The Architecture of Brilliant Minds, Part 3
(AKA Brilliant Minds 15 Until 2x15 Day 8 | Black Tie)
A day later than intended, but today's Brilliant Minds architecture topic (see here for part 1 and here for part 2) is Black Tie. In both S1 Ep 1 and S2 Ep 14 we see Dr. Wolf dressed to the nines at black tie events. But where do these events take place? Read on to find out!
S1 Ep 1 | Sophie Chase's NYC Wedding
In the pilot of Brilliant Minds, Wolf takes his Alzheimer's patient, Harold. to his granddaughter's wedding on his motorcycle. As the pair are pulling up to the curb, you can see that they are entering the Warwick New York Hotel, a real building in Midtown Manhattan.
The Warwick Hotel at 65 West 54th Street in Manhattan
Designed by Hungarian-Jewish architect Emery Roth, the Warwick New York was completed in 1927. This Renaissance Revival/Beaux-Arts structure rises 36 stories into the air as it gradually steps back from the street level. The bottom three stories are clad in ornamented white limestone, while the upper levels are made out of brick. The intricate ornamentation and classical proportions are indicative of the opulence of the Beaux-Arts style.
The exterior of the Warwick New York Hotel
It might be a challenge to find a name that has influenced the New York skyline more than Emery Roth. Emery Roth was one of the most prolific luxury apartment and hotel architects of NYC in the pre-WWII era. He primarily worked in the Renaissance Revival and Beaux-Arts styles. After many years of working as a solo practitioner, Emery Roth opened an architecture firm with his sons Julian and Richard, called Emery Roth and Sons. The firm became wildly successful throughout the rest of the 20th century, and designed such notable contributions to the NYC skyline as the PanAm Building, Citicorp Center, and the original World Trade Center.
S2 Ep 14 | The Bronx General Winter Gala
The Wolf Pack entering the Bronx General Winter Gala
The main event of Brilliant Minds 2x11 The Resident is Bronx General's annual holiday gala. This called for all of the Wolf Pack to, as Wolf put it, get "gussied up" for the evening. The gala venue was certainly an appropriately luxurious backdrop for the black tie event--the gala scenes were filmed at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex in Toronto.
The Renaissance Room at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex
This structure, formerly known as the Ontario Government Building was completed in 1926 by architecture firm Chapman and Oxley. Built in the Beaux-Arts style, the triangular building was originally constructed to house the Ontario exhibits for the 1926 Canadian National Exhibition. The building would continue to be used exclusively to house such exhibitions until it was replaced by the Ontario Place complex in 1971. In 2001 the building was purchased by the Liberty Group, carefully restored, and reopened as a private event and filming venue.
Floor plan of the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex
Courtyard at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex
So, to summarize: we're now two for two in terms of black tie events hosted in Beaux Arts buildings built in the mid-1920's. It turns out there's nothing quite like 1920s Beaux-Arts architecture to offset elegant fashion.
Questions, thoughts? Any other Brilliant Minds buildings you want me to feature? Shoot me an ask, or comment below!
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