In 1954, Stamford, Connecticut established its Urban Renewal Commission which would usher in the city’s next century of progress. Inspired by other large cities in the region, the Commission set about declaring blight, seizing and demolishing properties, expanding roadways, and luring big commercial tenants as part of an urban renewal program that extended about one mile through the center of the city. The only problem was that these tactics happened slowly, leaving the city with vacant lots for decades. Two housing projects were the first to arrive on the corridor: St. John’s Towers (Victor Bisharat, 1968–1971) and Bayview Towers (Robert L. Wilson, 1973). These were followed by three more buildings designed by Victor Bisharat for the developer F.D. Rich Company in the early 1970s. It was the 1980s before the bulk of the commercial office buildings began appearing on the cleared lots with one of the largest resting vacant until 2019.

An unforeseen outcome of this drawn out, somewhat hodgepodge urban planning adventure, is that it led to an impressive collection of commercial architecture by names alone. Downtown Stamford is home to lesser known works by:

• Robert L. Wilson, founder of NOMA
• Victor Bisharat
• Mitchell Giurgola Architects
• Raymond, Rado, Caddy, Bonnington
• Hugh Stubbins
• Céasar Pelli
• Ulrich Franzen
• Welton Becket Associates
• Arthur Erickson
• SOM
  And others

The morning will begin with an exclusive tour of the public housing project that started urban renewal in Stamford: Victor Bisharat’s St. John’s Towers—actually a trio of 17-story cylindrical towers. Tower A was demolished in 2019 for market rate apartments. This tour is a rare opportunity to see one of the remaining towers, including top floor apartments, before the towers’s demolition and the site’s redevelopment with 100% affordable housing. Tour participants will gain an overview of Stamford from the tower’s roofdeck before returning to the street for a walking tour through downtown highlighting three additional works by Victor Bisharat and buildings designed by the striking list of Modern movement architects noted above. 

“Stamford Modernism and Urban Renewal” was organized by Maxwell Lent, who will also guide the tour. Maxwell Lent is a Stamford local currently conducting research on modern architecture’s role in urban redevelopment. He has a degree in History of Art and Architecture from Harvard University and a Master’s Degree in Design Research, Writing, and Criticism from the School of Visual Arts.

The tour will start at Brian Clarke’s Stamford Cone right outside the Stamford Transportation Center. Metro North express trains depart Grand Central frequently and take approximately 50 minutes. The tour will be approximately two hours and has minimal seating.

SAVE THE DATE

Sunday May 31, 10:00am – 12:30pm
Stamford, CT
A registration link will be available in late April.