Eyesores & Architectural Blunders (ongoing thread)

[Tosspot]

Allow me to sicken you with this nauseating display of architectural dumbfuckery; a sub-standard piece of crap etched out on a cocktail napkin by some design school dropout with anal acne.

This riveting bijou of architectural prowess can be found infesting the Crossroads section of downtown, and it is plainly obvious that this revolting edifice pays no respect to whatever streetscape context exists in the immediate area, concomitantly telling the unfortunate, hapless pedestrian that he or she does not matter. The concept of "civitas" is just a pesky notion to be dismissed in the minds of the intellectually vapid nincompoops who designed this structure.

When you hear the Urban Society making stark pronouncements that we must raise the architectural standards in our city, keep this above photo as a referent.

[Gladstoner]

Looks like the side of a ship that needs more ballast.

[moderne]

  This was once a bank building and the lower floor was open with glass windows and doors.  Wouldn't take much to open it to the street.

[Tosspot]

  This was once a bank building and the lower floor was open with glass windows and doors.  Wouldn't take much to open it to the street.

Thanks for informing me of that, and because of this, I will withhold proclaiming that it should be demolished, since there may be a possibility of rectifying the disaster that ensued after the remodeling.

[moderne]

      And at least it hugs the sidewalk on both sides.  This was originally only one floor and in the seventies the second floor was added, when it was still a bank.

[Denver Josh]

Yikes!

You tell em' toss!

[KC0KEK]

5 Deleware committs the same sin, so apparently some haven't learned from the mistakes of the past.

[ozone84]

5 Deleware committs the same sin, so apparently some haven't learned from the mistakes of the past.

Amen to that.  Maybe this site could host a Hall of Shame section.  Calling out a few projects in this town might raise the bar a bit.  We'll need an award name though.  Any suggestions?

[trailerkid]

Gimmee a break...

You're really going to gripe about this building when there's stuff like Midtown Marketplace and the new Fed:

[scooterj]

Yeah, that 5 Delaware remark had me puzzled too.  My guess is the complaint is about that basement wall along the downhill slope?  Not much you can do with that unless you want to open it up as retail sites for the very short.

[trailerkid]

Yeah, that 5 Delaware remark had me puzzled too.  My guess is the complaint is about that basement wall along the downhill slope?  Not much you can do with that unless you want to open it up as retail sites for the very short.

You can make those basement offices or retail, but you'd just need stairs. I think the point is going a little far though.

[ozone84]

Everything is relative.  In my opinion, giving one project a pass because "at least it's not as bad as" is not what I call striving for excellence.  The instinct to grade on the curve is not conducive to outstanding places.

My problem with 5 Delaware is the context.  The building screams notice me amongst the surrounding older structures.  I would have preferred something more in the flavor of its surroundings.  You don't have to mimic, but you don't have to jam in a 1960's vintage government office building amongst turn of the century structures.

Of course that's just my opinion.  I could be wrong..  Oh f' it.  Who wants pie?  :D/

[trailerkid]

Everything is relative.  In my opinion, giving one project a pass because "at least it's not as bad as" is not what I call striving for excellence.  The instinct to grade on the curve is not conducive to outstanding places.

My problem with 5 Delaware is the context.  The building screams notice me amongst the surrounding older structures.  I would have preferred something more in the flavor of its surroundings.  You don't have to mimic, but you don't have to jam in a 1960's vintage government office building amongst turn of the century structures.

Of course that's just my opinion.  I could be wrong..  Oh f' it.  Who wants pie?  /

I believe El Dorado did 5 Delaware. There's no way you were going to get something that "blended in" with turn of the century with those guys.

[scooterj]

If it blended in, you'd have people on here crying foul that it was fake. 

[Tosspot]

If it blended in, you'd have people on here crying foul that it was fake. 

Not necessarily Scooter. Just this evening after work I was observing what a fantastic job was done with the Quality Hill Quizno's and convenience store/Pizza Hut building on the corner. That building exhibits traits of good urban design, relates well with the context of surrounding buildings, and yet all the while gets away with not being "fake." I imagine this scenario is a very difficult one to achieve, in the purview of the architects, but they did it on this one example.

EDIT: As for 5 Delaware...I've seen better, I've seen worse.

[scooterj]

Point taken.

[ozone84]

EDIT: As for 5 Delaware...I've seen better, I've seen worse.

Not exactly a resounding endorsement!

[trailerkid]

Not exactly a resounding endorsement!

Which probably means its hardly worthy of public scorn and outrage.

[KC0KEK]

That rendering doesn't produce the same effect as when you're walking past it. The blank wall looks a lot bigger when you're walking past it. When I was there over the weekend, I couldn't figure out why the two-thirds of the building closest to the City Market wasn't retail. There's plenty of room for windows in the eastern two-thirds, and the western third could be, say, storage. What will it be now? A parking garage?

[KC0KEK]

My problem with 5 Delaware is the context.  The building screams notice me amongst the surrounding older structures.  I would have preferred something more in the flavor of its surroundings.  You don't have to mimic, but you don't have to jam in a 1960's vintage government office building amongst turn of the century structures.

Agreed.