You have to look up.
If you’re walking around the city, pay attention to where you’re stepping. Look out for cars, bikes, and other pedestrians. But don’t forget to look up.
There’s a whole world of hidden detail up there. I say ‘hidden’ because you have to look for it in order to notice. It takes effort. It’s almost as if we weren’t meant to see it; it’s as if it wasn’t built for us. Perhaps it was built for the pigeons to perch on or gaze upon while flying by.
By looking up, by zooming in- you are seeing something that most people don’t see. It’s hidden in plain sight. Why did they put the most beautiful components of the building at the cornice, where they rarely get the attention they so obviously strive for?
Cornices are clearly where the urban building ‘expresses’ itself. Where urban façades were typically regimented, limited to masonry spans, standard window sizes, brick spacing and dimensions- the cornice offered an area within which to experiment, a place to be unique.
And they do just that; they are highly contextual and change from neighborhood to neighborhood. I have yet to notice any repeating cornices other than those built on the same block. The lack of repetition keeps it interesting. Needless to say, there’s a lot to love.
For more cornices, check out @nycornice on Instagram.