New City Hall for Spartanburg?

[Spartan]

The City of Spartanburg has a new city hall in the works, but its not a top priority right now. But as you can read here, these Clemson architecture students have come up with some interesting ideas. I'm hoping that the hard copy of the paper will have some pictures.

Students have designs on City Hall

By Teresa Killian | Staff Writer | The Herald-Journal

Spartanburg Mayor Bill Barnet will not be playing tennis on the roof of a revamped Montgomery Building anytime soon.

But he enjoyed that sky-is-the-limit idea, one of many that six Clemson University architecture students shared as part of their visions for a new City Hall in Spartanburg.

For their Senior Architecture Design Studio projects, they collectively invested hundreds of hours researching and creating sketches, layouts and models.

What they came up with was fresh -- mixing government offices with retail uses, landscaping or galleries to draw the public into the public building.

"It is interesting to see they are not just redesigning Spartanburg's City Hall but also what a city hall is," said Jack Miller, architectural manager with Lockwood Greene in Spartanburg.

Yuji Kishimoto, a Clemson University professor who worked with the students, said what he found exciting was six individuals came up with six totally different ideas.

Spartanburg native Robert Price, 21, dreamed of mingling traditional with contemporary design at a new city hall along Church Street.

The rendering featured columns like a conventional government building but also an unusual circular wing where City Council would meet.

JaiLynne Bean, 21, proposed breathing new life back into the historic Montgomery Building with government offices -- and apartments, artwork, a gym and tennis and racquetball courts on parts of the roof. She suggested renovating the theater for many community uses, including council meetings.

Natalie Gambill, 21, suggested locating some city offices in the heart of the city, Morgan Square. Her design featured public space from a lawn next to City Hall to the roof, accessible to visitors. The mayor could give an address there.

"It could be pretty cool," Gambill said.

Presentations from seniors 21-year-old Julian Lemon, 22-year-old Kevin Kievet, and 21-year-old Jennifer Lands ranged from putting City Hall in an infill area to crafting a transparent walkway between buildings.

Though a new city hall is not the city's top priority, there is a need, Barnet said after a crowded, hot council meeting Monday.

"These architectural students began to whet our appetite for the possibility of a new facility," he said.

http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art.../411230354/1051