7 replies to this topic

[orulz]

Caught this on the Development Mapper.

The rather boring 3-story Pack Place building (built around 1992 or so if I recall correctly) will be torn down and replaced with a larger and very modern, glassy 5-story building. The plaza in front of the building will be reconstructed as well. Most of the complex, including the old library building and the Diana Wortham theater, will be kept pretty much as-is. The Health Adventure will move out to their new location near Broadway & WT Weaver.

I guess I don't have anything against this. The building is far from historic. But part of me also wishes that new construction downtown would go on empty lots, even if what's being demolished is boring postmodern schlock.

See some elevations here.

[thecowgoesmoo]

orulz, on Aug 25 2009, 10:26 AM, said:

I guess I don't have anything against this. The building is far from historic. But part of me also wishes that new construction downtown would go on empty lots, even if what's being demolished is boring postmodern schlock.

That should be fun for downtown traffic.  My only wish is that they'd put something up that was more Asheville like. All glass goes out of style quickly.

[archiham04]

I applaud this ambitious if perhaps not completely landmark-worthy design and welcome the construction on the corner.  This is becoming Asheville's ephemeral corner destined to be demolished and redesigned continually until the end of time.  Does anyone have a link to the castle that once stood there?

Actually, come to think of it, to be true to tradition, the structure should be burned to justify rebuilding it... like the castle and movie theater before it.

Edited by archiham04, 25 August 2009 - 03:55 PM.

[archiham04]

Maybe the castle was replaced by the library.

Edited by archiham04, 25 August 2009 - 03:59 PM.

[orulz]

I always thought that the old library building IS the castle - minus the turret.

[archiham04]

I am pretty sure they are different:


I alsofound this while trolling:

Edited by archiham04, 26 August 2009 - 11:43 AM.

[hauntedheadnc]

Asheville's NIMBY community will unleash the furies of hell once they get wind of this.  People were still beotching about the Pack Place sign up until the day they tore it down.

[hauntedheadnc]

The paper finally got ahold of this story today, complete with a rendering of what the reconstruction would look like.  I like it actually, but then I'm a big fan of juxtaposition.  I love it when the buildings not only don't match, but actively clash with one another.  That kind of dissonance is part of why downtown is so visually vibrant.