Pre-war vs. Pre-fab on Astoria Blvd

"Here is another brick "box" at 27-10 Astoria Boulevard. Notice how much it protrudes past the neighboring house, the architecture is an absolute embarrassment when compared to the surrounding architecture.

Here is an example of the existing prewar archi- tecture.

Compare the two structures:

The old building: Notice the elegant use of arches, intricate brickwork, and charming touches such as Mediterranean roof tiles on the parapet and the hedge which fully surrounds the building. The best architecture has a theme this building was designed to resemble, a Romanesque castle.

The new building: The white molding, cornices, and window keystones are a good start. In this case the architect/developer failed to use any more appealing elements (probably) to save cash, such as the contrasting brickwork, delicate arches, or subtle touches on the parapet present in the old building to complement the molding. In this case the white molding and the bright puke colored brick make an unsightly combination. This building has no apparent theme.

Also, notice how many new developments have the first floor covered in white concrete with the horizontal stripes running across, this scheme is typical of Manhattan buildings and is quite rare in Queens architecture, its a hint as to whom the developers are catering to, the exiled Manhattan crowd.

My point is that architecture does not have to be ugly, simple things such choosing a brick color scheme that complements surrounding structures, a hedge, or the patterned brickwork on the old building would allow many of the new buildings to properly complement their surroundings." - anonymous