OFFICIAL - Arena construction

[KCN]

The article mentioned the water feature I think

[tat2kc]

The plan is to keep the water feature at this time.  Would that detract from the pedestrian interaction on the street or add to it? 

[KCN]

As long as it involves sidewalks/benches around it, I'd imagine a cool water feature would add to pedestrian interaction, with people sitting to relax and watch it, posing for pictures in front of it, etc. 

[im2kull]

Let me clear some things up here,

I dont like the "new" design, or at least the picture that shows it as a giant twinkie.  I would take the other concepts shown over the giant yellow hued glass one.  I dont like the idea of using multi colored yellow glass.  It seems like the artists were in 60's withdrawl while making that one.  The other designs are OK looking.  I was really expecting the DADT to dream up something that was really mind blowing...after knocking out Gehry.  The glass exterior I support fully, but they're saying to reduce costs they will consider alternative's ...like using steel panels. 
I think that they need to be really carefull to make the building look unique and inspiring, if they do go the cheaper rout.  The panels will help it achieve a LEED rating, which is a goal...so there good, but if mis-used, we could end up with a building that looks more like a plastered together building, than an arena.  Steel panels break up lines and add new elements to the design, but they can also backfire on designers.  We don't want the arena to look like a block of swiss cheese from far away.  There are many important things to consider with all their cost cutting, especially since our arena will be viewed from all 360*.
All the drawings they have shown us are all still being worked on.  They have already stripped the light feature, and redesigned the shape we all originally had invisioned.  Who's to say we won't see more major changes, good or bad, off this "pillow" design.  Everything is still up in the air.  I really doubt we will have this arena done by 2007, many large buildings take much longer to build.  Who knows what kind of shortcuts and corners they will cut by the time we arrive at a final design?  I guess I'm just mad because of all the cost cutting already happening.  $250 million should be plenty, even with demo'ing and buying land.  We should be asking how this design is soo overbudget, whereas Canseco Fieldhouse was built for $183 million, and holds 18,300.  Hopefully the interior will be the showcase.

[ComandanteCero]

The plan is to keep the water feature at this time.  Would that detract from the pedestrian interaction on the street or add to it? 

well i'd think it would enhance things, especially if it is an awesome fountain during the summer, and a skating rink during the winter..... was that an idea thrown around here, or something officially discussed (the fountain/skatingrink double use)?

[Dominic]

My first impression was that it looked like a docked zeppelin without a mooring tower.  But as I look at the other renderings, I like it.
I think that it will complement the buildings around it.
The lighting will be the crucial feature.

[Gladstoner]

From a distance, this design doesn't do much for me, mainly that the swerve pulls your eye downward from left to right, which gives in a feeling of loss of energy. It would be better to have the swerve go up from left to right to give more of a lifting and energizing feeling. It's just matter of how we are trained to "read" from left to right. I guess from the inside you will get the rising feeling as the perspective will be reversed.

Good catch. They should reverse the direction. Little things like that do have an effect.

[KCPowercat]

2kull...what year was Concesco built again?  There are talks of construction costs going up 20% in just one year.

You are right this is still a work in progress.  The exterior lighting features are still apart of the talks.

I do hope the use of steel panels is limited but not sure I can imagine what it would look like either way.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the color.  LIke you said, still very much a work in progress.

[moderne]

     Looking at the rendering with the rather smallish glass panels, I was reminded of leaded glass.  Then I looked up and saw the sunburst design crystalline glass in the lantern of the Power and Light.  How could the Sprint glass be made to relate or connect to this?

[ComandanteCero]

I agree lighting is going to be CRUCIAL in determining what impact this building will have at night.

i don't think you need exterior lights shining on the building as much as make the windows be patterned or colored in such a way as to take advantage of interior lighting coming out.  in other words it should "glow" in an interesting way.  I think a similar swirling building of glass is the 30 St. Mary building in London (aka The Gherkin), the swirling ofers an interesting pattern on the windows night and day.



(here's a link with more pics at emporis that show other day and night views
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=100089 )

I'd suggest some kind of lighting system behind the metal framework of the windows so that there wouldn't be direct light as much as this glowing that refracted out.  Maybe even have the lights timed so this glowing did a gentle fluctuating rythm following the window patterns.  Am i making sense?

edit: i gues it's a glass curtain, with no framework on the windows, so maybe just some strategically placed LED's following the pattern, making the afore mentioned rythmic glowing.

[GRID]

Now that is an ugly ass building

[Tosspot]

Now that is an ugly ass building

I beg to differ. That photo may not be the best photo ever taken of it, but it's quite an iconic building that adds to London's burgeoning modern skyline.

[GRID]

I beg to differ. That photo may not be the best photo ever taken of it, but it's quite an iconic building that adds to London's burgeoning modern skyline.

I know, I see it all the time in the London skyline, but for some reason, I can't stand it.

[Gladstoner]

One thing about a curved, all-glass exterior is how the arena's appearance will change depending on the lighting and weather conditions and the viewing angle.

[MidtownCat]

One thing about a curved, all-glass exterior is how the arena's appearance will change depending on the lighting and weather conditions and the viewing angle.

Exactly.  That is precisely why I believe this is going to be an extraordinary building when it is completed.  The visual character of the facade will be continually fluxuating as the sun-cycle transitions throughout the day.  At times it will read as completely opaque, at times transparent, and possibly the most dramatic at dusk when the interior illumates the bowl within and it is radiating with light.

 

[mister816]

YEA.... EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE BUT THAT IS AN UGLY PIECE OF SHIT... Id rather have the "cookie cutter" design.

[KCPowercat]

YEA.... EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE BUT THAT IS AN UGLY PIECE OF SHIT... Id rather have the "cookie cutter" design.

Couldn't have guessed that.  I'll take something that brings out emotion either way.....not one that just fades into the background.

[LenexatoKCMO]

True.  There aren't really many noteworthy arena buildings out there in the first place.  I think this thing is striking enough that people will talk about it outside of KC which is a heck of a lot more than can be said about most arenas. 

Personally I thinksome of the renderings are much more attractive than others so I think it will hinge on some of the detail decisions such as the surface material. 

[GRID]

True.  There aren't really many noteworthy arena buildings out there in the first place.  I think this thing is striking enough that people will talk about it outside of KC which is a heck of a lot more than can be said about most arenas. 

Personally I thinksome of the renderings are much more attractive than others so I think it will hinge on some of the detail decisions such as the surface material. 

True, and you also must remember that they are now putting thier effort into the "design" rather than the "renderings".  I think if they really wanted to, they could make the current design look just as dramatic as the original in a rendering, but they are now being more realistic.  It could go the other  way as well, the first renderings could turn out like real crap in real life becasue most of the effects of the renderings were obviously computer generated and were not going to be duplicated in real life.

Personally, I think the latest renderings look great and I think the final building will actually look much better than those renderings.  As somebody mentioned, I think it will be the most dramtic from the sidewalks of downtown.

And it is differnt than any arena I have seen.

[KC0KEK]

2kull...what year was Concesco built again?  There are talks of construction costs going up 20% in just one year.

It opened in '98 or '99, so figure that the steel was purchased in '96 or '97. Steel prices have gone up a lot in the past decade, so that's probably one big reason for the cost increase.