Federal Courthouse, 6 & 8 stories, 276,000 sq. ft.,

[rookzie]

..The Vauxhall would have been a nice "keystone" dark-brick Romanesque Revival, large examples of which still frequently are found in the larger Midwestern and Northeastern cities.  While it might not have had to come down when it did, I think of a more insult to an injury as being the records library and garage added later at Ninth and McGavock, making the otherwise simplistic post-war modern Kefauver Bldg, look as if it had been tacked onto, something obviously not an uncommon practice with federal funding.  Given the age of the Vauxhall, and the construction practices back then, for the sake of preservation and enhancement of structural integrity, it most likely would have needed possibly a complete gutting of the interior superstructure, in a manner similar to what was done in 1964-'65 to Fisk University's Jubilee Hall (blt 1875), where the load-bearing exterior walls were stabilized, to make way for a complete reconstruction of the interior with reinforced flooring and walls.  ..Just sayin'.  I do not know the events which ultimately led to the fate of the Vauxhall, but it likely had been a fire-trap, prior to its being razed, particularly during a period when ousting the old for the new was starting to come into vogue. -==-

Edited December 4, 2015 by rookzie

[Paramount747]

On December 3, 2015 at 10:19:58 PM, rookzie said:

..The Vauxhall would have been a nice "keystone" dark-brick Romanesque Revival, large examples of which still frequently are found in the larger Midwestern and Northeastern cities.  While it might not have had to come down when it did, I think of a more insult to an injury as being the records library and garage added later at Ninth and McGavock, making the otherwise simplistic post-war modern Kefauver Bldg, look as if it had been tacked onto, something obviously not an uncommon practice with federal funding.  Given the age of the Vauxhall, and the construction practices back then, for the sake of preservation and enhancement of structural integrity, it most likely would have needed possibly a complete gutting of the interior superstructure, in a manner similar to what was done in 1964-'65 to Fisk University's Jubilee Hall (blt 1875), where the load-bearing exterior walls were stabilized, to make way for a complete reconstruction of the interior with reinforced flooring and walls.  ..Just sayin'.  I do not know the events which ultimately led to the fate of the Vauxhall, but it likely had been a fire-trap, prior to its being razed, particularly during a period when ousting the old for the new was starting to come into vogue. -==-

Agreed. Sometimes no mater how much the hysterical society goes into a hissy fit, some buildings just cant be save. They are a safety hazard. If you walk by the UMPH demolition, you can smell the mold, mildew, and musty smells of a very sick building. Architecture can be like fine wine and age with beauty, and other times it can age like an Apple II computer. As with technology, buildings are subject to improvements on a constant basis, and if they cannot live up to societal standards that can last 50-100 years, they come down and I do not have a problem with it.

[Nashville Cliff]

There was a Channel 5 cameraman filming the proposed courthouse site this morning. I asked if he had an update and he said there is a new rendering that they will feature on the news at 6.

[rookzie]

13 minutes ago, Nashville Cliff said:

There was a Channel 5 cameraman filming the proposed courthouse site this morning. I asked if he had an update and he said there is a new rendering that they will feature on the news at 6.

It'll probably look like this:

US Federal Bldg (a block east of L.A. City Hall)

-==-

 

[Nathan_in_DC]

2 hours ago, rookzie said:

It'll probably look like this:

 

US Federal Bldg (a block east of L.A. City Hall)

-==-

 

Why not another one of these?? 

 

[Paramount747]

I hear it's Travis Kelty's guitar shaped building.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Nathan_in_DC said:

 

Why not another one of these?? 

 

 

That is a gorgeous complex, but it was not build by the feds...they got a deal so good even they could not mess it up! ^^^

Edited December 14, 2015 by Guest

[TNinVB]

There is an article on NC5 about a possible delay due to the budget.  The renderings shown look a little different I think.

[dmillsphoto]

1 minute ago, TNinVB said:

There is an article on NC5 about a possible delay due to the budget.  The renderings shown look a little different I think.

[fieldmarshaldj]

^The exterior still looks like a 1990s Hampton Inn Suites. Fail.

[smeagolsfree]

The last one is from the opposite side and we have not seen that one before.

[Guest]

That will be my balcony view....if they get off the pot.

[markhollin]

Here is the video of the report from NewsChannel 5:

http://www.newschannel5.com/news/proposed-new-federal-courthouse-could-be-slowed-federal-budget-problems?autoplay=true

[nashvillwill]

Is that a m0th3r F***ing surface parking lot on the back?!?!

[dmillsphoto]

7 minutes ago, nashvillwill said:

Is that a m0th3r F***ing surface parking lot on the back?!?!

[BnaBreaker]

17 minutes ago, nashvillwill said:

Is that a m0th3r F***ing surface parking lot on the back?!?!

To be fair, I think this is one of those buildings that will look better than the rendering.  But I'm not going to lie.  The above was exactly my reaction as well.  I can't believe this garbage is what they're making us wait twenty years for. 

This is the courthouse Buffalo is getting.  We get a Comfort Inn with a surface parking lot. 

Edited December 15, 2015 by BnaBreaker

[MLBrumby]

I thought Nashville had a "design center" that served as an advocacy for good architecture... conversely, would this eyesore be something they might take up as a cause to protest?  

[UTgrad09]

The design is meh, but what really bothers me is the color. Put a deep red brick exterior on it with limestone accents and it's 10x better. 

Or just get the folks designing and building the new additions at Belmont to do it.

[rookzie]

42 minutes ago, MLBrumby said:

I thought Nashville had a "design center" that served as an advocacy for good architecture... conversely, would this eyesore be something they might take up as a cause to protest?  

...like, picketing and then building some cheap-ass looking replicas and burning them as if they were the C-H in effigy.

 

But UTgrad has a valid point.  With the use of architectural accents and color combos, even the existing design (while severely dated) actually could become half snazzy, if one has a sufficient amount of optimism.  Just think back in the far distant past when no fewer than half of us mail-ordered some tacky-ass automotive accessory from a J.C. Whitney catalog and stuck it on our beat-up first clonker, and then had the nerve to be proud of it.  Just saying... -==-

Edited December 15, 2015 by rookzie

[CenterHill]

4 hours ago, fieldmarshaldj said:

^The exterior still looks like a 1990s Hampton Inn Suites. Fail.

I see more of a 1960's hospital.    On one side the hospital is in Ancient Greece.   On the other it's in Italy.   Pisa, to be exact (as in home of the leaning tower).  

[farm_boy]

5 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

The last one is from the opposite side and we have not seen that one before.

Yes, we have seen that before, but it has been a long time ago

 

[fieldmarshaldj]

6 hours ago, CenterHill said:

I see more of a 1960's hospital.    On one side the hospital is in Ancient Greece.   On the other it's in Italy.   Pisa, to be exact (as in home of the leaning tower).  

That's even worse. A 1960s hospital with a schizophrenic architectural mishmosh. The sheds on top really scream classy, too. But, hey, at least it has a parking lot on a corner of a prime piece of real estate. Just screams "government brilliance."

[samsonh]

1 hour ago, fieldmarshaldj said:

That's even worse. A 1960s hospital with a schizophrenic architectural mishmosh. The sheds on top really scream classy, too. But, hey, at least it has a parking lot on a corner of a prime piece of real estate. Just screams "government brilliance."

Parking lot is almost certainly there for security reasons. Also, the gubmint didn't design the building, a private sector architect did, and you know this;)

[CenterHill]

The first 2-3 levels seem to be enclosed parking, which instantly makes for a lifeless street presence, as does the surface lot on 7th and the big lawn on 8th.     And poor Commerce Street once again gets the shaft, just when it is on the verge of seeing some activation with the NCC project.     

And seriously, why the little tower on a box set against a blank wall?    What possible purpose does that element serve for the federal judiciary?  

Sorry to be so negative.     We truly need an upgrade to the federal courts and they need to be in the CBD, but for god's sake let's design something that will contribute, not detract from, the urban landscape for the next half century.   

 

 

[MLBrumby]

The more I look at this, the more I despise it.  But might as well go ahead and get used to the idea that this will be there in fifty years or so.