PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread - Page 186

Knight Hospitaller · #**3701** Posted **Aug 25, 2015, 11:40 PM**

On "trying to add" One Water Street retail, with a mention of a preliminary approval for the Little Boys Court project:

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...t_project.html

Knight Hospitaller · #**3702** Posted **Aug 25, 2015, 11:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry King

Knoxville is kinda nice. College town the size of allentown, not a bad little downtown

To each his own. I stayed near the downtown. There were some nice parts, but mostly "meh" with some downright decrepit/lifeless portions -- all in close proximity. I didn't get over to the area around the University.

jsbrook · #**3703** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 12:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

On "trying to add" One Water Street retail, with a mention of a preliminary approval for the Little Boys Court project:

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...t_project.html

Plus it got uglier. Nice job, PMC.

summersm343 · #**3704** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 1:46 AM**

One West - Chestnut Hill - Condominiums - 5 floors
Germantown Ave and East Hartwell Lane

http://philly.curbed.com/archives/20...or-1595000.php

summersm343 · #**3705** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 2:18 AM**

Temple University Plans to Start Demolition at Barton Hall by End of the Week to make way for Snohetta designed Library

http://www.phillymag.com/property/20...ty-demolition/

1487 · #**3706** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 12:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbrook

Plus it got uglier. Nice job, PMC.

I disagree- it looks better. And Im not sure why so many people are downing PMC when they are actually getting something built on this parcel of years of false hope. They announced it, got it approved and started construction within months- more than we can say for a host of other apt towers that were proposed or even approved by PCPC/CDR.

1487 · #**3707** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 12:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwardsm86

I know that some of these projects are probably still dead in the water, but wondering if anyone has heard any mumblings of Mandeville Place, Cira Center West (at 30th and JFK behind 30th Street Station), or any others? I remember being super excited about the Mandeville project because it was going to be a game changer. And I remember seeing renderings of a 4th Cira building and wondering if that'll ever come to fruition.

Mandeville is definitely dead. There is supposed to be a 13 story addition built on top of the old marketplace design building at 24th and market.

Leviathant · #**3708** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 2:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1487

I disagree- it looks better. And Im not sure why so many people are downing PMC when they are actually getting something built on this parcel of years of false hope. They announced it, got it approved and started construction within months- more than we can say for a host of other apt towers that were proposed or even approved by PCPC/CDR.

I think the new design will probably look alright in person.

And yeah. For all the decades of work that are behind, say, Renaissance Plaza (for which I'd love to see any kind of update), I was impressed at how quickly One Water Street went from empty lot to proposal to construction.

I'm glad to hear they're considering retail on the first floor. It seemed foolish not to accommodate for that, especially as that part of the waterfront continues to activate.

3rd&Brown · #**3709** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 2:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbrook

Plus it got uglier. Nice job, PMC.

This.

Couldn't they just leave it alone?

BenKatzPhillytoParis · #**3710** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 2:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbrook

Plus it got uglier. Nice job, PMC.

I think it got nicer and more interesting. To me, this looks like their best project yet architecturally, but to each his own obviously.

1487 · #**3711** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 2:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenKatzPhillytoParis

I think it got nicer and more interesting. To me, this looks like their best project yet architecturally, but to each his own obviously.

I didnt realize so many were in love with the first rendition- it was pretty plain.

jsbrook · #**3712** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 6:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1487

I didnt realize so many were in love with the first rendition- it was pretty plain.

It was plain. And it is now ugly. IMO. But as BenKatz says, everyone has their own design sensibilities.

Cro Burnham · #**3713** Posted **Aug 26, 2015, 9:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1487

I didnt realize so many were in love with the first rendition- it was pretty plain.

They weren't. But any excuse to whine about something new about PMC works.

This is neither a bad building nor a good building. It's just a background building, like 85% of the rest of the buildings in Philadelphia or any other city.

Even in great cities like Rome, Paris, or Barcelona, 75% - 85% of the buildings are anonymous vernacular architecture that no one really notices except in that it forms the background of your overall visual experience.

The other 15% - 25% are spectacular or hideous. The ratio of spectacular:hideous ranges from very high in places like Rome, Paris, etc., to very low, as in a typical Asian/Persian Gulf/former Soviet/Sunbelt cities or any postwar US suburb.

Granted, the quality of "background buildings" ranges dramatically in time and place. Nondescript background buildings from 80+ years ago are typically much prettier anywhere on earth than background buildings built since 1945. Background buildings in old western European cities like Rome, Paris, or Barcelona are very high quality compared to everywhere else, particularly because so many are of pre-war vintage. They are pretty low quality in counties with primarily post-war built environments like in the major cities and suburbs of Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, USA, former Soviet states, etc.

PMC builds contemporary American background buildings. Nothing dramatic, but nothing outrageously ugly. Just plain old nondescript contemporary American background stuff.

People would be well advised to cease expecting anything different from developers like PMC. One, because they won't change. And two, because it's probably best if they stick to plain because chances are any attempt they make to try something "spectacular" will likely be hideous (see: Dranoff, Blatstein at least until the last couple years). High quality construction is not in their DNA, so they'd almost surely fuck it up if they tried to do anything other than plain.

As long as PMC is out there doing stuff, let's hope the stick to plain. because the alternative will likely be pretty ugly.

Knight Hospitaller · #**3714** Posted **Aug 27, 2015, 12:57 AM**

North Broad 2.5 mile lighting project:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/po...ad_Street.html

MikeNigh · #**3715** Posted **Aug 27, 2015, 1:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

North Broad 2.5 mile lighting project:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/po...ad_Street.html

wow that is cool!

Koernerstr32 · #**3716** Posted **Aug 27, 2015, 4:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by summersm343

Temple University Plans to Start Demolition at Barton Hall by End of the Week to make way for Snohetta designed Library

http://www.phillymag.com/property/20...ty-demolition/

Horrible looking building! That arch entryway just makes thes the building look squatter. It's not about height as most people here keep complaining about in philly (never tall enough). It's about the squat building, with a wide arch, which looks like the top half of lips with red lipstick chewing up the green grass. Just saying

iheartphilly · #**3717** Posted **Aug 27, 2015, 4:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koernerstr32

Horrible looking building! That arch entryway just makes thes the building look squatter. It's not about height as most people here keep complaining about in philly (never tall enough). It's about the squat building, with a wide arch, which looks like the top half of lips with red lipstick chewing up the green grass. Just saying

Starchitect...it seems to be an overrated thing. Underwhelm.

Human Scale · #**3718** Posted **Aug 27, 2015, 12:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Starchitect...it seems to be an overrated thing. Underwhelm.

Sometimes it's not about the visual impact, but instead the thought of its intent, purpose, and user interaction. If we went just on visual impact Robert A.M. Stern would have won a Pritzker by now. He hasn't, because he designs facades, not places. Whereas some buildings can look plane Jane but be terribly well considered for simple things like the flow of traffic or sense of place internally. i.e. The Barnes Foundation.

McBane · #**3719** Posted **Aug 27, 2015, 2:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

North Broad 2.5 mile lighting project:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/po...ad_Street.html

What strikes me the most is that the lighting scheme begins at Hamilton Street. Seems like a very arbitrary place. Why doesn't this extend all the way to City Hall? Or at least to Vine Street, which is only a few blocks south of Hamilton and can't cost that much more. Hamilton Street?

p.s., during the day, they look pretty bad. The article shows one picture. Without the light emitting, they're just a bunch of strangle looking poles. I guess I'll have to see it in person. They look pretty cool at night based on the renderings.

mja · #**3720** Posted **Aug 27, 2015, 2:42 PM**

I guess there's no accounting for taste. I think the Temple Library project is really elegant and that the updated One Water Street is a clear if slight improvement.