Temple Street Garage
1 Temple St, New Haven, CT, 06510 (note: on Google maps and on other articles detailing the garage’s information, the garage is listed as 1 Temple St, but on the Tax Assessor Database, the address is listed as 21 Temple St.)
The garage was originally built as part of the Church Street Redevelopment Project which was meant to rebuild the urban and commercial core of the city, increasing the tax base and bringing shoppers downtown rather than to the suburbs of New Haven. From 1948 to 1954, New Haven’s retail sales downtown decreased by five percent, while the surrounding area had a 31 percent increase (U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Business, 1954). By rehabilitating the retail district downtown, the project was supposed to restore commercial success to the city. While the Project initially intended to provide decent housing, its goal quickly became focused solely on addressing New Haven’s commercial decline.
When Temple Street Garage was being constructed, the buildings in the adjacent blocks were not yet determined. About this, Rudolph said, “They should have been designed to dominate the parking garage” (Cook and Klotz, 1975); he wanted the structure’s surroundings to be at the same massive scale and feel – the garage was not meant to be out of place. While this goal may have been achieved back when the mall was still present, the rest of the surrounding buildings are in a mix of styles of which none are nearly as striking and bold as the garage, making its presence very obvious and contrasting to its surroundings.
Rudolph believed that “the two most potent influences in the form of twentieth century cities are sheer volume and the American preoccupation with mechanized transportation of all kinds,” and he wanted to unify the two with his garage, attempting to stray from traditional building types while also thinking about both the scale of the automobile and a scale satisfactory for the volume-obsessed American (Rudolph and Moholy-Nagy, 1970). Not only was he able to incorporate this sought-after scale, but he used it on a structure that could actually make use of it.
Rudolph wanted, rather than imitating what he believed most parking garages were like – “merely skeletal structures which didn’t get any walls. They are just office building structures with the glass left out” – chose to make a building that was very obviously a garage, one that “said it dealt with cars and movement”(Cook and Klotz, 1975). He was also attempting to elevate the building beyond merely the functional: it was supposed to represent what it was through the fluidity of the curves and texture made by wood-forming.
As mentioned in the previous section, the garage was bordered by two department stores on the east. These, however, went out of business in later years and remained vacant until 2012 when the lot was replaced by Gateway, a community college. The garage was located next to these stores so that shoppers could go directly into a department store without setting foot anywhere else, including anywhere in downtown New Haven.
The fluidity and coherence of its form were not only meant to indicate what the building was for but also to create a seamless transition from parking space to commercial space. The high and wide arches on the ground floor are inviting, creating open space where the consumer is drawn to and welcomed into the stores integrated into the structure. The restaurants and other commercial spaces described in the previous section coupled with the structural forms become an arcade, imitating the original arcades in Europe, which were semi-enclosed areas meant solely for commercial purposes.
There has been no change in ownership or tenancy of the building over time, as the garage was originally built for the city, by the city, and it remains owned by the city of New Haven. The only changes, as aforementioned, have been in the commercial spaces on the ground floor, but as far as I could tell from my research, they have always been different restaurants, shops, and other service stores, since that is what the spaces were originally meant for.
When Temple Street Garage was being constructed, the buildings in the adjacent blocks were not yet determined. About this, Rudolph said, “They should have been designed to dominate the parking garage” (Cook and Klotz, 1975); he wanted the structure’s surroundings to be at the same massive scale and feel – the garage was not meant to be out of place. While this goal may have been achieved back when the mall was still present, the rest of the surrounding buildings are in a mix of styles of which none are nearly as striking and bold as the garage, making its presence very obvious and contrasting to its surroundings.
Rudolph believed that “the two most potent influences in the form of twentieth century cities are sheer volume and the American preoccupation with mechanized transportation of all kinds,” and he wanted to unify the two with his garage, attempting to stray from traditional building types while also thinking about both the scale of the automobile and a scale satisfactory for the volume-obsessed American (Rudolph and Moholy-Nagy, 1970). Not only was he able to incorporate this sought-after scale, but he used it on a structure that could actually make use of it.
Rudolph wanted, rather than imitating what he believed most parking garages were like – “merely skeletal structures which didn’t get any walls. They are just office building structures with the glass left out” – chose to make a building that was very obviously a garage, one that “said it dealt with cars and movement”(Cook and Klotz, 1975). He was also attempting to elevate the building beyond merely the functional: it was supposed to represent what it was through the fluidity of the curves and texture made by wood-forming.
As mentioned in the previous section, the garage was bordered by two department stores on the east. These, however, went out of business in later years and remained vacant until 2012 when the lot was replaced by Gateway, a community college. The garage was located next to these stores so that shoppers could go directly into a department store without setting foot anywhere else, including anywhere in downtown New Haven.
The fluidity and coherence of its form were not only meant to indicate what the building was for but also to create a seamless transition from parking space to commercial space. The high and wide arches on the ground floor are inviting, creating open space where the consumer is drawn to and welcomed into the stores integrated into the structure. The restaurants and other commercial spaces described in the previous section coupled with the structural forms become an arcade, imitating the original arcades in Europe, which were semi-enclosed areas meant solely for commercial purposes.
There has been no change in ownership or tenancy of the building over time, as the garage was originally built for the city, by the city, and it remains owned by the city of New Haven. The only changes, as aforementioned, have been in the commercial spaces on the ground floor, but as far as I could tell from my research, they have always been different restaurants, shops, and other service stores, since that is what the spaces were originally meant for.
N/A
Before Temple Street Garage was constructed, the space was occupied by many different buildings. According to the Sandborn maps of 1901 and 1924, the spaces ranged from office and residential buildings to storage facilities and even an opera house (Sanborn maps, 1901; Sanborn maps, 1924).
Note: I joined these two sections (Streetscape and Urban Setting & Social History) together because I feel that a lot of what I researched and discovered overlap in terms of urban setting and social history since the garage’s original surroundings were purposeful and it was part of a whole.
The garage was originally built as part of the Church Street Redevelopment Project which was meant to rebuild the urban and commercial core of the city, increasing the tax base and bringing shoppers downtown rather than to the suburbs of New Haven. From 1948 to 1954, New Haven’s retail sales downtown decreased by five percent, while the surrounding area had a 31 percent increase (U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Business, 1954). By rehabilitating the retail district downtown, the project was supposed to restore commercial success to the city. While the Project initially intended to provide decent housing, its goal quickly became focused solely on addressing New Haven’s commercial decline.
When Temple Street Garage was being constructed, the buildings in the adjacent blocks were not yet determined. About this, Rudolph said, “They should have been designed to dominate the parking garage” (Cook and Klotz, 1975); he wanted the structure’s surroundings to be at the same massive scale and feel – the garage was not meant to be out of place. While this goal may have been achieved back when the mall was still present, the rest of the surrounding buildings are in a mix of styles of which none are nearly as striking and bold as the garage, making its presence very obvious and contrasting to its surroundings.
Rudolph believed that “the two most potent influences in the form of twentieth century cities are sheer volume and the American preoccupation with mechanized transportation of all kinds,” and he wanted to unify the two with his garage, attempting to stray from traditional building types while also thinking about both the scale of the automobile and a scale satisfactory for the volume-obsessed American (Rudolph and Moholy-Nagy, 1970). Not only was he able to incorporate this sought-after scale, but he used it on a structure that could actually make use of it.
Rudolph wanted, rather than imitating what he believed most parking garages were like – “merely skeletal structures which didn’t get any walls. They are just office building structures with the glass left out” – chose to make a building that was very obviously a garage, one that “said it dealt with cars and movement”(Cook and Klotz, 1975). He was also attempting to elevate the building beyond merely the functional: it was supposed to represent what it was through the fluidity of the curves and texture made by wood-forming.
As mentioned in the previous section, the garage was bordered by two department stores on the east. These, however, went out of business in later years and remained vacant until 2012 when the lot was replaced by Gateway, a community college. The garage was located next to these stores so that shoppers could go directly into a department store without setting foot anywhere else, including anywhere in downtown New Haven.
The fluidity and coherence of its form were not only meant to indicate what the building was for but also to create a seamless transition from parking space to commercial space. The high and wide arches on the ground floor are inviting, creating open space where the consumer is drawn to and welcomed into the stores integrated into the structure. The restaurants and other commercial spaces described in the previous section coupled with the structural forms become an arcade, imitating the original arcades in Europe, which were semi-enclosed areas meant solely for commercial purposes.
There has been no change in ownership or tenancy of the building over time, as the garage was originally built for the city, by the city, and it remains owned by the city of New Haven. The only changes, as aforementioned, have been in the commercial spaces on the ground floor, but as far as I could tell from my research, they have always been different restaurants, shops, and other service stores, since that is what the spaces were originally meant for.
When Temple Street Garage was being constructed, the buildings in the adjacent blocks were not yet determined. About this, Rudolph said, “They should have been designed to dominate the parking garage” (Cook and Klotz, 1975); he wanted the structure’s surroundings to be at the same massive scale and feel – the garage was not meant to be out of place. While this goal may have been achieved back when the mall was still present, the rest of the surrounding buildings are in a mix of styles of which none are nearly as striking and bold as the garage, making its presence very obvious and contrasting to its surroundings.
Rudolph believed that “the two most potent influences in the form of twentieth century cities are sheer volume and the American preoccupation with mechanized transportation of all kinds,” and he wanted to unify the two with his garage, attempting to stray from traditional building types while also thinking about both the scale of the automobile and a scale satisfactory for the volume-obsessed American (Rudolph and Moholy-Nagy, 1970). Not only was he able to incorporate this sought-after scale, but he used it on a structure that could actually make use of it.
Rudolph wanted, rather than imitating what he believed most parking garages were like – “merely skeletal structures which didn’t get any walls. They are just office building structures with the glass left out” – chose to make a building that was very obviously a garage, one that “said it dealt with cars and movement”(Cook and Klotz, 1975). He was also attempting to elevate the building beyond merely the functional: it was supposed to represent what it was through the fluidity of the curves and texture made by wood-forming.
As mentioned in the previous section, the garage was bordered by two department stores on the east. These, however, went out of business in later years and remained vacant until 2012 when the lot was replaced by Gateway, a community college. The garage was located next to these stores so that shoppers could go directly into a department store without setting foot anywhere else, including anywhere in downtown New Haven.
The fluidity and coherence of its form were not only meant to indicate what the building was for but also to create a seamless transition from parking space to commercial space. The high and wide arches on the ground floor are inviting, creating open space where the consumer is drawn to and welcomed into the stores integrated into the structure. The restaurants and other commercial spaces described in the previous section coupled with the structural forms become an arcade, imitating the original arcades in Europe, which were semi-enclosed areas meant solely for commercial purposes.
There has been no change in ownership or tenancy of the building over time, as the garage was originally built for the city, by the city, and it remains owned by the city of New Haven. The only changes, as aforementioned, have been in the commercial spaces on the ground floor, but as far as I could tell from my research, they have always been different restaurants, shops, and other service stores, since that is what the spaces were originally meant for.
The parking garage, made of reinforced, poured in place concrete, extends over 700 feet in length, including a double-height span over George Street, since it takes up two city blocks (Historic Resources Inventory, 2016). The upper floors bridge across the street uninterrupted. The parking decks are supported by paired reinforced concrete piers, and integral half-height walls at the perimeter act as guardrails, all forming a cohesive structure with the use of a single material and structural method; even the lampposts on the top floor are made out of concrete (Paul Rudolph Institute). The structure is symmetrical, its strong horizontality emphasized by the parapets at the end of each parking platform (Seto-Weiss). Parking is staggered on half-levels, with three half-levels below ground and eight above. The two-dimensional curves are formed by 2-inch wood strip forms, and pairs of columns are 10 ft. apart to support the structure, with 30 ft. spaces between the pairs (Paul Rudolph Institute). The block on the corner of Temple and Crown has infill walls of metal framing, metal panels, and glazed partitions for commercial space (Historic Resources Inventory, 2016); these commercial spaces seem to be separate cages sheltered by the garage structure. They are now occupied by Otaru Sushi Bar, Pho Ketkeo, Havenly, and Musical Intervention Studios, but there have been changes in ownership throughout the years (Paul Rudolph Institute). Several of the spaces are empty, including where Kudeta, a recently closed restaurant, was, at the corner of Crown and Temple. The following block after George Street does not have commercial spaces on the ground floor, there is only a continuation of parking spaces.
Originally, the garage was bordered by two department stores on the east, Macy’s and Malley’s, within the Chapel Square Mall, and there used to be direct access to them from several levels. However, these were later replaced by a community college, Gateway, in 2012, and there is no longer direct access due to a narrow landscaped space between the two structures. In addition, there was an underground service level with access to the Park Plaza Hotel and shopping mall at the time of the garage’s construction (Paul Rudolph Institute). Now, there is a skywalk on the west from the second floor across Temple Street to Temple Medical Center. I could find no specific information about the skywalk addition, but Temple Medical Center was built at 60 Temple St. in 1978 as Temple Surgical Center and expanded to 40 Temple St. in 1986 (Yale New Haven Health, 2019). Since the skywalk leads to 40 Temple St., I assume the skywalk was also built either at the same time or a short time after.
There are no other additions or alterations to the building aside from changes to the commercial spaces, for which I could find no additional information, but the structure went through a concrete restoration in 2002 (Paul Rudolph Institute).
There are three elevator and stair towers in the structure, the inside of each clad in different brightly colored ceramic tiles, and they end on the rooftop, jutting out as sculptural structures from the floor (Paul Rudolph Institute).
The surface of the concrete was given its texture through wood forming (Paul Rudolph Institute), emphasizing the flowing qualities of the concrete and giving a rough texture, which only enhances the effect of antiquity already present due to the elongated arched columns reminiscent of the remains of the rhythmic megastructures, like the aqueducts, of ancient Rome. The repetitive rhythm of the arches also conveys energetic movement, fitting with Rudolph’s concept of “architecture of the automobiles" (Historic Resources Inventory, 2016).
Due to its purpose, the building had limitations to what Rudolph could do when designing it, so it lacks the spatial complexity present in his other works, including the Art & Architecture Building. Furthermore, despite its enormity and brutalist style, the wide arches, arcade-style ground floor, and open sides all contribute to an inviting feeling. Not only does the structure thus become more accessible and open to the public, but it also creates a play of lights and shadows with its voids, adding to its beauty and linking itself more with nature, enhancing the organic forms that make up the structure. These forms were, according to Rudolph’s original wishes when designing the structure, meant to give the sensation of motion and freedom that comes with the automobile, as well as the sensation of fluid movement directly from the highway into the ramps of the garage.
Originally, the garage was bordered by two department stores on the east, Macy’s and Malley’s, within the Chapel Square Mall, and there used to be direct access to them from several levels. However, these were later replaced by a community college, Gateway, in 2012, and there is no longer direct access due to a narrow landscaped space between the two structures. In addition, there was an underground service level with access to the Park Plaza Hotel and shopping mall at the time of the garage’s construction (Paul Rudolph Institute). Now, there is a skywalk on the west from the second floor across Temple Street to Temple Medical Center. I could find no specific information about the skywalk addition, but Temple Medical Center was built at 60 Temple St. in 1978 as Temple Surgical Center and expanded to 40 Temple St. in 1986 (Yale New Haven Health, 2019). Since the skywalk leads to 40 Temple St., I assume the skywalk was also built either at the same time or a short time after.
There are no other additions or alterations to the building aside from changes to the commercial spaces, for which I could find no additional information, but the structure went through a concrete restoration in 2002 (Paul Rudolph Institute).
There are three elevator and stair towers in the structure, the inside of each clad in different brightly colored ceramic tiles, and they end on the rooftop, jutting out as sculptural structures from the floor (Paul Rudolph Institute).
The surface of the concrete was given its texture through wood forming (Paul Rudolph Institute), emphasizing the flowing qualities of the concrete and giving a rough texture, which only enhances the effect of antiquity already present due to the elongated arched columns reminiscent of the remains of the rhythmic megastructures, like the aqueducts, of ancient Rome. The repetitive rhythm of the arches also conveys energetic movement, fitting with Rudolph’s concept of “architecture of the automobiles" (Historic Resources Inventory, 2016).
Due to its purpose, the building had limitations to what Rudolph could do when designing it, so it lacks the spatial complexity present in his other works, including the Art & Architecture Building. Furthermore, despite its enormity and brutalist style, the wide arches, arcade-style ground floor, and open sides all contribute to an inviting feeling. Not only does the structure thus become more accessible and open to the public, but it also creates a play of lights and shadows with its voids, adding to its beauty and linking itself more with nature, enhancing the organic forms that make up the structure. These forms were, according to Rudolph’s original wishes when designing the structure, meant to give the sensation of motion and freedom that comes with the automobile, as well as the sensation of fluid movement directly from the highway into the ramps of the garage.
“1959.01 Temple Street Parking Garage.” Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. Accessed October 6, 2023. https://www.paulrudolph.institute/195901-temple-street-parking-garage.
“Historic Resources Inventory - Building and Structures - New Haven Modern.” Historic Resources Inventory - Buildings and Structures, 21 Temple St, 2016. http://newhavenmodern.org/system/dragonfly/production/2017/06/12/1ugyo0wy_HRI_2016_TempleSt_21_Garage_final.pdf.
“Temple Medical Center Services Relocating, Upgrading to Serve More Patients.” Yale New Haven Health, April 4, 2019. https://www.ynhhs.org/publications/bulletin/archive/040519/temple-medical-center-services-relocating-upgrading-to-serve-more-patients.
Cook, John W., and Heinrich Klotz. Conversations with architects: Philip Johnson, Kevin Roche, Paul Rudolph, Bertrand Goldberg, Morris Lapidus, Louis Kahn, Charles Moore, Robert Venturi et Denise Scott Brown. New York, NY: Praeger, 1975.
Rudolph, Paul, and Sibyl Moholy-Nagy. The architecture of Paul Rudolph. New York, NY: Praeger, 1970.
Seto-Weiss, Patricia. “Temple Street Parking Garage.” SAH ARCHIPEDIA, October 21, 2021. https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/CT-01-009-0076.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut. Sanborn Map Company; Vol. 2, 1901. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn01151_004/.
Sanborn maps of New Haven. Sanborn Map Company, issuing body; Vol. 1, 1924. Map. https://hdl.handle.net/10079/digcoll/548050.
Sanborn maps of New Haven. Sanborn Map Company, issuing body; Vol. 1, 1973. Map. https://hdl.handle.net/10079/digcoll/548020.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Business: 1954, Central Business District Statistics, Bulletin CBD-25— New Haven, Connecticut (Washington D.C., 1956).
“Historic Resources Inventory - Building and Structures - New Haven Modern.” Historic Resources Inventory - Buildings and Structures, 21 Temple St, 2016. http://newhavenmodern.org/system/dragonfly/production/2017/06/12/1ugyo0wy_HRI_2016_TempleSt_21_Garage_final.pdf.
“Temple Medical Center Services Relocating, Upgrading to Serve More Patients.” Yale New Haven Health, April 4, 2019. https://www.ynhhs.org/publications/bulletin/archive/040519/temple-medical-center-services-relocating-upgrading-to-serve-more-patients.
Cook, John W., and Heinrich Klotz. Conversations with architects: Philip Johnson, Kevin Roche, Paul Rudolph, Bertrand Goldberg, Morris Lapidus, Louis Kahn, Charles Moore, Robert Venturi et Denise Scott Brown. New York, NY: Praeger, 1975.
Rudolph, Paul, and Sibyl Moholy-Nagy. The architecture of Paul Rudolph. New York, NY: Praeger, 1970.
Seto-Weiss, Patricia. “Temple Street Parking Garage.” SAH ARCHIPEDIA, October 21, 2021. https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/CT-01-009-0076.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut. Sanborn Map Company; Vol. 2, 1901. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn01151_004/.
Sanborn maps of New Haven. Sanborn Map Company, issuing body; Vol. 1, 1924. Map. https://hdl.handle.net/10079/digcoll/548050.
Sanborn maps of New Haven. Sanborn Map Company, issuing body; Vol. 1, 1973. Map. https://hdl.handle.net/10079/digcoll/548020.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Business: 1954, Central Business District Statistics, Bulletin CBD-25— New Haven, Connecticut (Washington D.C., 1956).
Researcher
Alina Susani
Date Researched
Entry Created
N/A Date
Last Updated
N/A Date
Historic Name
Style
BrutalistCurrent Use
Era
1950-1980Neighborhood
Downtown and Town Green DistrictTours
Year Built
1959
Architect
Paul Rudolph
Current Tenant
N/A
Roof Types
FlatStructural Conditions
Street Visibilities
Yes
Threats
None knownExternal Conditions
Dimensions
90,101 ft² (retail area: 13,272 ft²); takes up two city blocks and is half a block wide.
Street Visibilities
Yes
Owner
City of New Haven
Ownernishp Type
City of New Haven
Client
City of New Haven, Connecticut and the New Haven Parking Authority. The garage was part of New Haven’s Church Street Redevelopment Project and a crucial part of Mayor Richard C. Lee’s urban renewal program to stimulate the city’s economic growth.
Historic Uses
Details of the curved forms of the south entrance ramp of Temple Street Garage.
Photo taken by Alina Susani (Oct 2023)
The 1901 Sanborn Maps show that at the beginning of the 20th century, the lot which is now Temple Street Garage was occupied partially by the Grand Opera House, a synagogue, various storage places, and some residential buildings. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut. Sanborn Map Company; Vol. 2, 1901. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn01151_004/.
The texture of Temple Street Garage, formed by 2-inch wood strip forms, represents its similarities with nature, emphasizing the garage’s organic forms. The texture is similar to that of tree bark, shown in the foreground. Photo taken by Alina Susani (Oct 2023)
A close-up of the textural detail of Temple Street Garage, formed by 2-inch wood strip forms.
Photo taken by Alina Susani (Oct 2023)
The 1973 Sanborn Maps are from after the construction of Temple Street Garage, showing the space it still occupies today. They also show that even then, the commercial spaces were occupied by stores under the garage. Sanborn maps of New Haven. Sanborn Map Company, issuing body; Vol. 1, 1973. Map. https://hdl.handle.net/10079/digcoll/548020.
The Brutalist concrete forms of Temple Street Garage in contrast to its surrounding buildings.
Photo taken by Alina Susani (Oct 2023)
Arcade in the north block of Temple Street Garage. On the right are the arched, open forms that make up the garage, and on the left are the various commercial spaces integrated into the structure.
Photo taken by Alina Susani (Oct 2023)
Details of the curved forms of the south entrance ramp and the facade of Temple Street Garage. Photo taken by Alina Susani (Oct 2023)
Passageway, or skywalk, entrance from Temple Street Garage to 40 Temple Street, the Temple Medical Center. The arch form is continued throughout the skywalk.
Photo taken by Alina Susani (Oct 2023)
The 1924 Sanborn Maps show that the empty spaces seen in the 1901 maps have almost all been filled up, mainly with office buildings, some shops, and some residential buildings. Sanborn maps of New Haven. Sanborn Map Company, issuing body; Vol. 1, 1924. Map. https://hdl.handle.net/10079/digcoll/548050.
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