, but this was never built. RIOC proposed selling off the Southtown site in 1997, and the Related Companies and Hudson Companies signed an agreement to develop Southtown. The plans for Southtown were subsequently redrawn; the revised plan called for three buildings to the east of Main Street, six buildings to
5539-468: A selection pressure for smaller animals that require less food. Having fewer predators would mean these animals did not need not be large to survive. Charles Darwin formulated the theory of natural selection through the study of island ecology. The species he observed on the Galápagos Islands , including tanager birds, contributed to his understanding of how evolution works. He first traveled to
5730-527: A simple interior and a ceiling of curving plaster panels. In 1957, Johnson designed the Soreq Nuclear Research Center in Israel at the invitation of Shimon Peres . Johnson joined Mies van der Rohe as the architect of record (Mies did not have NY license) for the 39-story Seagram Building (1956). Johnson was pivotal in steering the commission towards Mies by working with Phyllis Lambert ,
5921-625: A small pavilion with columns by the lake in 1963, an art gallery set into a hillside in 1965, a postmodern sculpture gallery with a glass roof in 1970; a castle-like library with a rounded tower in 1980; and a concrete block tower dedicated to his friend Lincoln Kirstein , the founder of the New York City Ballet ; a chain-link "ghost house" dedicated to Frank Gehry . After completing the Glass House, he completed two more houses in New Canaan in
Roosevelt Island - Misplaced Pages Continue
6112-524: A solo practitioner, Johnson invited Alan Ritchie to join him as a partner. Ritchie had been a partner for many years in the Johnson-Burgee office and was the partner-in-charge of the AT&;T building and the 190 South LaSalle office building, a skyscraper designed as an homage to the demolished Masonic Temple of Chicago. In 1994, they formed the new practice of Philip Johnson-Alan Ritchie Architects. During
6303-509: A specific property known as adaptive radiation . In this process, a species that arrives on a group of islands rapidly becomes more diverse over time, splitting off into new species or subspecies. A species that reaches an island ecosystem may face little competition for resources, or may find that the resources that they found in their previous habitat are not available. These factors together result in individual evolutionary branches with different means of survival. The classical example of this
6494-594: A state park encompassing Welfare Island, and Lindsay's committee recommended renaming the island and developing housing units and recreational facilities there. Land clearing began that April, and Lindsay asked the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC) to help redevelop the island in May. The city and state governments formally presented their proposal for Welfare Island in October 1969. After
6685-744: A style similar to the Glass House; the Hodgson House (1951) and the Wiley House (1953). In New York City, He designed two major modernist additions to the Museum of Modern Art; a new annex, and, to complement it, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden (1953) In 1954–56, he made the pro bono design for Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel , a synagogue for a conservative Jewish congregation in Port Chester, New York . It had
6876-494: A summer house. He visited the landmarks of classical and Gothic architecture, and joined Henry-Russell Hitchcock , a prominent architectural historian, who was introducing Americans to the work of Le Corbusier , Walter Gropius , and other modernists. In 1928, he met German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe , who was at the time designing the German Pavilion for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition . The meeting formed
7067-414: A territory that receives substantial military expenditure and aid from France. Since the first discoveries of Polynesian, Micronesian , and other islands by Westerners, these nations have been the subject of colonization. Islands were the target of Christian missionaries . These missionaries faced resistance, but found success when some local chiefs used European support to centralize power. Beginning in
7258-514: A tree that is present in Australia, New Zealand, parts of South American, and New Guinea, places that today are geographically distant. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is that these landmasses were once all part of the continent Gondwana and separated by tectonic drift. However, there are competing theories that suggest this species may have reached faraway places by way of oceanic dispersal. Species that colonize island archipelagos exhibit
7449-549: A trifler, the dilettante he earlier feared himself to be, a model of futility who sought to find a messiah or to pursue messianic ends but whose most lasting following turned out to be the agents of the FBI—who themselves finally grew bored with him. In short, he was never much of a political threat to anyone, still less an effective doer of either political good or political evil. Franz Schulze, Philip Johnson: Life and Work (1994), p.144 In December 1934, Johnson abruptly left
7640-490: A two-level platform supporting buildings as tall as 50 stories. The American Institute of Architects ' New York chapter proposed that the island instead become a park, while yet another plan called for the island to become housing for United Nations staff. Other plans included those for a college campus or a smaller-scale residential area. A New York City Subway station on Welfare Island was announced in February 1965 as part of
7831-603: A type of island. Some atolls have been covered in concrete to create artificial islands for military purposes, such as those created by China in the South China Sea . These atolls were previously low-tide elevations, landmasses that are only above water during low tide . The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea indicates that these islands may not have the same legal status as a naturally occurring island, and as such may not confer
Roosevelt Island - Misplaced Pages Continue
8022-557: A whole gained a poor reputation. The women's hospital on the island was completed in 1881. Inmates from the Smallpox Hospital were moved to North Brother Island in 1885, and the Smallpox Hospital building became a nurses' training school and dormitory. In addition, a male nurse's training school opened in 1887 and operated for 16 years. The Chapel of the Good Shepherd opened on the island in 1889. The Strecker Memorial Laboratory
8213-507: Is Darwin's finches , a group of up to fifteen tanager species that are endemic to the Galápagos Islands. These birds evolved different beaks in order to eat different kinds of food available on the islands. The large ground finch has a large bill used to crack seeds and eat fruit. The Genovesa cactus finch prefers cacti as a food source, and has a beak adapted for removing pulp and flowers from cacti. The green warbler-finch (in
8404-558: Is a good example of his work in the period; it is supported by eight external ferro-concrete piers, or two on each side. The exterior structural members are clad in bronze and "black" Canadian granite . The windowless cube is set above the office areas, which recessed in a dry moat, giving a "floating" effect. A model of the building was exhibited in the United States Pavilion at the Brussels' World's Fair of 1958 ,as an example of
8595-532: Is a skyscraper with an eight-story high arched entry and a split pediment at the top which resembles an enormous piece of 18th-century Chippendale furniture . It was not the first work of postmodern architecture , as Robert Venturi and Frank Gehry had already built smaller scale postmodern buildings, and Michael Graves had completed the Portland Building (1980–82) in Portland, Oregon , two years earlier. But
8786-588: Is actually a cognate of Swedish ö and German Aue , and more distantly related to Latin aqua (water). The spelling of the word was modified in the 15th century because of a false etymology caused by an association with the Old French loanword isle , which itself comes from the Latin word insula . Islands often are found in archipelagos or island chains, which are collections of islands. These chains are thought to form from volcanic hotspots , areas of
8977-436: Is an urban landscape where visitors experience water in distinct ways. The gardens cover 4.3-acres (1.7 hectare), and comprise three very different kinds of water features; One offers a quiet meditation pool, surrounded with cypress trees and high walls, with a thin sheet of water cascading downward to the pool, making the sound of a rain shower. The second pool is an aerating pool with multiple illuminated spray fountains, beneath
9168-416: Is covered with more than 10,000 rectangular pieces of glass. The Glass panels are not bolted, but glued to the structure, with a silicon based glue, to give it greater ability to resist Southern California earthquakes. Johnson and Burgee designed it to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.0. The tower was added in 1990. The cathedral quickly became a Southern California landmark, but its costs helped drive
9359-516: Is located in the middle of the East River , between Manhattan Island to the west and Queens to the east. The island's southern tip faces 47th Street on Manhattan Island, while its northern tip faces 86th Street on Manhattan Island. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) long, with a maximum width of 800 feet (240 m). The island was 107 acres (43 ha) prior to the 18th century but has been expanded to 147 acres (0.59 km). Administratively, it
9550-509: Is owned by the city but was leased to the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC) for 99 years in 1969. The island was called Minnehanonck by the Lenape and Varken Eylandt ( Hog Island ) by the Dutch during the colonial era and later Blackwell ' s Island . During much of the 19th and 20th centuries, the island was used by hospitals and prisons, with very limited access. It
9741-514: Is part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Together with Mill Rock , Roosevelt Island constitutes Manhattan's Census Tract 238, which has a land area of 0.279 sq mi (0.72 km). The island is one of the southernmost locations in New York City where Fordham gneiss , a type of bedrock commonly found beneath the South Bronx , can be seen above ground. The gneiss outcropping
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#17328553791009932-497: Is the apple snail , initially introduced to the U.S. by aquarium owners. It has since been transported by hurricanes across the Gulf Coast and neighboring islands. These species compete for resources with native animals, and some may grow so densely that they displace other forms of existing life. For hundreds of years, islands have been created through land reclamation . One of the first recorded instances of this when people of
10123-628: Is the giant tortoise of the Seychelles , though it is unknown if it grew in size before or after reaching the island. Larger animals such as the hippopotamus tend to become smaller, such as in the case of the pygmy hippopotamus . This is known as insular dwarfism . In the case of smaller animals, it has been hypothesized that animals on islands may have fewer predators and competitors, resulting in selection pressure towards larger animals. Larger animals may exhaust food resources quickly due to their size, causing malnutrition in their young, resulting in
10314-503: The 2010 United States census . Some of the Mitchell–Lama apartments were converted to market-rate housing in the 2010s, while development of additional residential structures continued. The seventh Riverwalk building was finished in 2015, followed by the eighth in 2019. Firefighters Field was renovated with the development of the eighth Riverwalk building. To attract visitors, RIOC announced in 2018 that it would create an "art trail" around
10505-529: The Atlantic Ocean in search of an alternate route to the East Indies . These historians theorize that successful explorers were rewarded with recognition and wealth, leading others to attempt possibly dangerous expeditions to discover more islands, usually with poor results. About 10% of the world's population lives on islands. The study of the culture of islands is known as island studies . The interest in
10696-515: The Blackwell Island Light on the island's northern tip in 1872. In 1877, the hospital opened a School of Nursing, the fourth such training institution in the nation. Late-19th-century editions of the Appleton's Dictionary of New York described Blackwell's Island's penitentiary as having a "feudal character". Conditions in some of the hospitals declined significantly enough that the island as
10887-464: The Cornell Tech research center on the island; the proposal included three towers, a hotel, and a conference center. The campus replaced the outmoded Goldwater Memorial Hospital, which closed in 2013. Work on Cornell Tech itself began in 2015, and the campus opened two years later. Graduate students moved to the island after Cornell Tech opened. Meanwhile, the island's population had grown to 11,661 by
11078-530: The Harvard Graduate School of Design , where he studied with Marcel Breuer and Walter Gropius , who had recently fled from Nazi Germany. In 1941, Johnson designed and built his first building, a house at 9 Ash Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The house, strongly influenced by Mies van der Rohe, has a wall around the lot which merges with the structure. It was used by Johnson to host social events and
11269-569: The Marshall Islands , and Tuvalu completely. Increases in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones can cause widespread destruction of infrastructure and animal habitats. Species that live exclusively on islands are some of those most threatened by extinction . An island is an area of land surrounded by water on all sides that is distinct from a continent. There is no standard of size that distinguishes islands and continents . Continents have an accepted geological definition – they are
11460-562: The Metropolitan Hospital . A proposal to build a power plant on the island in 1895 was unsuccessful, and the city began planning to expand the island's prisons the next year. Work began on new structures for the City Hospital and the almshouse in early 1897, and eleven new almshouse buildings opened that October. There were also plans to add eight pavilions to the island's infants' hospital. The prison's hospital burned down in 1899. At
11651-480: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in late 1970. The UDC modified some of Johnson and Burgee's designs after they were publicized; for example, it added more buildings on the waterfront. The redevelopment attracted residents who wanted a better quality of life. Critics expressed concerns about the fact that lower- and upper-income residents were placed on opposite sides of Main Street, and they also questioned whether
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#173285537910011842-582: The Nazi Party , and espoused antisemitic views. He wrote for Social Justice and Examiner , where he published an admiring review of Hitler's Mein Kampf . In 1939, as a correspondent for Social Justice , he witnessed Hitler's invasion of Poland , which he later described as "a stirring spectacle". In 1941, after the U.S. entered the war, Johnson abruptly renounced his earlier views, quit journalism, organizing anti-Fascist league at Harvard Design School . He
12033-501: The Polynesians . Many of the previous island settlements required traveling distances of less than 100 km (62 mi), whereas Polynesians may have traveled 2,000–3,200 km (1,200–2,000 mi) to settle islands such as Tahiti . They would send navigators to sail the ocean without the aid of navigational instruments to discover new islands for settlement. Between 1100 and 800 BC, Polynesians sailed East from New Guinea and
12224-869: The Solomon Islands and reached the islands that make up the modern-day Fiji and Samoa . The furthest extent of this migration would be Easter Island in the East, and New Zealand in the South, with New Zealand's first settlements between 1250 and 1300. Historians have sought to understand why some remote islands have always been uninhabited, while others, especially in the Pacific Ocean , have long been populated by humans. Generally, larger islands are more likely to be able to sustain humans and thus are more likely to have been settled. Small islands that cannot sustain populations on their own can still be habitable if they are within
12415-493: The Solomon Islands created eighty such islands by piling coral and rock in the Lau Lagoon . One traditional way of constructing islands is with the use of a revetment . Sandbags or stones are dropped with a barge into the sea to bring the land level slightly out of the water. The island area is then filled with sand or gravel, followed by a construction of this revetment to hold it together. Islands have also been constructed with
12606-414: The lithosphere where the mantle is hotter than the surrounding area. These hotspots would give rise to volcanoes whose lava would form the rock the islands are made of. For some islands, the movement of tectonic plates above stationary hotspots would form islands in a linear chain, with the islands further away from the hotspot being progressively older and more eroded , before disappearing under
12797-450: The sea as a natural barrier to the introduction of new species, causing the species that do reach the island to evolve in isolation. Continental islands share animal and plant life with the continent they split from. Depending on how long ago the continental island formed, the life on that island may have diverged greatly from the mainland due to natural selection . Humans have lived on and traveled between islands for thousands of years at
12988-522: The 16th century, European states placed most of Oceania in under colonial administration . Pohnpei was colonized by Spain as early as 1526. It changed hands from Germany to Japan to the United States before joining the Federated States of Micronesia in 1982, maintaining a "free association" status with the U.S. Guam was a Spanish territory until 1898, and now is a unincorporated territory of
13179-606: The 1980s were clad in granite and marble and usually had some feature borrowed from historic architecture. In New York he designed the Museum of Television and Radio (now the Paley Center for Media) (1991). In 1982, working in collaboration with John Burgee, he finished one of his most famous buildings, 550 Madison Avenue , (first known as AT&T Building, then the Sony building before taking its present name). Built between 1978 and 1982, it
13370-538: The American troops took over. A British prison inspector proposed using the island as a prison in the early 1780s, but it is not known whether this happened. Blackwell's sons took over the island in 1780 and tried to sell it, at which point Blackwell's Island had several buildings and was several miles removed from New York City. By the mid-1780s, the island included two houses, orchards, a cider mill, and other farm structures. Contemporary sources do not mention any structures on
13561-659: The Blackwell name "by a mere chance, or the result of a marriage". The Blackwell family settled the island over four generations. At the beginning of the 18th century, Blackwell built his farmhouse, the Blackwell House , on the island. Blackwell's Island was not a major battleground in the American Revolutionary War , though British troops tried to take the island after the 1776 Battle of Long Island . The British briefly seized control on September 2–4, 1776, after which
13752-603: The Board of Estimate approved the plan later that month, the UDC signed a 99-year lease with the city that December. The city could pay either two percent of the development cost or 40 percent of any profits. The UDC issued $ 250 million in bonds to help finance the project. The state hoped to finish the project within eight years. The architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed the master plan for Welfare Island, which called for two neighborhoods named Northtown and Southtown, separated by
13943-542: The City Home for Dependents. City Home was emptied out by 1953. The Welfare Island Bridge opened in May 1955, and a bus began serving the island. The Metropolitan Hospital moved to mainland Manhattan later that year, while the City Hospital was replaced in 1957 by Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens. Several medical facilities on the island opened during the mid-1950s, including an elderly rehabilitation center at Goldwater Hospital,
14134-459: The East River between Roosevelt Island and Queens. Roosevelt Island's street layout is based on a master plan designed in 1969 by the architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee . Main Street runs the length of the island, splitting into a loop around Southtown; it was the island's only road until 1989. The street is paved in red brick. Main Street, along with the island's parks, was intended to be
14325-564: The European colonization of New Netherland in the 17th century. According to several sources, Dutch Governor Wouter van Twiller was said to have purchased the island from the Lenape in 1637. A study from 1988 found that Van Twiller's deed referred to what is now Randalls and Wards Islands further north, but a subsequent study said that Van Twiller acquired Randalls, Wards, Roosevelt, and Governors islands simultaneously. In any case, Roosevelt Island
14516-514: The German government, he traveled on a press tour which covered the invasion of Poland in 1939. Schulze dismissed these early political activities as inconsequential, concluding they merited "little more substantial attention than they have gained" and his politics "were driven as much by an unconquerable esthetic impulse as by fascist philosophy or playboy adventurism". In 1941, at the age of 35, Johnson abandoned politics and journalism and enrolled in
14707-506: The Hawaiian islands being home to irrigated fields of taro, whereas in some islands, like Tahiti, breadfruit was more widely cultivated and fermented in order to preserve it. There is archeological evidence that Canary Islanders would chew the roots of ferns for sustenance, a practice that wore heavily on their molars . These islanders would also grow barley and raised livestock such as goats . Many island nations have little land and
14898-464: The Houston skyline. Fifty-six stories high, it has two setbacks creating what appear to be three different buildings, one against the other. The three triangular gables were inspired by Flemish Renaissance architecture. The interior and exterior are covered with rough-textured red granite, which also covers the surrounding sidewalks. The new building for the Hines College of Architecture (1985) of
15089-478: The Johnson building, adjoins the original Boston library built in the 19th century by the celebrated firm of McKim, Mead & White . Johnson harmonised his building with the original landmark by using similar proportions and the same pink Milford granite. In the late 1970s, Johnson combined architecture and landscape architecture to create two imaginative civic gardens. The Fort Worth Water Gardens opened in 1974,
15280-531: The Museum of Modern Art and began pursuing a career in journalism and politics. He first became a supporter of Huey Long , the populist governor of Louisiana. He tried and failed to recruit Long to join the National Party, which he founded. Johnson unsuccessfully ran for representative of New London in the Ohio state legislature. After Long was assassinated in 1935, Johnson became a correspondent for Social Justice ,
15471-509: The Museum of Modern Art as a curator and writer. At the same time, he began working to establish his architectural practice. He built a small house, influenced by the work of Mies, in Sagaponack, Long Island. In 1947, he published the first monograph in English on the architecture of Mies. In 1947, he curated the first exhibition of modern architecture of the Museum of Modern Art including a model of
15662-506: The Northtown II plan in July 1984, and RIOC approved it in 1986. The revised plans called for five buildings, containing a total of 1,100 apartments. Opponents of the Northtown II project wanted to maintain the island's character and expressed concerns about the lack of mass transit options; following a lawsuit to block Northtown II, a judge approved it in late 1986. Work on Northtown II commenced at
15853-666: The Origin of Species . The first evidence of humans colonizing islands probably occurred in the Paleolithic era, 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. Reaching the Indonesian islands of Flores and Timor would have required crossing distances of water of at least 29 km (18 mi). Some islands, such as Honshu , were probably connected to the mainland with a land bridge that allowed humans to colonize it before it became an island. The first people to colonize distant oceanic islands were
16044-649: The Rikers Island jail complex opened, workers demolished the Welfare Island jail, and all inmates had been relocated by February 1936. The city announced plans for a chronic care hospital complex in 1936. When the Welfare Island Hospital for Chronic Diseases, later Goldwater Memorial Hospital , opened in July 1939, the Central and Neurological Hospital closed. An eight-building camp also opened in 1939. During
16235-711: The Sculpture Garden of New York City's Museum of Modern Art ; and the Pre-Columbian Pavilion at Dumbarton Oaks . His January 2005 obituary in The New York Times described his works as being "widely considered among the architectural masterpieces of the 20th century". In 1930, Johnson became the first director of the architecture department of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. There he arranged for visits by Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier and negotiated
16426-481: The U.S. The decolonization era saw many island states achieve independence or some form of self-governance . Nuclear weapons testing on the Marshall Islands left many atolls destroyed or uninhabitable, causing the forced displacement of people from their home islands as well as increases in cancer rates due to radiation . Colonization has resulted in a decline of observance of traditional cultural practices in places such as Hawaii, where Native Hawaiians are now
16617-549: The U.S. government provided a grant the same year to fund the construction of parks on the island. Rivercross, the only cooperative apartment building in Northtown, generally attracted upper-class families because of its high monthly fees, while the other buildings attracted middle-class residents. The FDNY training school moved to Randalls Island in 1977, and the old Roosevelt Island campus was razed. There were over 3,000 residents by early 1977 and 5,500 residents by 1978. Two-thirds of
16808-512: The UDC's residential developments, including Roosevelt Island. Following an architectural design competition , the UDC hired four architecture firms to design the second phase of Northtown that year. Residents began moving into Roosevelt Island's first building in April 1975. Initially, there were no stores on the island, and residents had to pass through Queens to go anywhere else. Although people were not incentivized to move to Roosevelt Island because of
16999-616: The University of Houston paid homage to forms drawn from earlier periods of architectural history, using modern materials, construction methods, and scale. The facade of the Hines building resembles, on a larger scale, the neoclassic facades of the French architect Claude Nicolas Ledoux . 400 West Market (1993) in Louisville, Kentucky, is a 35-story office tower built of reinforced concrete rather than
17190-476: The abandoned buildings. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) opened a training school in 1962, using 90 abandoned buildings for training purposes. One reporter in 1967 called Welfare Island a "ghost town, vacant lot, woodland and mausoleum for unhappy memories". The businessman and politician Frederick W. Richmond announced a proposal in 1961 to redevelop the island with residences for 70,000 people. The plan would have cost $ 450 million and would have included
17381-556: The basis for a lifelong relationship of both collaboration and competition. Johnson had a substantial fortune, largely due to his father's successful investment in Alcoa , the Aluminum Company of America. With this fortune, in 1930 he financed the new architecture department of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and in 1932 he was named its curator. As curator he arranged for American visits by Gropius and Le Corbusier, and negotiated
17572-608: The building's Manhattan location, size, and originality made it the most famous and recognizable example of postmodern architecture . It was designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2018. Between 1979 and 1984, Johnson and Burgee built PPG Place , the postmodern headquarters of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company . It is a complex of six buildings within three city blocks, covering five and
17763-675: The building. In 1989, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Seagram's exterior, lobby, and The Four Seasons Restaurant as official city landmarks. In 2006, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Throughout the 1960s, Johnson continued to create in the vocabulary of the modernist style, designing geometrical theatres, a monastery, art galleries and gardens. The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute (1960)
17954-584: The center of the city. In 1980, Johnson and Burgee completed a cathedral in a dramatic new style: the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, is a soaring glass megachurch originally built for the Reverend Robert H. Schuller . The interior can seat 2,248 persons. It takes the form of a four-pointed star, with free-standing balconies in three points and the chancel in the fourth. The cathedral
18145-767: The church and opens the chapel to light. During daytime the interior is lit entirely with natural light. In 1995, Johnson added a postmodern element to his own residence, the Glass House . This was a new entry pavilion in a sculptural form, which he called the "Monsta", or "Monster". Other late works include the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas , the Habitable Sculpture (a 26-story apartment tower in lower Manhattan), The Children's Museum in Guadalajara, Mexico, and The Chrysler Center . The Urban Glass House in lower Manhattan
18336-603: The church into debt. When the church declared bankruptcy in 2012, it was purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and became the Roman Catholic cathedral for Orange County. Working with John Burgee, Johnson did not confine himself to a single style and was comfortable mixing elements of modernism and postmodernism. For the Cleveland Play House , he built a Romanesque brick structure. His skyscrapers in
18527-420: The city take over the island in 1999, and state legislator Pete Grannis also proposed legislation to allow the island to govern itself. A contractor was hired to build the first section of Southtown in May 1999, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center indicated that it would build a tower in Southtown to house its staff. By the 2000 United States census , Roosevelt Island had a population of 9,520. Some of
18718-521: The city's public welfare commissioner in 1918. In 1921, the city began using Blackwell's Penitentiary to detain women who were awaiting trial. The island's prison hospital was severely understaffed, and the prison was described as "a disgrace to the City of New York". That April, the New York City Board of Aldermen renamed Blackwell's Island to Welfare Island. The aldermen hoped the new name would improve
18909-406: The continent. For example, the presence of freshwater fish on an island surrounded by ocean would indicate that it once was attached to a continent, since these fish cannot traverse the ocean on their own. Over the course of time, evolution and extinction changes the nature of animal life on a continental island, but only once it splits from the mainland. An example is that of the southern beech ,
19100-580: The daughter of the CEO of Seagram . The commission resulted in the iconic bronze-and-glass tower on Park Avenue. The building was designed by Mies, and the interiors of the Four Seasons and Brasserie restaurants (later redesigned), as well as office furniture were designed by Johnson. In December 1955, the city of New York denied an architect's permit to Mies. He moved back to Chicago and put Johnson fully in charge of construction. Mies returned in late 1956 and finished
19291-451: The deposition of sediment by waves . These islands erode and grow as the wind and waves shift. Barrier islands have the effect of protecting coastal areas from severe weather because they absorb some of the energy of large waves before they can reach the shore. A fluvial island is an island that forms from the erosion and sedimentation of debris in rivers; almost all rivers have some form of fluvial islands. These islands may only be
19482-426: The distances and frequency with which invasive species may be transported to islands. Floodwaters from these storms may also wash plants further inland than they would travel on their own, introducing them to new habitats. Agriculture and trade also have introduced non-native life to islands. These processes result in an introduction of invasive species to ecosystems that are especially small and fragile. One example
19673-400: The ecological processes that take place on islands, with a focus on what factors effect the evolution , extinction , and richness of species. Scientists often study islands as an isolated model of how the process of natural selection takes place. Island ecology studies organisms on islands and their environment. It has yielded important insights for its parent field of ecology since
19864-534: The end of 1987, financed by a $ 176 million mortgage loan from the city. The Northtown II towers, known as Manhattan Park, opened in 1989. While the new apartments initially sold at a slower-than-expected pace, Northtown II was 70 percent occupied by early 1990. The opening of the Roosevelt Island subway station , in late 1989, allowed further development to proceed. Officials announced the Southtown development in October 1989. Designed by Raquel Ramati Associates, it
20055-453: The end of the century, the island housed 7,000 people across seven institutions. By the 20th century, Blackwell's Island had received the nickname of "Farewell Island" because of its connotations with fear and despair, and it was also known as simply "The Island". At the time, the island contained a poorhouse , the city jail, and several hospitals. The United States Department of the Navy proposed
20246-481: The end of the decade, thousands of elderly residents voluntarily traveled to the island for "vacations" every year. The island's prisoners manufactured goods for the city, such as beds, brushes, and clothes, and the Russell Sage Foundation set up a short-lived pathology institute on the island in 1907. The Queensboro Bridge , crossing Blackwell's Island, opened in 1909, but it did not provide direct access to
20437-498: The existing Blackwell House and Chapel of the Good Shepherd were renovated. After Logue was fired in early 1975, there was uncertainty over whether additional buildings would ever be built, especially given the UDC's financial troubles. The UDC decided to complete the first phase of the island's development, on which it had already spent $ 180 million, and the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal took over
20628-474: The feud between Burgee and Johnson continued to grow. In 1988, the firm's name was changed to John Burgee Architects with Johnson as the "design consultant". In 1991, Johnson responded by establishing his own firm. The feud ended badly for Burgee; he was saddled with all of the firm's debts, while Johnson no longer had any responsibility. Burgee was eventually forced to declare bankruptcy and to retire, while Johnson continued to get commissions. After four years as
20819-436: The first American commission for Mies van der Rohe , after he fled Nazi Germany . In 1932, he organized with Henry-Russell Hitchcock the first exhibition dedicated to modern architecture at the Museum of Modern Art, which gave name to the subsequent movement known as International Style . In 1934, Johnson resigned his position at the museum. During the 1930s, Johnson became an ardent admirer of Adolf Hitler , openly praised
21010-414: The first American commission for Mies van der Rohe. In 1932, working with Hitchcock and Alfred H. Barr, Jr. , he organized the first exhibition on Modern architecture at the Museum of Modern Art. The show and their simultaneously published book International Style: Modern Architecture Since 1922 , published in 1932, played a seminal role in introducing modern architecture to the American public. When
21201-450: The first time. Years later he would describe the event to his biographer, Franz Schulze: "You simply could not fail to be caught up in the excitement of it, by the marching songs, by the crescendo and climax of the whole thing, as Hitler came on at last to harangue the crowd". He told of being thrilled at the sight of "all those blond boys in black leather" marching past the Führer. Sponsored by
21392-590: The former Louisa Osborn Pope (1869–1957), a niece of Alfred Atmore Pope and a first cousin of Theodate Pope Riddle . He had an older sister, Jeannette, and a younger sister, Theodate. He was descended from the Jansen family of New Amsterdam. His ancestors include the Huguenot Jacques Cortelyou , who laid out the first town plan of New Amsterdam for Peter Stuyvesant . He grew up in New London, Ohio . He had
21583-592: The future". In February 1968, mayor John V. Lindsay named a committee to make recommendations for the island's development, at which point one newspaper called it "the most expensive wasteland in the world". The state government established the Welfare Island Development Corporation (WIDC; later the Roosevelt Island Development Corporation or RIDC) that April. Early the next year, the state government canceled plans for
21774-459: The glass Farnsworth House of Mies. In 1949, he began building a new residence, the Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, that was completed in 1949. It was clearly influenced by Farnsworth House of Mies, an influence which Johnson never denied, but looked quite different. The Glass House is a 56-foot by 32-foot glass rectangle, sited at the edge of a crest on Johnson's estate overlooking
21965-498: The habit of true warbler species) consumes spiders and insects that live on plants. Other examples of this phenomenon exist worldwide, including in Hawaii and Madagascar, and are not limited to island ecosystems. Species endemic to islands show a common evolutionary trajectory. Foster's rule (also known as the island rule), states that small mammals such as rodents evolve to become larger, known as island gigantism . One such example
22156-536: The hundreds by 1838, whereas there were only 24 staff members (including those not assigned to guard duties). By 1839, the New York City Lunatic Asylum opened, including the Octagon Tower . The asylum, with two wings made of locally quarried Fordham gneiss , at one point held 1,700 inmates, twice its designed capacity. Prisoners frequently tried to swim away from the island. Almshouses , or housing for
22347-442: The island also has a post office and a pneumatic garbage-disposal system. There are several parks on Roosevelt Island as well, including a promenade around the island's perimeter and Four Freedoms Park at its southern end. In addition to Cornell Tech, the island contains an elementary school . Several houses of worship are located on Roosevelt Island, and numerous community organizations have been founded there. Roosevelt Island
22538-507: The island had the feel of "a postwar suburb of some European city", distinct from the rest of New York City. In 2008, the New York Daily News described the island as a "fantastic and peaceful place to live", albeit with many disputes among residents. Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from
22729-429: The island housed several hospitals and a prison. At one point there were 26 institutions on the island. The city government erected a penitentiary on the island, which opened August 3, 1830. There were proposals to construct a canal to split male and female prisoners; though the canal was not built, an unknown architect did build a separate building for female prisoners. The island's prison population already numbered in
22920-635: The island in 1642. The following year, it was leased to Francois Fyn. Fyn, in turn, leased the island to Laurens Duyts, who developed further structures on the island. Duyts defaulted on his lease in 1658 and was deported for "gross immoralities", and Fyn's lawyer took back the island. After the Dutch surrendered to the British in 1664, a British military captain named John Manning acquired the island in 1668. In 1673, Manning surrendered to Dutch forces who had wanted to retake New Netherland; as punishment, he had to live on
23111-541: The island in 1902, followed by an expanded nurses' school the next year. By the mid-1900s, the Louisville Courier-Journal called the island "the world's best guarded prison", and the New-York Tribune described the island as unsanitary. The city's controller recommended the construction of a new hospital to alleviate the poor conditions. A proposal to convert the island into a park resurfaced in 1907. By
23302-505: The island in 1965. The city took over another 45 abandoned hospital buildings via condemnation in June 1966, and the New York City Board of Estimate applied for $ 250,000 in federal funds for a feasibility study on the island's redevelopment later that year. The New York state government proposed in December 1967 to convert most of the island into a public park, except for senior citizens' housing at
23493-411: The island in exile. After Manning's banishment, the isle became known as Manning's Island. Manning had a mansion near the island's southern tip, where he served rum punch to visitors. The island was then conveyed to Manning's stepdaughter Mary in 1676 or 1685. Mary was married to Robert Blackwell, who became the island's new owner and namesake. The Brooklyn Times-Union wrote that the island had gained
23684-537: The island in the early 1930s as "absolutely unsuitable for the purpose for which it is now used". The Board of Estimate rezoned the island in 1933 to allow redevelopment. At the time, officials were planning a children's hospital and nurses' dormitory on the island. Municipal prison commissioner Austin MacCormick reformed the island's prison in 1934 following a series of uprisings. By then, the old almshouse (the City Home)
23875-533: The island to attract new residents; the Four Freedoms Foundation proposed renaming it for U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt . The City Council approved the name change in July 1973, and Welfare Island was renamed Roosevelt Island on August 20, 1973. Officials began planning the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park as well; although the island had been renamed in anticipation of the park's construction,
24066-431: The island until the late 1910s. In addition, in the early 1910s, several buildings were added at the island's City and Metropolitan hospitals, and a Catholic chapel was developed on the island. City corrections commissioner Katharine Davis announced plans to construct a prison hospital on the island in 1915; there was very little vacant land on the island by then. By the 1910s, twenty-five thousand prisoners passed through
24257-647: The island's hospitals moved into the apartments as well. The island also attracted residents who wanted to live in a racially integrated neighborhood, as well as those who wanted to avoid housing discrimination in other areas. Due to its proximity to the headquarters of the United Nations , Roosevelt Island attracted UN employees almost as soon as the first building opened. A New York Times article from 1999 described Roosevelt Island's diverse demographics as being another factor in its popularity among diplomatic staff. The island has been home to many diplomatic staff over
24448-425: The island's jail annually, and Mayor William Jay Gaynor proposed shutting the jail. There were also proposals to move the penitentiary to Hart Island , freeing up Blackwell's Island for hospitals and charitable institutions. The city's deputy correction correctioner called the island's penitentiary "unfit for pigs" in a 1914 report criticizing the unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, and a grand jury investigation
24639-506: The island's original buildings, which were part of the Mitchell–Lama affordable housing program , were planned to be converted to market-rate housing during the time. Southtown's first buildings, including two structures for medical workers were announced in early 2001. The first two Southtown buildings were completed in 2002, and a proposal to redevelop the Octagon tower as an apartment building
24830-474: The island's reputation, though the United States Board on Geographic Names did not recognize the name change for four decades. The state's prison commission recommended converting the island to a park in 1924, and the city began planning to move Welfare Island's inmates to a new jail complex on Rikers Island further north. By then, the Welfare Island penitentiary lacked plumbing, had rat infestations, and
25021-463: The island's storefronts were still empty by the end of 1977, even as almost all of the rental apartments and most of the cooperative apartments were occupied. The UDC leased some land in late 1977 to the Starrett Corporation , which planned to erect three additional buildings with a combined 1,000 apartments. Starrett and the UDC signed an agreement in June 1979, in which Starrett agreed to build
25212-455: The island, along both the Queens and Manhattan shores, and the Lenape are known to have had settlements around waterways. However, the island likely did not have any Lenape settlements because of the lack of freshwater. There is little evidence of Native American activities on the island from before the Archaic period (which ended around 1000 BCE). There are disputes over who owned the island after
25403-550: The island. RIOC began soliciting plans for a memorial to the journalist Nellie Bly in 2019; it ultimately commissioned The Girl Puzzle monument by Amanda Matthews , which was dedicated in December 2021. There was an additional influx of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City , particularly among those looking for open space. The final building in Southtown, Riverwalk 9, began construction in November 2022 and topped out
25594-454: The islands as a naturalist on HMS Beagle in 1835, as part of a five-year circumnavigation of Earth. He wrote that "the different islands to a considerable extent are inhabited by a different set of beings". Through the study of the finches and other animals he realized that organisms survive by changing to adapt to their habitat. It would be over twenty years before he published his theories in On
25785-488: The lack of development, the island's population remained lower than expected, requiring it to be subsidized. By the mid-1990s, the island had 8,200 residents, less than half the 20,000 that the state government had originally envisioned, and there were around 20 small stores. To attract visitors, RIOC developed several recreational facilities and parks and sought to restore the island's oldest buildings. RIOC also planned to remove about 1 acre (0.40 ha) of land to make way for
25976-411: The lack of public transportation, the island was home to 170 families by the end of 1975. The first four buildings in Northtown were all completed by mid-1976, while the storefronts were slowly being rented. No new buildings were completed between 1976 and 1989, due to delays in the subway line's opening and the city's financial troubles. The Roosevelt Island Tramway to Manhattan opened in May 1976, and
26167-643: The largest landmass of a particular tectonic plate . Islands can occur in any body of water, including lakes , rivers , seas . Low-tide elevations , areas of land that are not above the surface during a high tide , are generally not considered islands. Islands that have been bridged or otherwise joined to a mainland with land reclamation are sometimes considered "de-islanded", but not in every case. The word island derives from Middle English iland , from Old English igland (from ig or ieg , similarly meaning 'island' when used independently, and -land carrying its contemporary meaning. Old English ieg
26358-551: The late 2000s, there were long waiting lists for residences on the island, and people quickly moved into the new residential buildings. Although the Roosevelt Island Residents Association expressed concerns that the new developments would cause gentrification , the island largely retained its middle-class housing stock. Work commenced on Four Freedoms Park in 2009, along with a redesign of Southpoint Park. Southpoint Park reopened in 2011, and Four Freedoms Park
26549-404: The mainland, they had no need for boats. The motivation for island exploration has been the subject of research and debate. Some early historians previously argued that early island colonization was unintentional, perhaps by a raft being swept out to sea. Others compare the motivations of Polynesian and similar explorers with those of Christopher Columbus , the explorer who sailed westward over
26740-589: The majority of the local economy and built environment . These islands sometimes also require consistent foreign aid on top of tourism in order to ensure economic growth. This reliance can result in social inequality and environmental degradation . During tourism downturns, these economies struggle to make up the lost inflow of cash with other industries. Climate change threatens human development on islands due to sea level rise , more dangerous tropical cyclones , coral bleaching , and an increase in invasive species . For example, in 2017 Hurricane Maria caused
26931-503: The mid-1940s, plans were filed for a combined laundry, garage, and firehouse building; a hospital at Welfare Island's northern tip; a nurses' training school; and a chronic-disease ward at the Metropolitan Hospital. A girls' shelter on the island opened in late 1945. By the late 1940s, mayor William O'Dwyer described conditions at some of the island's hospitals as "frightful", mainly because of their age. A chronic-care hospital and
27122-404: The new 63rd Street lines under the East River; the subway announcement spurred additional plans for the island's redevelopment. There were plans to rename Welfare Island because the public generally associated the name negatively with the island's hospitals, and even the hospital's patients wanted the island to be renamed. The city government ordered the demolition of six dilapidated buildings on
27313-729: The new trends in American architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. Another major project of the period was the Atrium of the David H. Koch Theater (formerly the New York State Theatre, the home of the New York City Ballet , at Lincoln Center in New York. In 1967, Johnson entered a new phase of his career, founding a partnership with architect John Burgee . He began to design office building complexes for large corporations. The most prominent of these
27504-572: The newspaper of the radical-populist and anti-Semitic Father Charles Coughlin . Johnson traveled to Germany and Poland as a correspondent, where he wrote admiringly about the Nazis. In Social Justice , Johnson expressed, as The New York Times later reported, "more than passing admiration for Hitler". In the summer of 1932 Johnson attended one of the Nuremberg Rallies in Germany and saw Hitler for
27695-640: The next 10 years, they worked closely together and explored new directions in architecture, designing buildings as sculptural objects. The Gate of Europe in Madrid (1989-1996) was originally a collaboration with Burgee and one of his rare works in Europe. It features two office buildings leaning toward each other, the first example of this style, which spread to America. The towers are 26 stories each, and both lean by 15 degrees from vertical. 191 Peachtree Tower in Atlanta
27886-404: The next year. In March 2024, plans were announced for a 2,700-square-foot (250 m) "healing forest" at the southern end of the island. When the first residential buildings opened, Roosevelt Island's amenities and wheelchair accessibility made it attractive to disabled residents and families with children. Many of the first residents were white, middle-income families, and disabled patients from
28077-401: The north end. The United Nations International School considered developing a campus at the island's southern end, and the New York Board of Trade pushed to redevelop the island as a city park. Other plans included a mix of recreational facilities and low-density housing; an amusement park similar to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen; an underground nuclear power plant ; a cemetery; and a "city of
28268-401: The northern half of the island. A public auction was held in 1785, but no one bought the island. In 1796, Blackwell's great-grandson Jacob Blackwell constructed the Blackwell House , one of Manhattan's oldest houses . James L. Bell paid the Blackwells $ 30,000 for the island in 1823, but Blackwell took back control two years later, upon Bell's death. One source indicated that Bell never fulfilled
28459-403: The past, some societies were found to have lost their seafaring ability over time, such as the case of the Canary Islands , which were occupied by an indigenous people since the island's first discovery in the first century until being conquered by the Spanish Empire in 1496. It has been hypothesized that since the inhabitants had little incentive for trade and had little to any contact with
28650-426: The poor, were constructed in 1847. Other hospitals were soon developed on the island, including a 600-bed prison hospital that was finished in 1849. Thomas Story Kirkbride , who oversaw some of the island's hospitals, described the island as having fallen into "degradation and neglect" by 1848. A workhouse was built on the island in 1852, followed by the Smallpox Hospital in 1856. The Asylum burned down in 1858 and
28841-525: The population. In the 2020 census data from the New York City Department of City Planning , Roosevelt Island is grouped as part of the Upper East Side-Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island neighborhood tabulation area. The neighborhood tabulation area had 59,200 residents. Roosevelt Island's redevelopment in the 1970s spurred the creation of a community distinct from the rest of Manhattan. Following Northtown's completion, an architectural critic wrote for Architectural Design that Roosevelt Island "seems to be more of
29032-415: The project was delayed for the next several decades. By the middle of 1973, one building had topped out , and the island had been expanded by 4 acres (1.6 ha) using dirt from the 63rd Street Tunnel 's construction. UDC head Edward J. Logue and project manager Robert Litke convinced multiple developers to sign 40-year leases for buildings on the island. Parts of the project were delayed by disputes over
29223-482: The project's $ 400 million construction budget could have been spent on other projects. The first phase of the development, Northtown, was to accommodate about 2,100 families. The law professor Adam Yarmolinsky was hired to lead the WIDC in late 1970, but he resigned after just over a year. Work formally began in mid-1971, and the state approved the construction of the first buildings the same year. The UDC hired at least 17 architectural and engineering companies to design
29414-410: The relocation of a laundry building. By the end of the year, an advisory group recommended that the state legislature halt all UDC financing for the unbuilt phases of the Roosevelt Island development, citing the state's financial shortfalls. At least one of the residential structures' builders had also gone bankrupt. Construction proceeded steadily through 1974, and renting began that October. In addition,
29605-404: The rise of the Nazis in Germany forced the modernists Marcel Breuer and Mies van der Rohe to leave Germany, Johnson helped arrange for them to come to work in the United States. He created a small organization called the Gray Shirts, styled after the Nazi Brownshirts. The amount of power he yearned for was inversely proportional to the amount he actually attained. In politics, he proved to be
29796-403: The same legal rights. Philip Johnson Philip Cortelyou Johnson (July 8, 1906 – January 25, 2005) was an American architect who designed modern and postmodern architecture . Among his best-known designs are his modernist Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut ; the postmodern 550 Madison Avenue in New York City , designed for AT&T; 190 South La Salle Street in Chicago ;
29987-438: The same year found that the jail was severely mismanaged. Blackwell's Island Penitentiary was negatively affecting the reputation of the island's other facilities, to the point where a renaming of the island was under discussion. The women's penitentiary underwent reforms during the mid-1910s, and some prisoners were sent off the island to other jails. Bird S. Coler ordered that the island's buildings be refurbished after he became
30178-663: The sea entirely. An example is the Hawaiian Islands , with the oldest island being 25 million years old, and the youngest, Hawaii , still being an active volcano . However, not all island chains are formed this way. Some may be formed all at once by fractures in the tectonic plates themselves, simultaneously creating multiple islands. One supporting piece of evidence is that of the Line Islands , which are all estimated to be 8 million years old, rather than being different ages. Other island chains form due to being separated from existing continents. The Japanese archipelago may have been separated from Eurasia due to seafloor spreading ,
30369-464: The state of Michigan. The Chapel of St. Basil at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas (1992) is a notable late work. The design includes a domed chapel, a campanile, and a meditation garden, a labyrinth. Its structure is a combination of the basic forms: a cube, a sphere, and a plane. The cube contains the worship area, beneath a semi-sphere, which is presented as the symbolic opening to heaven. The vertical rectangular granite plane divides
30560-483: The structures, though many of the architects resigned during construction. The WIDC approved a proposal for 1,100 middle-income and luxury apartments in April 1972; the UDC decided to build the residences as housing cooperatives after unsuccessfully looking for a private developer. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development formally designated Welfare Island as a "new town" in December 1972, making it eligible for additional funds. UDC considered renaming
30751-549: The study of islands is due to their unique cultures and natural environments that differ from mainland cultures. This is for a few reasons: First, the obvious political and geographic isolation from mainland cultures. Second, unique restraints on resources and ecology creating marine-focused cultures with a focus on fishing and sailing. Third, a lasting historical and political significance of islands. The Polynesian diet got most of its protein from fishing. Polynesians were known to fish close to shore, as well as in deep water. It
30942-437: The subway, which would support the island's increasing population, had been repeatedly delayed, even as residents expressed concerns that the subway would cause the island's low crime rate to increase. By then, the island had 5,000 residents and 1,800 hospital patients, but relatively few businesses. The state legislature created the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) to operate the island in 1984. The UDC re-approved
31133-450: The surface. When these coral islands encircle a central lagoon , the island is known as an atoll . The formation of reefs and islands related to those reefs is aided by the buildup of sediment in shallow patches of water. In some cases, tectonic movements lifting a reef out of the water by as little as 1 meter can cause sediment to accumulate and an island to form. Barrier islands are long, sandy bars that form along shorelines due to
31324-408: The terms of the sale. By 1826, the city almshouse at Bellevue Hospital was overcrowded, prompting city officials to consider moving that facility to Blackwell's Island. The city government purchased the island for $ 32,000 (equivalent to $ 887,855 in 2023) on July 19, 1828. Ownership of the island remained unresolved for another 16 years while Bell's widow sued the city. Through the 19th century,
31515-410: The three buildings, collectively known as Northtown II, for $ 82 million. New York state comptroller Edward V. Regan published a report in 1980, saying that the Roosevelt Island redevelopment suffered from severe cost overruns and was losing money. Starrett continued to modify its plans for Northtown II, and, by 1982, the New York state government planned to begin developing Northtown II. The opening of
31706-438: The time of Charles Darwin . In biology, endemism is defined as the phenomenon where species or genus is only found in a certain geographical area. Islands isolate land organisms from others with water, and isolate aquatic organisms living on them with land. Island ecosystems have the highest rates of endemism globally. This means that islands contribute heavily to global biodiversity . Areas with high lives of biodiversity are
31897-515: The typical steel. It is topped by a concrete cupola, a vestige of the building's original owner and builder, Capital Holding. In 1986, Johnson and Burgee moved their offices into one of their new buildings, the elliptical Lipstick Building at 885 Third Avenue in New York, nicknamed because of its resemblance to the color and shape of a stick of lipstick. A feud was beginning between the two architects, with Burgee demanding greater recognition. As their business flourished and number of clients grew,
32088-406: The west, and new recreational fields. Southtown's development also entailed reducing the size of the existing Blackwell Park, which prompted opposition from Northtown residents who used the park. A 26-story hotel with a convention center was proposed on the island in 1998, though this plan was controversial. There was also growing discontent with RIOC. As a result, mayor Rudy Giuliani proposed having
32279-553: The years, including Kofi Annan when he was United Nations Secretary General . One of every three Roosevelt Island residents was foreign-born by 2000. The 2020 United States census showed that Roosevelt Island had a population of 11,722, across three census tracts. The racial makeup of Roosevelt Island's three census tracts was 36.3% (4,251) White , 10.6% (1,237) African American , 33.2% (3,897) Asian , 2.8% (333) from other races , and 4.8% (564) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 12.3% (1,440) of
32470-420: Was Pennzoil Place (1970–76) in Houston, Texas. The two towers of Pennzoil Place have sloping roofs covering the top seven floors and are trapezoidal in form, planned to create two large triangual areas on the site, which are occupied with glass-covered lobbies designed like greenhouses. This idea was widely copied in skyscrapers in other cities. The new building of the Boston Public Library (1972), known as
32661-464: Was a pneumatic trash collection system. The first apartment buildings banned dogs, but this prohibition was not applied to buildings developed later. Additionally, the hospitals on the island still needed vehicular access, so the car ban was ultimately repealed. By the early 1970s, the families of Welfare Island's three chaplains were the only people living on the island, excluding hospital patients. Models of Johnson and Burgee's proposal were exhibited at
32852-405: Was a project begun with Burgee. It is composed of two 50-story towers joined and crowned with two classical pavilions. The Comerica Tower (1991-1993) was also begun with Burgee. Like their earlier Postmodern works, it featured elements borrowed from historical architecture, particularly the triangular gables, borrowed from Renaissance Flemish architecture . It is the second tallest building in
33043-463: Was announced that year. The largely inaccessible Southpoint Park was opened year-round in 2003, a year after Governor George Pataki signed legislation designating several parks on the island. The island's first two condominium buildings, both in Southtown, and the Octagon were developed next. All three structures had been completed by 2007, increasing the island's population to around 12,000. Southtown's fifth and sixth buildings were completed by 2008. By
33234-415: Was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal . In 1979, he was the first recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize . Today his skyscrapers are prominent features in the skylines of New York, Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Madrid, and other cities. Johnson was born in Cleveland , Ohio, on July 8, 1906, the son of a lawyer, Homer Hosea Johnson (1862–1960), and
33425-450: Was constructed in 1892 for the City Hospital. The next year, the city began sending typhus patients to the island. During the decade, city officials found the almshouse and City Hospital dilapidated and overcrowded, and a grand jury declared the women's asylum a "disgrace" to New York City. The asylum's inmates were transferred to Wards Island in the mid-1890s, and Wards Island's Homeopathic Hospital relocated to Blackwell's Island, becoming
33616-494: Was developed in the early 21st century, along with the Cornell Tech higher-education campus. In addition to residential towers, the island has several buildings that predate the residential development, including six that are New York City designated landmarks . The island is accessible by numerous modes of transport, including a bridge , an aerial tram , and the city's subway and ferry systems. Many government services, such as emergency services, are provided from Queens, but
33807-473: Was eventually submitted as his graduate thesis; he sold the house after the war, and it was purchased by Harvard in 2010 and restored by 2016. In 1942, while still a student of the architecture school, Johnson tried to enlist with Naval Intelligence , and then for a federal job, but was rejected both times. In 1943, after his graduation from Harvard, he was drafted to the Army and was sent to Fort Ritchie, Maryland , to interrogate German prisoners of war . He
33998-469: Was finished the next year. A RIOC survey from 2010 found that only 12 percent of residents shopped on the island, and RIOC leased the island's largely vacant retail space to the Related Companies and Hudson Companies the next year. Related and Hudson renovated 33 storefronts, while RIOC waived food-truck permit fees to entice food vendors. The city government selected Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Cornell University in late 2011 to develop
34189-433: Was inspired by Mies, but its pure symmetry, dark colors and closeness to the earth marked it as a personal statement; calm and ordered rather than sleek and brittle." Philip wrote that the burnt wooden homes he had seen in Poland "where nothing was left but the foundations and chimneys of brick," were a further source of inspiration. Johnson continued to add to the Glass House estate during each period of his career. He added
34380-413: Was investigated by the FBI , and was eventually cleared for military service. He evaded indictment and jail by cooperating with the prosecution, though, according to some critics, it may have been because of his social connections, but no evidence of this was ever produced. Years later he would refer to these activities as "the stupidest thing I ever did [which] I never can atone for". In 1978, he
34571-495: Was investigated by the FBI for his involvement with the German government, Coughlin and Lawrence Dennis , an American fascist economist, and was cleared for continued military service. After the trial of Dennis and his collaborators , Johnson was relieved of his interrogation duties and transferred to Fort Belvoir, Virginia , where he spent the rest of his military service doing routine duties. In 1946, after he completed his schooling and his military service, Johnson returned to
34762-413: Was known in early modern Dutch as Varcken[s] , Varken , or Verckens Eylandt , all of which are translated in modern English as Hog Island ( Varkens eiland ). By 1639, Jan Claessen Alteras was known to have farmed Hog Island. Reports indicate that Alteras had made improvements to the island by 1642, though the nature of the work is not known. New Netherland director-general Peter Stuyvesant took over
34953-447: Was one of last designs with Alan Ritchie, and was not completed after Johnson's death. It is a condominium building in lower Manhattan whose form was inspired by Johnson's most famous early work, the Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut. The final building he designed with Richie was the Pennsylvania Academy of Music building in Lancaster, Pennsylvania , which was completed in 2008, three years after his death. In 1978, Johnson
35144-482: Was rebuilt on the same site, and the prison hospital was destroyed in the same fire. Two pipes provided fresh water from the Croton Aqueduct to the island by 1860, and maps indicate that Blackwell's Island had two reservoirs as well. The prison hospital was replaced with City Hospital (later known as Charity Hospital), which was completed in 1861 and served both prisoners and New York City's poorer population. A "hospital for incurables" followed in 1866. Prisoners built
35335-413: Was renamed Welfare Island in 1921. Following several proposals to redevelop Welfare Island in the 1960s, the UDC leased the island, renamed it after former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1973, and redeveloped it as a series of residential neighborhoods. The first phase of Northtown, the island's first community, was completed in 1974, followed by the second phase (Northtown II) in 1989. Southtown
35526-470: Was reported that Rapa Nui people were known to fish as far as 500 km (310 mi) from shore at coral reefs. Spear , line , and net fishing were all used, to catch tuna as well as sharks and stingrays . Island cultures also cultivate native and non-native crops. Polynesians grew the native yam , taro , breadfruit , banana , coconut and other fruits and vegetables. Different island climates made different resources more important, such as
35717-401: Was so overcrowded that patients were being housed in abandoned portions of the Lunatic Asylum. Welfare Island's jail was scheduled to be relocated, and city parks commissioner Robert Moses proposed converting the jail site to a public park. A city committee instead recommended a plan by city hospital commissioner S. S. Goldwater , who proposed expanding the island's hospital facilities. After
35908-457: Was surrounded by dolomite , which was worn down by East River currents, creating the current island. The layer of bedrock is shallow and is covered by glacial till , and a 2012 study found no evidence of ponds or streams on the island. Since the 19th century, the island's natural topography has been modified drastically, and fill has been added to Roosevelt Island to increase its area. An ancient fault line , known as Cameron's Line , runs within
36099-408: Was susceptible to fire. The prison's hospital was so overcrowded that ill inmates had to be treated in their cells. Prison staff were poorly compensated, and the prison received little to no maintenance. A chapel was dedicated on the island in 1925, followed by a synagogue in 1926. The city government also expanded the island's Cancer Institute in the 1920s. The State Department of Correction described
36290-454: Was the homeland of the Mareckawick, a group of Lenape Native Americans, who called it Minnehanonck . The name is variously translated as "long island" or "It's nice to be on the island". The historian Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes claimed that the Minnehanonck name referred to Randalls Island , but this claim has not been corroborated. The Lenape may have visited the island. Archeological studies have found shell middens just opposite
36481-457: Was to consist of 1,956 apartments, split evenly between market-rate and affordable apartments. The development would span 19 acres (7.7 ha) and house up to 5,000 people. The New York City Board of Estimate approved plans for Southtown in August 1990, but the project had been placed on hold by 1991 because RIOC had not been able to secure a developer. For much of the 1990s, no large buildings were completed on Roosevelt Island. In part because of
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