Interior Landmarks: Treasures of New York

Gura, a design historian, and Wood, a professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, shed light upon New York City's dazzling internal spaces that have been preserved through the political process of landmarking. As architect Hugh Hardy notes in his introduction, "Although [the exteriors of] buildings are principal contributors to the urban fabric, interiors are where we spend most of our time." Readers will want to spend as much time as possible in the 47 interior spaces presented here, ranging from the embellished elegance of the stately Federal City Hall to the sophisticated minmalism of the Seagram Building. Some locations are likely familiar: Grand Central Terminal and Radio City Music Hall are intrinsically public spaces. Others are much harder to stumble upon: the shuttered City Hall Subway Station, for example. Interior preservation is a different proposition from the merely exterior. As building uses change, their internal configurations must do likewise. Hardy observes that "interpreting %E2%80%98appropriate' change is inherent in designating interiors [as landmarks], often requiring enlightened compromise." Some of these compromises have raised hackles; some have not. This beautifully illustrated, informative volume invites readers to judge for themselves. 200 color illus. (Oct.)