Quote:
Originally Posted by Via Chicago
Looks way too much like the other generic condos that went up in that area over the last 15 years. It's hard to tell what the quality of the materials /detailing will be from that render but it's not inspiring confidence. But there's no parking podium or curb cuts so hooray for that
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It seems like this is what always happens when some historical advocacy group (or whatever) gets involved: The design ends up more incongruous with its surroundings than a contemporary design. And there's that unsettling feeling of it being in an uncanny valley of representation: The scale is never right, there is a pretense of material presentation, there are fortress-like blocks of 'masonry' (that are especially off-putting at street level), etc. etc., ad nauseam -- the feeling of artificiality and deception is unshakable.
It's a shame, because PH's contemporary work is completely palatable (some of it quite pleasing, IMO). To wit:
this building in Grand Rapids (or similar) would be times over better for the Uptown parcel.