Too Much Stuff

In one of his classic routines, George Carlin wondered that there could be a “whole industry based on keeping an eye on your stuff.” In New York City, where space is precious, we have veritable storage palaces, air-conditioned warehouses with sophisticated security systems. Out in the hinterlands, the form is somewhat different: typically a few long rows of sheds with a series of garage-sized private enclosures. They create some rather stark geometries in the landscape that remind me of the work of Robert Adams. I’ve seen a good number of these developments recently, usually close to an exit on a major traffic artery. The one pictured here is in Craryville, New York, at the junction of the Taconic Parkway and Route 23. The Martindale Chief diner is across the road. They make a mean BLT.