One of the most taken-for-granted aspects of the built environment are doors, doorways and entrances to residential buildings. We pass through or pass by them everyday giving little thought to them. However, they are significant architectural features of buildings whether a private home, apartment house, office building, government or religious institution. Many add beauty and pleasure to our lives as we walk through the city.
Doors and entrances, as well as the structures they are attached to, can tell us a lot about the people behind them. They mark the divide between outdoor and indoor space, public and private worlds, the profane and the sacred. They divide and connect two worlds. They also provide safety and security against perceived danger. They are a focal point of a building often suggesting the social status and tastes of those living in them. They are part of a building’s identity sending messages that are intentional as well as unintentional.
Safety & Security: One of the primary functions of doors is safety and security. Most front doors on apartment houses in Jersey City are locked. Some have an intercom system providing more security. Doors and entrances often have cameras as well. In addition, many apartment buildings have monitored or attended lobbies for added security. All these measures reflect a concern for safety and privacy. They also reflect social class differences in the degree of safety and security people have and feel.
Glass doors and lobbies provide “defensible space” allowing residents to see any potential threats before entering or leaving their building.
In some buildings, the original front door has been replaced with standardized aluminum doors perhaps as a cheaper alternative to maintaining the original door.
Iron gates are often part of the entrance to buildings suggesting heightened concern for safety and security.
Aesthetics: Many of Jersey City’s older apartment houses reflect a variety of historical architectural styles that make them visually interesting and aesthetically appealing to many. Many have doorways, entrances and lobbies designed with intricate architectural details reflecting earlier architectural styles. These, as well as other decorative features, add to the visual appeal of these buildings and their real estate value. They are buildings many working class families live in today. Do you live in one of these buildings and do you find beauty in them? Comment below.
Newer apartment houses with their less adorned steel, concrete and glass facades, reflect a more contemporary modernist architectural style many find aesthetically pleasing. Many of their entrances are less imposing, perhaps preferring to let the interior, and the amenities it offers, make the biggest impression. What style of apartment houses do you find most attractive, traditional or modern?
A spruced up appearance on an older building often indicates renovation of apartments allowing higher rents which is the case with this building.
Naming Apartment Houses: What’s in a name? Why do so many apartment houses have names? What is the significance of these names? Is there a pattern to them? Are they meant to confer a certain status on a building adding to its prestige? Does your building have a name?
Luxury Apartment Houses also have names. The Urby building looks more like a hotel, which may be appropriate since the developer expects tenants to stay only about 3 years. It’s entrance is not so grand, staking its claim to status on its amenities inside, creating an “urban village” for its millennial tenants.
The doors and entrances to the apartment houses in Jersey City reflect a great concern for safety and security. They also suggest how we are increasingly living in a surveillance state. They illustrate how those with higher income have access to more safety and security. They also highlight everyday beauty and enjoyment provided by these architectural features. They also point to growing divisions among residents in knowing and interacting with one another.
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Jersey City Today 