Pritzker Prize winner Norman Foster (Gherkin, Boston MFA, Reichstag) received criticism from art critics and Bowery residents alike when 257 Bowery was first built. The building, home to the Sperone Westwater Gallery for contemporary art, is recognizable from its glass facade and distinctive red freight elevator. Taller and sleeker than its neighboring brick buildings, it does not fit into the neighborhood and can be seen as a sign of gentrification. After the building’s completion in 2010, sculptor and real estate developer Charles Saulson vandalized the gallery facade by pulling off the siding and throwing poop at 257 Bowery. His reasons were not out of dislike for the Starchitect’s space; he also claimed that the construction had caused structural problems with his building next door.
