Well here's a good bit of news to kick your weekend off with. Remember that piece we did
profiling the Bell Labs Holmdel Facility that was looking like it was about to be razed by a real estate development firm which recently purchased the property? Well, after the public outcry that followed in the blogosphere and abroad (which apparently resulted in a deluge of calls, letters, and emails), it looks like the development firm, PREI, isn't only going to keep a huge portion of the site, they're going to do more to further its historic value. At a Holmdel Community Center meeting attended by Joe Ferrara (who originally tipped us off to the situation), PREI announced that the landscape, oval, tower and two of the original Phase I Eero Saarinen-designed buildings will remain (including the 80-foot tall center lobby), in addition to developing a historic library to highlight Bell Labs' artifacts and paraphernalia related to the facility. Also being built are five new adjacent buildings (in orange, above), though two of the original Phase II buildings (and two wings that were added later) will be demolished. Kinda sucks the facility couldn't be left entirely intact, but they're keeping the core of the Labs and Saarinen's work -- which is really all we can ask for -- and are adding to the office space without taking away from the pastoral surroundings. Apparently the new tenants are expected by 2009, and we can only hope they'll appreciate their digs and live up to the Holmdel legacy of innovation.
P.S. -To anyone who wrote, called, or TPed PREI, we thank you, and technology history thanks you. Have a nice Labor Day!
posted September 1st 2006 7:16PM
Its great to hear that they are going to keep important piece of technology history
I still don't see what the big deal is, but congratulations! Shows that you really can make a difference.
I remember the Star-Ledger (a big newspaper that I get in New Jersey) ran a small blurb about the original engadget post about preserving the Bell Labs facility, so that's pretty cool.
"Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
-- Margaret Mead
A public thank you to Ryan Block who got Engadget behind the story. And a profound thank you to the faithful Engadget (and digg) readers, who did the heavy lifting by taking ACTION. What a testament to the power of the people through this great blog to help save a piece of technology history. Every time I drive by the site I will recall what you all have done.
Anyone who didn't think this was going through is retarded...they've been planning it for years now, it's going to kill the Holmdel Bubble as people put it.
I live one town over from this place, its a really large and probably incredibly valuable piece of property. Good to see history preservation trumped the almighty dollar in this case.
The following emoticon is intended to evoke a cheerful mood.
=D
Amazing. I started working there when I was 17 yrs old in 1981 and moved around various Bell Labs locations until 1993 when I moved out of state. This place definitely has a spot in my heart. Thank you Ryan and the rest of the community involved in saving this historic place and for the memories.
Congratulations! This is an amazing piece of architecture. Glad it is saved. :D
Having three young children, two boys and a girl, I had hoped we would be able to visit this type of historic site. As a means of instilling what is possible, and in order to give them a sense of history that could be relevant to their immediate future.
This tweaked me a bit and thus I forwarded to the company principals back in early July the following:
****************************************************
Hello Gentlemen,
Based on the following
http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/05/developer-to-raze-bell-labs-holmdel-facility-birthplace-of-the/
“Developer to raze Bell Labs Holmdel facility, birthplace of the cellphone”
Clearly the value is historic of which you appear to be ignoring and not “Building Value Beyond Buildings.” As the value is intrinsic to the history of this country, nice job destroying our history along with a great looking site.
If the best your internal team can come up with is razing a historic complex, ignoring their company motto, you might want to evaluate their “value.”
V/r,
Channing
**********************************************
They didn't reply and I was hurt. ;)
Until now.
Thank you Engadget. The reason you are a part of my morning ritual of coffee and techweb.
Channing
I know this is going to make me sound like an a_s, but keeping an outdated building around as a signpost of times that have past is exactly what is hindering the progress of technology today. Am I the only one that finds this "victory" a little ironic? There are roads and buildings that undergo huge monetary funding to maintain the "look" of the origin, but in doing so they take money away from other improvements. If the building is too close to the street and the street needs widened, it only hinders growth and progress.
Yes, yes, historical landmarks are amazing structures at times. Think of what revenue Paris would lose if the Eifel(spelling?, sorry) Tower wasn't there. Or what if the Empire State building was demolished to make way for a more modern structure. How much tourist money would be lost. As it is, I'm sure half the world hasn't even heard of this building until recent events. What about the Motorola building where the cell phone was developed? Should we be researching that and making it a national landmark?
What would be the point? Tourist dollars? I frankly could care less about the buildings. All it will do is force the government to upkeep hundreds of thousands of buildings all over the U.S. that will most likely remain empty. For what? To make the company that wants to expand move out of the city so they have room to build what they need?
Again, I'm sure it's a victory of sorts, but where does it end?
Today, one of my daughters made me aware of this site. I am not current with the (I'm sure) large ammount of info and comments on the title subject, so, at the risk of being repetitious, I'd like to mention one outstanding theory (now backed-up by some data) developed by Penzias and Wilson, of the Holmdel Bell Labs, "The Big Bang Theory", relating to the birth of the Universe, and the development and engineering by many of the first "Transatlantic Fiber Optics Cable" (launched in 1986). I'm deeply appreciative to all who took part in this worthy effort to preserve the Holmdel Labs as I'm confident posterity will also be grateful.
Well, isn't that just stupid.
Why does Holmdel rate being maintained? Sure, it is a Bell Labs facility, however, it was built in the 1960's. Who cares! The majority of the labs work, of
historic importance anyway, was performed at other
facilities.
Now the new owners are going to be saddled with a
structure that is not in the best shape either. Have
any of you heard the expression "build a bridge"? It
is a building, not a shrine.
Of possible interest to those interested in architectural as well as technological associations - Eero Saarinen was apparently the darling of the techie world 50 years ago. In addition to the Bell Labs building in Holmdel, NJ, he also designed the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, NY (1961), General Motors Technical Center in Warren, MI (1951-1955), the inverted-eggshell Kresge Auditorium at MIT (1955), as well as the wing-like TWA terminal at then-Idlewild (now JFK) airport in Queens, NY (1962), the "Black Rock" (CBS HQ) in Manhattan (1960), the Gateway Arch in St. Louis (1948, 1964). The Holmdel building may shine on its own but shines more brightly as one star in a constellation of inspired architecture. What none of these venerable buildings can match, however, is the spirit of the cafeteria of Bell Labs-Murray Hill, architect unknown.
Bell Labs Holmdel Site Still in Jeopardy
On Thursday, March 22 the public was invited to attend a discussion with the Holmdel Town council on the future of the Lucent Bell Labs site. The meeting began with statements from the various professionals retained to advise the town council. Although these advisors claimed to be neutral, they made several ominous statements. One described the present building as "functionally obsolete", another talked about demolishing the entire building and pointed out it has no "protected status". Despite the promises made by the developer, Preferred Real Estate Investments, at their August 30, 2006 meeting to preserve "phase 1" of the building, they now threaten to pull out of the project if residential development on the property is not approved. In a letter mailed to selected Holmdel residents on March 19, they go on to speculate that "it is equally unlikely that a new developer would be able to salvage the exiting building". So it seems they are holding the building hostage until the Holmdel Town Council rezones the property to allow residential construction.
So what was Preferred's plan from the start? The property has always been zoned "OL1" which allows for offices and laboratory use, but prohibits residential development. Preferred certainly made their bid for the property knowing its zoning status. Did they plan from the start to coerce the town to change the zoning? Are they threatening to destroy a unique archeological heirloom if they don't get their way?
More information is at http://www.preservingholmdel.com/