Paul Rudolph's 1967-72 Lower Manhattan Expressway Vision Revisited in Cooper Union Exhibition

From October 1 to November 20, 2010, The Cooper Union's Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery hosted an exhibition focused on Paul Rudolph's Y-shaped Lower Manhattan Expressway study, created between 1967 and 1972, with support from the Ford Foundation. Curated by Ed Rawlings and Jim Walrod, the display included reproductions and a model, but no original pieces. Rudolph's vision sought to revitalize Soho, Chinatown, and the Lower East Side by merging housing with civic spaces. His graphic approach, shaped by his Bauhaus education, featured significant works, such as a red graphite rendering of the Williamsburg Bridge. The exhibition prompted discussions on urban planning and underscored Rudolph's complex legacy amid critiques of the exhibition's format and institutional backing.