CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Ship of Glass for Chelsea Waterfront
Published: October 14, 2003  The proud city sails on. Frank
Gehry has designed a New York headquarters for Barry Diller, the
media and e-commerce mogul. The new building will be opposite
the Chelsea Piers sports complex, on the West Side Highway
between 18th and 19th Streets. It will also be on the East Side
of Bicoastal City, the dual metropolis that has emerged from the
symbiotic cultural competition between Los Angeles and New York.
Buda, meet Pest.  Looking something like a tall ship in full
sail, the nine-story glass building will house offices for Mr.
Diller's InterActiveCorp, a group of Internet businesses with a
focus on travel. They include Expedia,,, Citysearch and
Ticketmaster.  With typical Gehryesque frankness, the design
appears to reflect New York's present preoccupation with
ornamental building tops. If the top is what counts, why bother
with the base and shaft? Just go for the crown! Seen in this
way, the low-rise Diller building evokes