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158 Weston SW - Arena Place Mixed-Use Development

John E

By John E
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walker Burg

walker

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All good points about how mediocre this design has turned out to be.  In my opinion the location itself starts off as mediocre - being that it is off the main drags and across a side street from and toward the back-end side of an arena.  If any location could be said to be ideal for a parking ramp, this would be it.  So maybe getting some mixed use attached to a parking ramp is really more than should be expected.  I could never figure why Miller Johnson would want to move there unless someone there is making money off of it.     

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x99
x99

Bears repeating:  That parking is just shamefully ugly.  There needs to be a zoning change, now.  For a city that was a pioneer of form-based zoning, this was a major ball drop.

GRDadof3
GRDadof3

The whole building will probably have to be re-skinned someday, ala Plaza Towers. WTF is going on in this town? Who's okaying this crap? BTW, lovely ass-end of those pickup trucks there.  Do I sp

wingbert
wingbert

I believe a common refrain during most initial architectural review discussions is, "Hmmm... it's nice but, what would really set this building off would be more louvers."   

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x99 Burg

x99

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Someone on an earlier post mentioned that the Gallery never put up the vines like they were supposed to, but when I drove by the other day I started to see vines growing on the lower portion of the building. There is still hope!

 

 

Hope?   Not so much.  I think the idea just plain doesn't work.  Beyond that, it flat out looks stupid.  Seriously--a downtown building in the urban hardscape covered in vines?  Who even thought this was a good idea?  This whole project is a badly designed pile of ugly.  The ramp just adds insult to injury.  Urban! Modern! Green! Trendy!  Whoop-De-Do.  That doesn't make it visually interesting or enduring. We cleared out the trees and vines to make was for a cityscape for a reason.  Is it supposed to make me feel good about myself because someone covered a crappy looking parking ramp in a bunch of unkempt vines?

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  The professional parking ramp companies design more attractive, enduring buildings than the majority of our local architects can design an occupied building.  To wit, see the attachments.  This is how you do a parking ramp, courtesy of parking ramps architects extraordinaire, Rich and Associates (the wizards behind the Ellis ramp and I suspect the Monroe Center ramp) and I'll bet the cost isn't much more--if any more.

post-22351-0-56154600-1408737298_thumb.j

post-22351-0-59827800-1408737308_thumb.j

post-22351-0-79418000-1408737318_thumb.j

post-22351-0-17999300-1408737332_thumb.j

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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I think those types of vines take years to fill in.

 

The vines on the diocese parking ramp are completely filled in.

 

I don't know why the UICA did not take. I think the system might not be working properly and with ownerhship change/upheaval, no one has bothered to call the company that installed it. Maybe..

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Hope?   Not so much.  I think the idea just plain doesn't work.  Beyond that, it flat out looks stupid.  Seriously--a downtown building in the urban hardscape covered in vines?  Who even thought this was a good idea?  This whole project is a badly designed pile of ugly.  The ramp just adds insult to injury.  Urban! Modern! Green! Trendy!  Whoop-De-Do.  That doesn't make it visually interesting or enduring. We cleared out the trees and vines to make was for a cityscape for a reason.  Is it supposed to make me feel good about myself because someone covered a crappy looking parking ramp in a bunch of unkempt vines?

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  The professional parking ramp companies design more attractive, enduring buildings than the majority of our local architects can design an occupied building.  To wit, see the attachments.  This is how you do a parking ramp, courtesy of parking ramps architects extraordinaire, Rich and Associates (the wizards behind the Ellis ramp and I suspect the Monroe Center ramp) and I'll bet the cost isn't much more--if any more.

 

 

I think they were done by Carl Walker actually. They do nice work.

 

http://www.carlwalker.com/projects/new-parking-structures/

 

I like the green wall structures, when they're done correctly. It provides some diversity into the hardscape.

 

So has anyone noticed the beginnings of any tower crane bases on this project?

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ironyisadeadscene Hamlet

ironyisadeadscene

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I think they were done by Carl Walker actually. They do nice work.

 

http://www.carlwalker.com/projects/new-parking-structures/

 

I like the green wall structures, when they're done correctly. It provides some diversity into the hardscape.

 

So has anyone noticed the beginnings of any tower crane bases on this project?

Actually, it looks like there will be one. Don't quote me on that, but that is what it looks like.

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x99 Burg

x99

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I think they were done by Carl Walker actually. They do nice work.

 

http://www.carlwalker.com/projects/new-parking-structures/

 

I am fairly certain the Ellis ramp was a Rich project.  But, you're definitely right on the Monroe Center Ramp.  They also did the JW ramp.  I hadn't been aware of Carl Walker, but perusing their website, they do some very nice work as well.  They don't seem to have quite as many nice looking ramps as Rich, but still quite a few.  Their MSU Grand River ramp is a piece of artwork so far as parking ramps go. 

 

I think the "green screen" parking is an interesting idea, but to my eyes it typically hasn't integrated well.  Perhaps it's just the executions so far, but I haven't cared for it.  It isn't that I enjoy poo-pooing projects, but many of them lately just haven't been that good.  I supposed I'm just not sophisticated enough to fall in love with some of this "modern" architecture that seems to draw on concrete bunkers, industrial warehouses, post-war quonset huts, and concrete remesh for inspiration.  Meh.  It just irritates me that warehouses and utilitarian buildings of 110 years ago and, arguably, good parking ramps of today are often more visually interesting and architecturally coherent than a modern "blue chip" office building.

 

On the upside, the architect's use of a strong, bold grey outline around the window curtain walls was positively inspired!!!  And cutting a big chunk out of one of the corners of the building?  OMgZ!! Where DO They come up with this stuff!!! And with those vine thingies, the whole building will look like it's floating on a giant bush!1!!!1!  OMGx2!!!1!!!11!  Do I smell a Pritzker Prize!?!!    That better, Regal?  :)

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RegalTDP Burg

RegalTDP

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On the upside, the architect's use of a strong, bold grey outline around the window curtain walls was positively inspired!!!  And cutting a big chunk out of one of the corners of the building?  OMgZ!! Where DO They come up with this stuff!!! And with those vine thingies, the whole building will look like it's floating on a giant bush!1!!!1!  OMGx2!!!1!!!11!  Do I smell a Pritzker Prize!?!!    That better, Regal?  :)

 

OMG LOLZ <3  :P

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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I am fairly certain the Ellis ramp was a Rich project.  But, you're definitely right on the Monroe Center Ramp.  They also did the JW ramp.  I hadn't been aware of Carl Walker, but perusing their website, they do some very nice work as well.  They don't seem to have quite as many nice looking ramps as Rich, but still quite a few.  Their MSU Grand River ramp is a piece of artwork so far as parking ramps go. 

 

I think the "green screen" parking is an interesting idea, but to my eyes it typically hasn't integrated well.  Perhaps it's just the executions so far, but I haven't cared for it.  It isn't that I enjoy poo-pooing projects, but many of them lately just haven't been that good.  I supposed I'm just not sophisticated enough to fall in love with some of this "modern" architecture that seems to draw on concrete bunkers, industrial warehouses, post-war quonset huts, and concrete remesh for inspiration.  Meh.  It just irritates me that warehouses and utilitarian buildings of 110 years ago and, arguably, good parking ramps of today are often more visually interesting and architecturally coherent than a modern "blue chip" office building.

 

On the upside, the architect's use of a strong, bold grey outline around the window curtain walls was positively inspired!!!  And cutting a big chunk out of one of the corners of the building?  OMgZ!! Where DO They come up with this stuff!!! And with those vine thingies, the whole building will look like it's floating on a giant bush!1!!!1!  OMGx2!!!1!!!11!  Do I smell a Pritzker Prize!?!!    That better, Regal?  :)

 

Heh. :)

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arcturus Burg

arcturus

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Driving on 196 EB at the spot overlooking downtown (which by the way offers some great photo opps at sunset right now because of the sun's angle), it dawned on me that this project will be the first to alter, albeit slightly, the skyline since 2008.  Kind of disappointing when you think of it.

 

At least we're seeing many of the existing structures filling up which is the first step I guess. 

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MJLO City

MJLO

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Driving on 196 EB at the spot overlooking downtown (which by the way offers some great photo opps at sunset right now because of the sun's angle), it dawned on me that this project will be the first to alter, albeit slightly, the skyline since 2008.  Kind of disappointing when you think of it.

 

At least we're seeing many of the existing structures filling up which is the first step I guess. 

 

Yeah we were definitely spoiled from 05-11 from all the changes.  There's still a tremendous amount of changes going on a street level which is just as vital :)  Just not as visible. 

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