ZAMANIN GILDED AGE

Zamanin gina manyan gidaje a New York ya ɗauki kimanin shekaru 50, ya fara da buɗe Gidan Vanderbilt a shekara ta 1882, kuma a ka’idance ya ƙare a shekarun farko bayan Babban Tabarbarewar Tattalin Arziƙi. Sai dai, muhimman ra’ayoyin da suka kasance tushen waɗannan gine-gine sun ci gaba da wanzuwa na dogon lokaci fiye da haka. Dalili kuwa shi ne kusan dukkan manyan gine-ginen New York sun halarci L’École des Beaux-Arts a Paris, inda suka koyi yadda ake sake samar da salailai daban-daban na gine-ginen Turai.

WANI FITACCEN AIKIN ZAMANIN GILDED AGE

Wannan katafaren gida mai faɗin ƙafa 30 yana da jimillar matakai 8—6 sama da matakin ƙasa, da matakai 2 a ƙarƙashin ƙasa—tare da ɗakunan ciki masu faɗin sama da ƙafafu murabba’i 16,000, da kuma wuraren waje huɗu da aka tsara da kyau waɗanda suka ƙara wasu ƙafafu murabba’i 2,000 na sararin waje. An tsara shi da lif guda biyu na musamman, ɗakuna 30, murhu 9 na ƙona itace, kowannensu da kyakkyawan abin ado na asali a saman murhun, ɗakunan kwana 19, cikakkun banɗakuna 8 da rabin banɗakuna 2. Da yake ya amfana da ra’ayoyin zamanin Gilded Age, ya kuma ƙunshi sabbin abubuwa na zamani. Fuskar ginin kusan ba ta sauya ba tun lokacin kammalawarsa a shekara ta 1932, kuma ya kasance ƙarƙashin mallakar iyali ɗaya sama da rabin ƙarni.

GADON IYALIN LIVINGSTON

A shekara ta 1686, Robert Livingston Dattijo ya karɓi fili mai girman eka 160,000 a ƙarƙashin Sarki George na Ƙwarai, wanda a shekara ta 1715 ya zama Livingston Manor, a yankin da a yau ake kira Columbia County a Jihar New York.

John Livingston Redmond, wanda ya gina wannan katafaren gida, ya fito kai tsaye daga zuriyar Robert Livingston ta ɓangaren mahaifiyarsa. Ya kammala karatunsa a Harvard a shekara ta 1911 da digirin gine-gine, amma ya sadaukar da rayuwarsa ga ayyukan agaji.

TOSHEN DA YA FI DACEWA DON SAMUN HASKE

Don gidansa na New York, John Livingston Redmond ya zaɓi gefen arewa na titin E. 70th tsakanin Park Avenue da Lexington Avenue, domin ya fahimci babbar fa’idar da wasu masu filaye biyu suka samar a shekara ta 1859. Waɗannan masu filaye sun mamaye ci gaban yankin, kuma suka ƙayyade cewa duk wani gini da za a yi nan gaba a gefen arewa dole ne ya kasance an ja shi baya da cikakkun ƙafa 10, “har abada babu komai kuma babu wanda zai mamaye shi.”

Wannan ƙarin fili yana sa haske ya rika kwarara cikin manyan gidajen da ke gefen arewacin titin.

BABU WANI TOSHEN A UPPER EAST SIDE MAI WANNAN SIFA TA MUSAMMAN

Tun a shekara ta 1939, mujallar Fortune ta kira shi “mai yiwuwa shi ne mafi kyawun toshe na gidajen zama a birnin New York,” kuma wannan suna ya ci gaba har zuwa yau.

Fitattun masu gine-gine sun taru a wannan toshe, har Paul Goldberger a cikin littafinsa NEW YORK: The City Observed ya bayyana shi da cewa “yana da cikakkiyar daidaito tsakanin keɓancewa da tsari na gama-gari.”

Wannan kyakkyawan tsarin titin ya kuma ba wa toshewar daraja ta musamman—mutane da yawa suna ganin darajarsa ta yi kama da ta toshe-toshen da ke tsakanin Fifth Avenue da Madison Avenue.

GINA KATAFAREN GIDAN

Jonathan Livingston Redmond ya ɗauki Frederick Rhinelander King aiki, wanda shi ma ya kammala karatu a L’École des Beaux-Arts, kuma ya yi aiki da kulawa wajen daidaita abin da ya koya a can da fahimtar salon Amurka.

Idan Romawa suka kammala fasahar baka, wannan mai gini ya shigar da baka cikin gida kuma ya mai da shi babban jigo. Bakuna suna taimakawa wajen ƙirƙirar manyan wurare masu cike da haske waɗanda ke tuna da ɗaukakar gargajiya, tare da haɗa ɗakuna cikin salo mai kyau.

KATAFAREN GIDAN

A matakin shiga, hanyar shiga tana da tsawon ƙafa 12 da inci 6, tana wucewa ta cikin baka zuwa wani falo mai faɗin ƙafa 13 da inci 10, tare da ɗakuna a arewa da kudu, kowannensu da tsayin rufi ƙafa 13 da inci 10, da kuma wani babban matakala da ke hawa zuwa matakin falo. Ɗakin arewa shi ne ainihin ɗakin cin abinci na musamman, mai siffar oval wanda ke da tagogi 3 masu tsawon ƙafa 11 da inci 6. Ɗakin zama na musamman na kudu yana da tagogi masu tsawon ƙafa 8 da inci 2, da kuma rufi mai tsayin ƙafa 12 da inci 6.

A matakin falo, rufin yana kaiwa tsayin ƙafa 14 da inci 6, tare da bakuna da ke shiga kowanne ɗaki. Ɗakin zama yana da dogayen tagogi 3 masu tsayin ƙafa 13, da kuma rufi mai tsayin ƙafa 14 da inci 6. Laburaren ma yana da rufin tsayin ƙafa 14 da inci 6, da tagogin ƙofofin Faransa guda 2 waɗanda ke buɗewa zuwa wani fili na waje ove

THE GILDED AGE

The era of great house building in New York lasted approximately 50 years, beginning with the opening of the Vanderbilt House in 1882 and theoretically ending in the first years after the Great Depression. The inherent concepts behind these buildings, however, extended far longer. This was due to the fact that practically all the major architects of New York attended the L'École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where they learned how to reproduce the various architectural styles of Europe.

A MASTERPIECE FROM THE GILDED AGE

This extraordinary 30' wide mansion contains a total of 8 levels - 6 above grade, and 2 levels below grade - with interiors spanning over 16,000 square feet and four well positioned outdoor spaces comprising an additional 2,000 exterior square feet. It was designed with a rare two elevators, 30 rooms, 9 wood-burning fireplaces each with an
exquisite original mantelpiece, 19 bedrooms, 8 full baths and 2 half baths. Benefiting from the concepts of The Gilded Age, it also embodied new modern elements. The
facade is virtually unaltered since its completion in 1932, and has been in the same ownership for over half a century.

THE LIVINGSTON LEGACY

In 1686, Robert Livingston the Elder received a 160,000-acre tract of land, under King George I, that in 1715 became Livingston Manor in what is present day Columbia County in New York state.

Descended directly from Robert Livingston on his mother's side, John Livingston Redmond, who built this mansion, graduated from Harvard in 1911 with a degree in architecture, yet he devoted his life to charitable causes.

BEST BLOCK FOR LIGHT

For his New York residence, John Livingston Redmond chose the north side of E. 70th St. between Park and Lexington Avenues because he recognized the great benefit created by two owners in 1859, who dominated development on the block and stipulated that all future construction on the north side would be set back a full 10', "forever free, and unoccupied."

This additional space results in light pouring into the mansions on the north side of the street.

NO OTHER BLOCK ON THE UPPER EAST SIDE HAS THIS UNIQUE FEATURE

As early as 1939, Fortune Magazine called it "probably New York City's most beautiful residential block", a reputation that has persisted to the present day.

Extraordinary architects congregated on this block so that Paul Goldberger in his book, NEW YORK: The City Observed, described it as "having a perfect balance between individuality and overall order."

This exquisite streetscape also gave the block unusual value-many feel comparable to the blocks from Fifth to Madison.

BUILDING THE MANSION

Jonathan Livingston Redmond engaged Frederick Rhinelander King, also a graduate of Lecole des Beaux-Arts, who worked carefully to adapt what he learned there to an American sensibility.

If the Romans perfected the arch, this architect brought the arch indoors and employed it as a major theme. Arches help create dramatic, light filled spaces that evoke classical grandeur while gracefully connecting rooms.

THE MANSION

On the Entry level, the entry is 12'6" moving through an arch to a gallery of 13'10" with rooms north and south, each with ceiling heights of 13'10" and a massive staircase ascending to the parlor level. The north room is the original formal dining room, with an oval shape that contains 3 windows of 11'6". The south formal sitting room has windows of 8'2" and ceiling heights of 12'6".

On the Parlor level, the ceilings reach 14'6" with arches entering each room. The living room has 3 tall windows at 13' in height and a ceiling of 14'6". The library also has 14'6" ceilings and 2 French door windows that open to a terrace ove