You would think that the "zebra" building was a Kaufman. But 420 W. 42nd st. was actually designed by Hardy Holzman and Pfeiffer, who were pretty respectable. If you get past the ugly fecal stripes, it's not a terrible building. The developer said this to the Times, "It's not your traditional building that's meant to blend into the surroundings. Hugh Hardy felt — and we agree — that you build contextual buildings in a place where there is a context. Here, there is 42nd Street."
So there you have it. Even though the landmark Art Deco McGraw-Hill building is right down the street, they decided to have a condescending and arrogant attitude about the neighborhood and building, and pushed the bar even lower. Yeah, I hate the Zebra.
(wiredny)