787 replies to this topic

[JT Boy]

krazeeboi, on May 11 2005, 03:24 PM, said:

Here are the proposed buildings for the initial phase. Quite impressive, I must say.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This really seems like such an exciting opportunity for the USC, the city, and the region.  Although I'm not particularly impressed with the building designs I've seen in the renderings, I am delighted that USC is building all of this in the heart of the city, using existing street grid and lots; that they are building right up to the sidewalk; and that they are building parking garages for the campus and taking over several surface lots.  I'm hoping I like the looks of the buildings better once they are built.

The more surface parking lots that can be built upon downtown the better.  Surface parking lots are just bad, bad, bad ideas and I can't stand them!

[waccamatt]

JT, I believe these are based on a similar design to the USC Fitness Center, which I believe is a beautiful structure. I prefer modern architecture, but I find it to be classical in a modern way, if that makes sense.

[Spartan]

I think Strom (as USC students call it) is a very attractive building. Any biluding that follows that scheme willl look just as good IMO

[JT Boy]

Spartan, on May 18 2005, 10:44 PM, said:

I think Strom (as USC students call it) is a very attractive building. Any biluding that follows that scheme willl look just as good IMO

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do think that the "Strom" is a pleasant looking building; my concern is how this style and design will age.  We all can remember the horrors of the honeycomb dorms at USC (are any of them still standing?), and while the Strom building style will never look that horrible in the future, I am concerned that it will not look great to future generations.  Let's hope it will though, especially since this style will apparently be such a significant presence in the city.  And perhaps there may be a positive cumulative effect from having quite a few buildings close to one another built in the same style; look at the boulevards of Paris after all...

[Spartan]

JT Boy, on May 19 2005, 11:02 AM, said:

I do think that the "Strom" is a pleasant looking building; my concern is how this style and design will age.  We all can remember the horrors of the honeycomb dorms at USC (are any of them still standing?), and while the Strom building style will never look that horrible in the future, I am concerned that it will not look great to future generations.  Let's hope it will though, especially since this style will apparently be such a significant presence in the city.  And perhaps there may be a positive cumulative effect from having quite a few buildings close to one another built in the same style; look at the boulevards of Paris after all...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, the Towers are still there. Fortunately there are plans to tear them down in the next few years to make room for part of the research campus.

You hit the nail on the head with the similar style comment. The university wants to create exactly what you said- an area that you know is USC. Until now, there has been no standard style for on-campus biuldings. They have just been built an random. Now, with this new plan, the new buildings (the Quads, Strom, teh Rsearch campus, etc) will have a similar look and feel to them. You will know when you are in the USC area.

As for aging, I have no idea. I don't see why they wouldn't age well. Certainly it wont be clean and shiny for ever, but then, what building is?

[waccamatt]

A note about Pulaski Street: My employer owns some property on that street, which will be used for future expansions and much of the other property is waiting to be sold by others who are waiting for higher land values. I'm sure within 5 years or so, Pulaski will look much different. (I hope so, anyway)

[JT Boy]

Spartan, on May 19 2005, 09:53 AM, said:

As for aging, I have no idea. I don't see why they wouldn't age well. Certainly it wont be clean and shiny for ever, but then, what building is?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't mean aging poorly in the sense of looking dirty and dingy, I mean aging poorly in the sense that the design does not read well to future generations.  Two recent examples I can think of in Columbia that illustrate this difference are the Richland County Public Library building - which I think will look lovely to future generations, because it was designed and built with skill and care, it performs its function well, and it is just a pleasant space to be in.  Contrast that to the Capitol Center building, which  really doesn't have anything nice to say to anyone (other than "I'm the tallest guy in the class!  Look at me!").  I can't imagine future generations getting worked up over saving it from the wrecking ball.

I hope that the USC buildings will settle into their surroundings nicely and help give a pleasant architectural identity to the university and the city.

[krazeeboi]

The research campus is finally getting some funds to begin construction (aside from the public health building), The State reports. The next step is to find prospective tenants for the buildings. I wonder exactly which companies are being courted? Also, while no towers are planned for the buildings that will comprise the research campus itself, is it possible that at least one new tower could come out of this by means of a company that chooses to conduct research at the campus?

I just thought of this: being that the campus will border Assembly, which handles a great deal of traffic in Columbia (if not the most), could it be that the efforts to revitalize Main Street will eventually nosedive when Assembly begins seeing a lot of foot traffic due to the presence of the research campus? Or will the activity along Assembly only compliment Main Street's revitalization? I should hope it would be the latter.

[Spartan]

I think the research campus on Assembly will increase the foot traffic along S Main (which I would like to see rennovated) for obvious reasons. I don't think it will hinder anything going on along Main St, since it is essentially an office building. Any residential or retail efforts will not be a major part of the research campus.

[sonofaque86]

JT Boy, on May 19 2005, 09:51 PM, said:

Contrast that to the Capitol Center building, which  really doesn't have anything nice to say to anyone (other than "I'm the tallest guy in the class!  Look at me!").  I can't imagine future generations getting worked up over saving it from the wrecking ball.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Edited by sonofaque86, 15 June 2005 - 09:31 PM.

[emerging.me]

Sparty -- did you see the new renderings in the USC Times little while back?? The sketch was of a couple of buildings along the blocks in front of the Colonial Center -- where there are surface lots now. I looked *really* cool. Think Vista Lofts-ish buildings, but with the architectural flavor of Strom and the other drawings we've seen (like of the Hardee's block).

Edited by emerging.me, 15 June 2005 - 09:56 PM.

[krazeeboi]

I was complaining about that parking lot earlier in another thread. It's good to see something good happening with it. By the way, here's a link to that graphic (lower right hand corner). That will be the biomedical block consisting of a USC building, a private building, and a parking deck.

[emerging.me]

krazeeboi, on Jun 16 2005, 04:22 AM, said:

I was complaining about that parking lot earlier in another thread. It's good to see something good happening with it. By the way, here's a link to that graphic (lower right hand corner). That will be the biomedical block consisting of a USC building, a private building, and a parking deck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice! The rendering that was in the USC Times was a street-level scene of, I assume, the same area.

[Spartan]

I have seen many renderings, and the one I was thinking about when I read that is the one that krazeeboi is talking about. I never read the Times, so I would not have seen it there Id like to though.

[krazeeboi]

I know that currently, the focus for the research campus includes the three blocks represented by the rendering (the link I posted). However, what are the long term growth plans for the campus? Is room for expansion one of them? Have other research campuses been studied (e.g., Research Triangle Park in NC) in this regard?

[Spartan]

The plan seems to be centered around (not bounded by) the area of S Main, Blossom, Lincoln and Pendleton. They have said they plan to tear down the Towers and the future of the Coliseum is in question (i think- though it could have been something we were throwing around here). I'll try to do a graphic on this later.

[krazeeboi]

Hmmmm...I'm thinking that the Coliseum should stay, but I'm not sure.

[Spartan]

krazeeboi, on Jun 17 2005, 07:59 PM, said:

Hmmmm...I'm thinking that the Coliseum should stay, but I'm not sure.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why? Other than Inferno Hockey games and high school graduations, and the School of Jouralism, it rarely gets used. I think I heard that the SOJ is going to get its own building soon. I think that Devine St should be restored and some nice new research campus buildings should go in its place lining Assembly and Devine.

[JT Boy]

Spartan, on Jun 17 2005, 06:56 PM, said:

Why? Other than Inferno Hockey games and high school graduations, and the School of Jouralism, it rarely gets used. I think I heard that the SOJ is going to get its own building soon. I think that Devine St should be restored and some nice new research campus buildings should go in its place lining Assembly and Devine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree that the Coliseum should go.  Its a practical building, not an object of beauty, and its oulived its useful life and is taking up a huge chunk of prime real estate for, as you point out, very low rates of use.  I'd much rather see that location filled with mid-rise residential buildings with retail fronting Assembly and Blossom Streets.

[waccamatt]

I understand the points about the Coliseum, but it has a sentimental place in my heart because of the hundreds of USC basketball games I saw there. Also, the Inferno plays a number of games there - not just a few. I vote against razing the Coliseum.