Gaetan Ajello
Encyclopedia
Gaetan Ajello was a New York
-based architect
. Born in Sicily
, Ajello migrated to the United States
in 1902.
houses located on Manhattan
’s Upper West Side. Ajello designed thirty-eight apartment houses during his twenty-year career, and while most of them have survived intact, some have been altered.
He engaged in both Renaissance architecture
and Neoclassical architecture
styles, but he consistently used limestone
and terracotta. He also often included Tiffany
-style windowed lobbies
in his designs.
Ajello also often designed lobbies that would shield from first view the elevator
s, presenting instead a staircase with a curved balustrade in order to recreate the experience of entering a single-family home.
His buildings commonly carry a cornerstone
with the carved legend "G. Ajello, Architect".
In 1912, Architecture and Building devoted an entire article to his architecture. The piece included photographs and plans of nine apartment houses. This same year, Ajello began working for the Paterno and Campagna families, two of the most influential apartment developers of their day. According to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
, Ajello’s last known commission was 395 Riverside Drive, a $2 million project, completed in the mid-1920s.
He gave Rosario Candela
, a fellow Sicilian, his first architectural job.
once shot a short film in 1915 featuring the building's entrance
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. Born in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Ajello migrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1902.
Styles and design
Gaetan (Gaetano) Ajello is best known for his architecturally significant apartmentApartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
houses located on Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
’s Upper West Side. Ajello designed thirty-eight apartment houses during his twenty-year career, and while most of them have survived intact, some have been altered.
He engaged in both Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
and Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
styles, but he consistently used limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and terracotta. He also often included Tiffany
Tiffany
-People:* Tiffany * Tiffany * Tiffany , an American pop artist* Tiffany , a K-pop artist* Charles Comfort Tiffany, American Episcopal clergyman* Charles Lewis Tiffany, a founder of Tiffany & Co....
-style windowed lobbies
Lobby
Lobby may refer to:* Lobby , an entranceway or foyer in a building* Lobbying, the action or the group used to influence a viewpoint to politicians* Lobby , a thick stew made in North Staffordshire, not unlike Lancashire Hotpot...
in his designs.
Ajello also often designed lobbies that would shield from first view the elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s, presenting instead a staircase with a curved balustrade in order to recreate the experience of entering a single-family home.
His buildings commonly carry a cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
with the carved legend "G. Ajello, Architect".
In 1912, Architecture and Building devoted an entire article to his architecture. The piece included photographs and plans of nine apartment houses. This same year, Ajello began working for the Paterno and Campagna families, two of the most influential apartment developers of their day. According to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
, Ajello’s last known commission was 395 Riverside Drive, a $2 million project, completed in the mid-1920s.
He gave Rosario Candela
Rosario Candela
Rosario Candela was an Italian American architect who achieved renown through his apartment building designs in New York City, primarily during the boom years of the 1920s. He is credited with defining the city's characteristic terraced setbacks and signature penthouses. Over time, Candela's...
, a fellow Sicilian, his first architectural job.
Awards and recognition
In 2006, the Claremont Theater, in the Manhattanville neighborhood of New York City, Ajello’s only known non-residential work, was designated as a Landmark by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission. Thomas EdisonThomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
once shot a short film in 1915 featuring the building's entrance
External links
- Remembering an Architect Who Shaped the West Side - The New York Times
- Streetscapes: For a Grande Dame, More Than an Eye-Lift - The New York Times
- Architecture and Building, December 1912
- Full listing of Ajello's Manhattan works
- Article about Ajello's 1912 Renaissance-style Lucania, at 235 West 71st Street
- Manhattan Valley neighborhood history