Midtown Union Phase 1

[Metrophile]

[smArTaLlone]

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/uzun-...586372096-KhAs

[Metrophile]

[bigstick]

Excellent pics....Thank you...

[ATL_J]

I hate to be overly critical, but that parking deck screen is a mess. There are plenty of examples of quality parking deck screening designs that highlight just how bad this is.

[Pemgin]

It's hard to make a good looking parking deck. They're just ugly structures in general. And since they're on almost every building in this city, most of our buildings are marred. These buildings also have the classic Atlanta blank walls, which make them look like even more shit.

[jayden]

Pretty sure those blank walls along Spring, W. Peachtree, and 17th will have murals. Still not the most ideal, but it's better than nothing.

[Atlriser]

It’s all opinion. Everyone I know comments that they like the parking deck design for these compared to other buildings.

[montydawg]

Originally Posted by Pemgin

Part of the enjoyment and amusement of this board is reading peoples’ opinions of projects, even if they’re not shared.

Hopefully you are not including the over-the-top, 'entertaining' posts by trolls on this site.

[Pemgin]

Originally Posted by montydawg

Hopefully you are not including the over-the-top, 'entertaining' posts by trolls on this site.

No, that stuff is tiresome.

But with these parking decks, they're getting better at screening them, but Atlanta seems a little behind other cities in that regard, and of course we're behind other cities that don't have them or have mostly underground parking. Maybe underground parking isn't feasible on this site, but it'd be great to require it where it is feasible. Or require parking sharing agreements with buildings with existing decks, like Lilli and that midrise condo building at Peachtree & 7th. Idk but all of these massive decks definitely make for a more brutal cityscape. Even if they're pretty by parking deck standards, you don't forget that you're looking at a parking deck and that's unpleasant.

[montydawg]

Originally Posted by Pemgin

No, that stuff is tiresome.

But with these parking decks, they're getting better at screening them, but Atlanta seems a little behind other cities in that regard, and of course we're behind other cities that don't have them or have mostly underground parking. Maybe underground parking isn't feasible on this site, but it'd be great to require it where it is feasible. Or require parking sharing agreements with buildings with existing decks, like Lilli and that midrise condo building at Peachtree & 7th. Idk but all of these massive decks definitely make for a more brutal cityscape. Even if they're pretty by parking deck standards, you don't forget that you're looking at a parking deck and that's unpleasant.

As we have seen with the Hanover, and even the opus site, granite is an issue for most of the peachtree corridor. I think we will see more underground parking once midtown fills out in 15 years and land prices go up. We might also see the urban fabric spread east/west by then

[ATL_J]

I understand parking decks suck in general and I also understand they're necessary. I'm happy that they're making the attempt to screen it, my criticism isn't with the structure itself (although its unfortunate), but I think their design is just bad. It doesn't take much to make the deck look better. Local architects SmithDalia have done two decks recently that I think look more than fine:

Heritage Parking Deck
The Works

Not applying that these would work on this specific application, just highlighting that while I'm happy they're screening, it just doesn't look good. Anyways, at least its density.

[Atlriser]

I appreciate your opinion but honestly I don’t see how those 2 decks look any better. Thanks for the examples though.

[shivtim]

I think NCR is a great example (google street view). They essentially just made it look like a base for the building. No visible cars. Fake windows. Some texture without being an over-the-top mishmash of materials and styles. It even has nice unobtrusive lighting at night.

[Atlriser]

I could be wrong but isn’t that part of the building, the building? The parking deck is hidden behind the existing tech square parking decks and the surrounding office/residential towers. If it’s true I agree they did a nice job. The huge decks are clearly visible from the alley way when going to LA Fitness which is fine.

Just my thoughts but I think Midtown Union was going for an artistic bright look since they plan to have several pieces of art and be connected to the art walk and anchor the north end of it. Art is in the eye of the beholder as the saying goes... Still, it is unique and different just as the new Emory deck and the Anthem 1 deck. I’m glad to see various types of screening to keep things interesting and diverse.

[NiffTheFox]

I'd say that 1180 Peachtree and Atlantic House are good examples of decks that actually look like continuations of the buildings themselves. Even Metropolis, which predates most of the new res towers, looks decent on the Preachtree side (the backside looks unapologetically like a deck, but at least it only faces an alley and another deck).

The problem I have with Midtown Union is (in addition to the shear size) the decision to apparently accentuate rather than hide or integrate the decks. Perhaps the goal was simply to hide the view of the cars inside (which might explain the use of what looks like dazzle camouflage), but the result is IMHO almost worse than an exposed deck and certainly worse than wrapping with housing units or extending the curtain wall all the wall down as has been done in other building.

[ATLarchitect]

Originally Posted by Atlriser

I could be wrong but isn’t that part of the building, the building? The parking deck is hidden behind the existing tech square parking decks and the surrounding office/residential towers. If it’s true I agree they did a nice job. The huge decks are clearly visible from the alley way when going to LA Fitness which is fine.

Just my thoughts but I think Midtown Union was going for an artistic bright look since they plan to have several pieces of art and be connected to the art walk and anchor the north end of it. Art is in the eye of the beholder as the saying goes... Still, it is unique and different just as the new Emory deck and the Anthem 1 deck. I’m glad to see various types of screening to keep things interesting and diverse.

The SE corner of NCR referenced in the link above is indeed part of the parking (see older shot here). This project is a great example as even the NW corner fronting the connector that looks as though it's part of the tower is actually just spandrel curtain wall glass concealing the garage behind (here)

Totally agree the crime with Midtown Union is that parking screening requirements were meant to conceal parking use and make it less conspicuous... mismatched geometric paneling and yellow accents do just the opposite (IMHO). But continuing the curtainwall on all the facades of that garage was no doubt cost prohibitive which is why even NCR didn't do that.

[L.ARCH]

Holding my desire to hop on the bandwagon bashing this "screening" approach until I see the artwork and finishing touches... Cooper Cary does a lot of decent design work and I know they probably spent a lot of time thinking about this.

[Metrophile]

Originally Posted by ATLarchitect

The SE corner of NCR referenced in the link above is indeed part of the parking...

Is it? I've walked by those windows at night and due to the lighting inside one can see that it is some kind of engineering facility in there. Lots of machines and workstations. Maybe the space above that is parking, tho.

[Metrophile]

Originally Posted by bigstick

Excellent pics....Thank you...

Thanks. Ya velcome!