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Amway Grand Plaza Facelift

Allison Slater

By Allison Slater
in Grand Rapids

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Allison Slater Town

Allison Slater

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https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/amway-grand-plaza-hotel-to-get-40m-facelift/1401282933

"The renovation will include new lighter tinted glass. Amway said the most visible change to the tower will be the color of the glass, which will look lighter in shade from street level and more transparent for guests. It will also be slightly reflective.

The top three floors of the tower will have a new slight variation in glass panel size and lighting. Amway says the new design element will highlight the angled roof profile of the structure."

Amway%20Grand%20glass%20tower%20renderin

Also are some of those towers in the background just artistic liberty or do they know something we don't? (East of McKay although McKay seems to be missing, East of Calder Plaza.. probably artistic license since McKay doesn't seem to be there at all.)

From the rendering alone I'm not sure it really highlights the angle, more like dilutes it. It emphasizes a flat separation between the top and the rest. Nothing stands out against a light sky better than a dark tower. That said, I think this might look pretty good, and the night shots, if they turn out like the renderings, look especially cool.

Edited by tSlater
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RegalTDP
RegalTDP

I think it'll be this:

jthrasher
jthrasher

Here's a shot I took last weekend

arcturus
arcturus

Is it just me or does it look like an alien blockhead king granting knighthood to a kneeling Marriot?

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mpchicago Burg

mpchicago

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Love this!   Will basically make it a brand new tower.  

1) I love transparent glass.

2) love how the top floor will have what appears to be a beacon like feature, with different glass and uplighting.

3) Never loved the rough concrete base.  Glad to see they are updating.

4) Appears it will have a variation in the glass down the length of the building along the river.  I like it!

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GVSUChris Hamlet

GVSUChris

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Oh my gosh THIS is the kind of stuff I love. Sometimes I just get such a kick out of dated buildings getting a really striking new look. In this case, it will almost feel like to outsiders in particular that a high-rise was built not too long ago. I am also glad that they are addressing that horrible concrete base and adding a live wall. Let's just add this to the long list of fun things to watch downtown! 

Edited by GVSUChris
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GRLaker Hamlet

GRLaker

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5 minutes ago, GVSUChris said:

https://www.grbj.com/articles/91429-amway-grand-plaza-plans-40m-renovation

This article says it will be "slightly taller" which makes me laugh because I can't imagine what that even means. Inches? Feet? And how and why? This makes me want the convention center hotel all the more just to add to the "newness" feel of that area. 

 

The roof is likely angled a bit more.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Lovvvvvve it!  Here are a couple more of the images. Do we think the addition of so many other hotel options downtown is spurring this? I have to say that staying at a hotel at Studio Park might be a bit more fun than staying at the AGP, especially for wedding parties maybe. Just a thought. 

 190946473_AGPrenovationbase.jpg.4ea6cdddc66dde0fecd4155fab570c7a.jpg

1248839061_AGPrenovationatnight.jpg.5bcc199748ef99d9393666eed7344ff5.jpg

 

 

1 hour ago, mpchicago said:

I bet they will need a tower crane :yahoo:

LOL my heart just skipped a beat. 

1 hour ago, GRLaker said:

The new tower looks like it's at the site of the state building. I'm sure the state wouldn't actually invest its money into making something nice.

Actually I think it looks like it's at Calder Plaza or very nearby (5/3 bank parking lot). McKay Tower seems to have been cut into a 1/3. 

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mpchicago Burg

mpchicago

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37 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

Lovvvvvve it!  Here are a couple more of the images. Do we think the addition of so many other hotel options downtown is spurring this? I have to say that staying at a hotel at Studio Park might be a bit more fun than staying at the AGP, especially for wedding parties maybe. Just a thought. 

 

 

This will definitely make the AGP more competitive, but they already have built-in customers as it's a convention hotel.  I think the floor to ceiling glass will be pretty cool from the rooms.   The current AGP glass reminds me of the curtain wall they are putting up at Warner Tower, which I think is disappointing,

Edited by mpchicago
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GR8scott Burg

GR8scott

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Not bad, would like to see some contrasting or at least diversity in the all dark blue river lined glass towers. I wonder if the effect here is actually minimizing the slant and also making it appear shorter? I’ve been telling them for years they should paint the ugly dark green roof and put a light bar around the top to accentuate it. 

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kwl Whistle-Stop

kwl

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4 hours ago, ironyisadeadscene said:

New tower(s) in the background?

 

3 hours ago, ironyisadeadscene said:

So this is just artistic improvisation? Dang, thought maybe it was a eye to the future 

 

3 hours ago, GRLaker said:

The new tower looks like it's at the site of the state building. I'm sure the state wouldn't actually invest its money into making something nice.

Could just be interpretation. Pearl seems to job left which isn't accurate. Also, seems to be outdated rendering of 250 Monroe. If it's actually an unintended leak, it could point towards a tower at the Ellis lot behind McKay tower. The tower behind the Calder Plaza is tough to judge. Or perhaps something replacing 320 Ottawa. 

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Allison Slater Town

Allison Slater

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2 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Lovvvvvve it!  Here are a couple more of the images. Do we think the addition of so many other hotel options downtown is spurring this? I have to say that staying at a hotel at Studio Park might be a bit more fun than staying at the AGP, especially for wedding parties maybe. Just a thought. 

 190946473_AGPrenovationbase.jpg.4ea6cdddc66dde0fecd4155fab570c7a.jpg

1248839061_AGPrenovationatnight.jpg.5bcc199748ef99d9393666eed7344ff5.jpg

 

 

LOL my heart just skipped a beat. 

Actually I think it looks like it's at Calder Plaza or very nearby (5/3 bank parking lot). McKay Tower seems to have been cut into a 1/3. 

It seemed to me that it's actually at the site of a small 2 storey office building that looks almost like a UFO next to the state building on the east side of Ottawa. 

I wonder if the 1/3 of McKay is actually something on the Ellis lot behind it and the McKay was omitted so as to show it.

 

And then it also looks like the grcc parking ramp has doubled in height. Maybe pipe dreams of the architect that they'd like to see visualized?

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WMrapids Hamlet

WMrapids

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Here are some higher quality images. Don’t read into these too seriously because it looks like they leveled Belknap Hill and replaced it with old random images of the city (you can see the Custer building, Union Station, etc.) I don’t think there will be a casino on Medical Mile any time soon either.

572FA432-098C-495F-96F0-3103B2AA11E9.thumb.jpeg.4cf3d2aefe69883837ead4fd492bd605.jpeg790C95DA-4454-429A-8F1F-0500A1F475EA.thumb.jpeg.d7588a95342407555537da8bc5d98ea1.jpeg4E67F477-C492-42F2-9822-331CA1426DD0.thumb.jpeg.cae11769e0938d3ecfdd06f126270be8.jpeg

Edited by WMrapids
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