Harlem condo sparks controversy

The Kalahari, a $120 million condo currently under construction on 116th Street, is drawing ire from some Harlem residents. The building’s developers are incorporating motifs from African art on the luxury building’s exterior, which some locals say is insensitive given that most black Harlem residents won’t be able to afford the condo’s pricey units and because the design is aesthetically offensive. “It’s just so ugly,” says Joe Schumacher, who lives across the street from the development and whose photos of the site have appeared on Curbed. “It’s very superficial…[The] Kalahari is in Botswana and South Africa and Harlem residents are mostly West African immigrants or people whose ancestors were slaves from West Africa.” more [Voice]