Professional Development
at the Skyscraper Museum

“Electing” To Do A Workshop

On November 8, 2005 -- Election Day in the City of New York -- the Salvadori Center led a professional development workshop at the Skyscraper Museum in Battery Park City at 39 Battery Place (http://www.skyscraper.org).

The workshop was for teachers and other educators from the Anderson School, Ella Baker School, Fanny Lou Hamer School, Pablo Neruda Academy for Architecture and World Studies, and PS60Q as well as three teachers from Red Bank, NJ, and nine Salvadori Center staff and consultants.

Explore, Pull Apart...

Salvadori Center Executive Director Lorraine Whitman spells out the challenge.

All the participants had the following challenge:

You have 45 minutes to inhale the Museum and respond to 1 question from each of 3 “issues.” (You will, then, have [all of] 3 minutes to present!)

Skyscrapers as:

Curriculum Issues

1. Estimate the square footage of the museum and explain how you arrived at your estimate. Estimate the volume of the museum. Explain. Which influences your response to the space more: the actual or “apparent” square footage and volume? Why?
2. Identify several skyscrapers that feature “alternative” energy sources prominently in their designs? Discuss. Suggest one alternative energy source or energy conservation measure that a current skyscraper might use as part of a “retrofit.” Defend your solution in economic and/or engineering terms.

Design Issues

1. Identify the first 3 skyscrapers to be built in NYC? Sketch elevations of each. Who were the architects who designed these buildings? The structural engineers? The owners? Which of these three “stakeholders” is the most important? Defend you choice.

   Everyone reads the challenge.

2. Select your 3 favorite NYC skyscrapers. Discuss your reasons for selecting these buildings. Sketch elevations.

Urban Issues

1. What world event had a major negative impact on the fate of the Empire State Building? Discuss. How long did it take for the fortunes of the building to turn around? What world event influenced this reversal. Think of another NYC skyscraper forever linked to a world event. Talk about the consequences of this event on the site and on the city.
2. Discuss urban issues that do (or should) influence the construction of modern skyscrapers.

...Put Together, Go Beyond

Out of their work, the participants had to put together a scavenger hunt for their particular subject/content area that they would do with their classes if and when they took a field trip to the Museum -- and had three minutes to make their presentations!

People enjoyed both the visit and the challenge. Maureen Martini, from PS60Q in Woodhaven, voiced it well:

As always, the workshop was terrific! It is so nice to explore different avenues of instruction and be around people and surroundings with so many wonderful ideas. I always come away from these sessions invigorated….Thanks again and I hope I can continue to be a part of this wonderful learning experience.

Prof. Alan Feigenberg of CCNY and a Salvadori board advisor speaks with Susan Gordon from Fanny Lou Hamer.