www.yourkcarena.com

supastudio · Post by **supastudio** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 6:08 pm

What is it with the Gehry bashing? People bash Gehry as if he doesn't know how to design buildings. I have posted before that Frank Gehry has won the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, which is equivelant to the Nobel Prize for Architecture. And the arguement that Gehry isn't from KC, thus he doesn't know the area, is bull. HOK, EB, and the other firms with Kansas City offices do most of their designs in other cities. Thats how most large architecture firms work! and they also do something called, research.

People may dislike Gehry's designs, but they do put the city with the Gehry building on the map. Who knew that Bilbao, Spain existed before Gehry designed the Guggenheim museum.

To tell you the truth, I am not a fan of Gehry. But I do remember a quote from Gehry that I follow, He said, "Why give a client something they have already seen, lets give them something new".

KCDevin · Post by **KCDevin** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 7:02 pm

it wasn't Gehry that made Bilbao get more attention. it was the fact that they got a Guggenheim Museum. BTW, I knew it existed.
Kansas City is already on the map bud, we have been for a while.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:21 pm

trailerkid wrote:What about a feature where water slowly streams over the entire surface of the building? It would be very wasteful with water, but would be cool as hell.

That's the exact comment I made at yourkcarena.com! I wanted to see an arena with a water feature that appeared like waterfalls streaming off the entire face of the structure with an awesome lighting effect.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:31 pm

QueSi2Opie wrote:
trailerkid wrote:What about a feature where water slowly streams over the entire surface of the building? It would be very wasteful with water, but would be cool as hell.
That's the exact comment I made at yourkcarena.com! I wanted to see an arena with a water feature that appeared like waterfalls streaming off the entire face of the structure with an awesome lighting effect.

Que...I swear I'm not biting you. The idea actually came after LG said the thing about giant fountains so I thought why not make the entire thing one giant, flowing fountain.

The Gehry Debate:

This is not a Guggenheim Museum. It is not a house. It is not a piece of abstract art. It is a sports arena. The key word is sports. It is a place that should be glitzy, but comfortable and representing the essence of KC. No doubt, Gehry is a fine architect-- maybe even a great one-- time will tell. But Kansas City, the greatest sports city in the world, cannot turn the future crown jewel of the sports world over to Gehry. Let Gehry design anything else he wants in KC, but leave the arena to the sports firms. They have built hundreds of the world's finest arenas and will build something new and promising. They will build an arena to end all arenas. Have faith.

The one time KC gets an opportunity to build an unrivaled sports arena we have to have Gehry and his wacked out designs breeze into town. This project is not for Gehry-- I want a palace dedicated to the decadence and pagentry of sports. Give the sports designers the opportunity to do what they do best and on the grandest scale ever concieved.

Critical_Mass · Post by **Critical_Mass** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:37 pm

Gehry also isn't totally unfamiliar with KC. A majority of the projects he designs get fabricated right here in town by A. Zahner Co.
Go drive by and check out their warehouse/shop at roughly 9th & Lydia, and you may see some Gehry panels out there right now.
Check out Gehry's Chicago Millinieum Park or his Boston MIT design. Both are amazing and both were fabbed right here in town (the exterior metal panels at least). You don't need a specialized sports architecture firm to get a well designed arena. They didn't go to a special school or anything like that. They just found a formula that works and have cashed in on it.
Look at the new Soldier Field in Chicago. Amazing stadium by Boston architects, Wood & Zapata. They don't limit their design capabilities to sports only. That's because they sell design, not a product!!!

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:40 pm

Critical_Mass wrote:Look at the new Soldier Field in Chicago. Amazing stadium by Boston architects, Wood & Zapata. They don't limit their design capabilities to sports only. That's because they sell design, not a product!!!

The new Soldier Field got nailed as being without a soul. Definitely not a good example to use.

Critical_Mass · Post by **Critical_Mass** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:49 pm

I didn't read that critique of Soldier Field anywhere. It's all opinions anyway. I happen to think it is outstanding, and a breathe of fresh air for American stadium design, which had been getting to near cookie-cutter conditions. (How many "historical looking" brick downtown base ball parks can we make?) You know what I'm saying? All stadiums be it football or baseball all look identical, because these firms have perfected their method of delivery. They are maximizing their profits. It's not in their interests to try anything drastically different, because they wouldn't know where to start. We need a fresh breathe here in downtown KC, not a spruced up modern version of Kemper arena.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:52 pm

Critical_Mass wrote:I didn't read that critique of Soldier Field anywhere. It's all opinions anyway. I happen to think it is outstanding, and a breathe of fresh air for American stadium design, which had been getting to near cookie-cutter conditions. (How many "historical looking" brick downtown base ball parks can we make?) You know what I'm saying? All stadiums be it football or baseball all look identical, because these firms have perfected their method of delivery. They are maximizing their profits. It's not in their interests to try anything drastically different, because they wouldn't know where to start. We need a fresh breathe here in downtown KC, not a spruced up modern version of Kemper arena.

Why is everyone assuming they know that we will get something conventional and "done" with the Dream Team. We pretty much know what to expect with Gehry as we know he will try something that looks "out there"... there is no indication whatsoever that the Dream Team will not do something innovative. Why would all the sports architecture firms team up to build something "cookie cutter" ? If they were doing something cookie cutter, they wouldn't team up.

LyRiCaL GanGsTa · Post by **LyRiCaL GanGsTa** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 4:36 pm

trailerkid wrote:
What about a feature where water slowly streams over the entire surface of the building? It would be very wasteful with water, but would be cool as hell.

Que wrote:
That's the exact comment I made at yourkcarena.com! I wanted to see an arena with a water feature that appeared like waterfalls streaming off the entire face of the structure with an awesome lighting effect.

Water!... Water!.... Water! ... streaming, shooting, flying, etc... It's all good. Besides, no other single natural element speaks to athletes like WATER

As far as water on the building, this would make a great coolant in the summer! But we'ed have to shut it off in the winter, what would that be like?

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 7:46 pm

LyRiCaL GanGsTa wrote:As far as water on the building, this would make a great coolant in the summer! But we'ed have to shut it off in the winter, what would that be like?

GIANT ICE CYCLES!!!

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 9:37 pm

Gehry's Weisman museum on the U of Minnesota campus-- the arch of the North...NOT!!!

WoodDraw · Post by **WoodDraw** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 9:46 pm

Does it double as a giant solar panel or something?

GRID · Post by **GRID** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 11:19 pm

The more of Gehry's work I see, the more I don't like it. Go with the local boys and build something the city won't hate in ten years (or when it opens).