Travel observations and new developments of other cities and countries

[chris holman]

Interesting article on the residents of Austin are not happy with the crown of the independent building .

"Petition · Fix the Crown on the Independent Austin · Change.org" https://www.change.org/p/the-independent-austin-fix-the-crown-on-the-independent-austin

 

The top of the Independent Austin looks unfinished and is a stunning disappointment to an otherwise well executed skyscraper.  This campaign is to encourage both the architects and builders of The Independent to address this issue and correct their mistake. This building will stand in Austin for 100+ years and now is the time to do something about this poorly executed top.  The Independent is an award winning design and otherwise beautiful skyscraper; what could be the crowning achievement of Austin is simply not.

https://fixthecrown.org/

Edited December 8, 2019 by chris holman

[donNdonelson2]

So are these concerned residents also starting an online fundraiser to pay for the fix they so desperately desire? (Remember the phrase “put up or shut up?”)

[smeagolsfree]

It now shows that common folks are starting to give a crap about the lack of imagination and obtuse behaivior of a number of architects, thinking they know whats is best when in reality the designs may not stand the test of time as many of the structures of the 70's have.

Maybe it will serve as a wake up call. Sometimes something that is new and cutting edge is not really what is needed or wanted. They pitch it as wow, that looks cool and different, but fail to understand it may be a visual failure. 

In a lot of ways I think architects need to let common folks vote on a lot more of the designs and do a lot more visual marketing to see what is really visually appealing.  I dont mean to step on toes here, just to say there may be a better way to test the visual appeal of new designs.

[chris holman]

21 minutes ago, smeagolsfree said:

It now shows that common folks are starting to give a crap about the lack of imagination and obtuse behaivior of a number of architects, thinking they know whats is best when in reality the designs may not stand the test of time as many of the structures of the 70's have.

Maybe it will serve as a wake up call. Sometimes something that is new and cutting edge is not really what is needed or wanted. They pitch it as wow, that looks cool and different, but fail to understand it may be a visual failure. 

In a lot of ways I think architects need to let common folks vote on a lot more of the designs and do a lot more visual marketing to see what is really visually appealing.  I dont mean to step on toes here, just to say there may be a better way to test the visual appeal of new designs.

I agree with you 

[donNdonelson2]

Just back from a trip to Houston to visit friends who work for Houston Ballet, and see their beautiful production of The Nutcracker. I noticed a striking new parking garage near the Worthan Theatre Center (home of Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera).  Here are a couple of photos of the Worthan lobby, the obligatory shot of the show curtain & program, plus photos of the Lyric Garage (promoted as the most technologically advanced garage in the world). Two of the garage photos are my own, others from the web. (The ground floor is designed for retail/restaurant space, but is unoccupied at this point. The chatter at the ballet is that it is intended as a food hall.)
http://www.lyricgarage.com/

Edited December 15, 2019 by donNdonelson2

[MLBrumby]

Sorry, but one of THE UGLIEST downtowns in America. 

[donNdonelson2]

Houston might not win the title in a beauty contest, but she DOES have her redeeming qualities. (A few photos from the web) Now I’ll be the first to concede that the condition of Houston’s streets and their traffic congestion is UGLY! Otherwise, beauty’s where you find it...in Houston as in most other cities. 

[markhollin]

The Avore de Natal da Lagoa, also known as The Rio Tree, that floats around the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. It has had a different variation and theme each year since its debut in 1996. Usually stands around 250 feet tall and features millions of lights. Its lighting ceremony is one of the biggest events in the nation every year behind Carnival and New Year's Eve.

Merry Christmas, everyone!   : )

[AsianintheNations]

Just got back from my trip to Taipei to visit my relatives there. I didn’t have too much time to snap photos (and was using an older phone that struggles with exposure times), but I thought I would share a few shots of the city (feel free to scroll past my wall of text talking about my observations on the urban layout).

Taipei is at the northern end of a very large contiguous urban area extending down the western portion of the island and sits in a valley (The Taipei Basin, crossed by the Tamsui river and its tributaries). The city proper has a population of 2.6 million in just over 100 square miles (hence, density of ~25,000/square mile) and is entirely surrounded by the municipality of New Taipei City, which covers about 800 square miles (much of which is mountainous) and has a population of 4.0 million.

The bulk of Taipei is laid out on a rough grid consisting of enormous blocks measuring ~0.5 km x 0.5 km, bounded by large “roads” about the size of West End Ave, many of which carry hefty (or tacky, depending on your point of view) names such as traditional Confucian values (e.g. Ren’ai Rd. = Benevolence; Zhongxiao Rd. = Loyalty and Filial Piety) and The Three Principles of the People [Minzu; Minsheng; Minquan; collectively San Min] roughly corresponding to Lincoln’s “government of the people, by the people, for the people” (originally named back when the Republic of China wasn’t exactly a beacon of democracy, but arguably realized in modern-day democratic Taiwan).

These large roads are subdivided into 2-3 lane sections by uninterrupted medians, which separate through traffic, local traffic, and dedicated bus lanes. There are normal sidewalks as well as typically a second functional sidewalk formed by having the first floor carved out of every building, creating a nice sheltered arcade in front of the storefronts that is elevated to avoid flooding. The subway lines also tend to run under the large roads, which made construction simpler by allowing a cut-and-cover approach rather than tunnel-boring.

The large blocks are carved up by “Lanes” (slightly wider than alleys, without consistent sidewalks or storefront regulations) and few larger “Streets” (more commercial and wider). The lanes are named after the address of the road or street where they originate, e.g. if the lane that empties out at 114 Xinyi Rd. Section 2 would be named “Lane 114, Section 2, Xinyi Rd.”  The lanes are too inconsistent is size, shape, and parked vehicles to be traversed by trash trucks, so the people go to the trash trucks on the main roads instead, which broadcast unfortunate ice cream truck-like renditions of “The Maiden’s Prayer” or “Fur Elise,” sending hundreds of people running with their pre-paid, standardized trash bags in hand (a pretty good policy for reducing waste that would never fly in the U.S.). Despite their small size, the Lanes are lined by dense and essentially contiguous residential buildings ranging from 4-6 stories (older buildings) to as high as 20-30 stories, sometimes with first-floor retail or services. The older buildings are architecturally non-descript Western-style concrete structures with metal roofs, often covered in what look like bathroom tiles. The tropical climate means that these buildings often look rather dirty, with stains from the polluted air and rain as well as growth of moss or even aerial plants. However, the interiors are generally very nicely-maintained, and luxurious (and expensive) apartments can lie behind homely exteriors.

I think of Taipei as a city that has sort of reached the “SimCity endgame,” meaning that every imaginable corner has already been developed. This includes the undersides of elevated roads, which have been used for multistory parking structures and stores (there is a large flower market that is below one of the elevated highways). Thus, most of the current development consists of re-developing old buildings on an individual basis, which seemed more common than the high-visibility mega-projects like the Taipei 101 or the currently under-construction Taipei Dome. This is a mixed blessing and some of it smells strongly of gentrification, though of course deterioration of older structures and the need for more housing units makes redevelopment unavoidable. There is certainly almost no architectural historical value to most of the generic apartment buildings, but at the same time they are already very high-density and have withstood many small earthquakes, and are the homes of longtime residents. Near the apartment where I live when I visit, which has belonged to our family for decades and is in quite good condition, buildings are being torn down and replaced by more attractive buildings, made of modern polished stone, wood veneers, etc. and that are taller, with guarded gates and dedicated underground parking. But the impromptu street-vendors and markets and spontaneous urban gardens that exist in front of the old buildings are certainly not allowed in front of these new buildings that carry more of a Vancouver-like aesthetic.

Public transit is very cheap, with the Metro costing the equivalent of less than $1 to ride (which is cheap even accounting for the relative cost of living). The subway system has been expanded extensively over the last decades and has several nice features, which I think are in common with most new East Asian subway systems. There is a glass wall that prevents people from falling into the tracks, with gates that align with the subway doors; people queue in marked paths to avoid in-out collisions. Music plays to signal when the train is arriving. The feature that I actually found most impressive is that at stations where subway lines intersect,  the lines are interwoven. That is to say, in the US, if Line 1 meets Line 2, then one platform will have Line 1 Northbound and Southbound on its sides, and you take stairs to another platform that has Line 2 Eastbound and Westbound on either side. This is easy to construct, but no one (who knows what they are doing) ever needs to transfer between the Northbound and Southbound trains of the same line. In Taipei, many of the intersections instead have Line 1 Northbound across from Line 2 Eastbound and then Line 1 Southbound across from Line 2 Westbound, such that there's a good chance that your line transfer is as easy as scurrying across the center platform.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Onto the photos. Starting with buildings, here are a few shots of the older city blocks:

Songshan area, looking towards the Songshan (smaller, mostly domestic) airport. Typical main street with commercial use on the first floors, with lanes emanating that are lined with 4-6 story apartment buildings. Very little green space to speak of, but people keep a lot of plants on the balconies and roofs.

Same scene at night, where you can see newer, taller buildings across from the airport. The bright moon-like structure is a ferris wheel.

A typical older commercial district, across from Guanghua Shangchang (the electronics bazaar district, where there are rows of shops that specialize in selling the computer parts and accessories that Taiwan is known for).

The next three photos showcase the juxtaposition of new and old. Here is an old apartment building, seemingly held together by corrugated metal sheets and random pipes in an aesthetic loved by the cyberpunk sci-fi crowd. To the right is a newly built luxury apartment building, with a nice polished stone exterior and an authoritative front gate.

This new building interacts with its neighbor in an interesting way, with the large wraparound balconies (I wish I had one!) only appearing once the building clears its neighbor in height.

An alleyway lined by food stalls with a pretty hefty high-rise building emerging in the distance. I actually took this photo because of the funny Engrish on the sign ("Once, I hate Pasta. Now, it's my life" in case you can't make it out), but I really like the way the buildings layer here.

And now, onto the new! This building with a snaking outline and contrasting materials in between really caught my eye. It's a little odd, but I am pretty sure the interior would be spectacular.

Another maze-like building, this one near the luxury shopping areas in Xinyi District (you can see the "Tiffany" int he foreground).

The Eslite Bookstore (the "s" is silent ... the name is Chengpin in Chinese) main branch. Yes, the whole building is the bookstore. I really, really wish the U.S. had grand bookstores like this. I could spend all day at this store (whereas Books a Million can hold me captive for maybe 30 minutes). While somewhat department-store-like such that some floors don't sell books at all, the book and magazine selection is incredible, as is the writing implement/pen section. There's a nice cafeteria in the basement that connects to the underground subway mall shopping area.

This building is right at the edge of the city in front of Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain), perched on a hill. I love the uncompromising lines. The day was so cloudy that the colors came out poorly, so I turned it into a black-and-white photograph. The building itself is several shades of dark green and blue. The mountain is lined with hiking trails that consist almost entirely of stairs, which get progressively steeper as you climb up. At the top is a shed of a gym where very fit elderly folks go to lift weights and work the parallel bars.

This is a new building along the edge of Da'an Park, which is similar in size to Centennial Park. The views naturally lend themselves to taller development, but this building in the center is, in my opinion, quite grotesque. I really can't say what they were going for and all those horizontal ledges seem like they would be very difficult to keep clean.

View of the famous Taipei 101 from Elephant Mountain. Next to it is the newer Taipei Nan Shan Plaza. At 892 feet (a little over half the height of the 101), Nan Shan Plaza is surprisingly the second-tallest building in Taipei. The city seems to be pragmatic in this sense and attains its density by being consistently tall throughout (much like European cities) - I think this is wise in an earthquake-prone area. Unlike some of the considerably glitzier supertalls in mainland China that appear to have issues leasing out all their space, the more modest Nan Shan is essentially fully occupied by familiar names - Pfizer, Chanel, VMWare, Facebook, Apple, BlackRock, Deloitte, etc. - and probably more accurately forecasted real demand for a city whose population, while large, isn't really growing.

101 and Nan Shan at night, from one of the Shinkong Mitsukoshi department store buildings. The lighting is very distinctive.

Busy plaza on a Saturday night. The people at the top seem to be gathering around the Christmas tree, while those below are surrounding a street performer who isn't visible from this angle.

Typical subway platform. Note the gates that align with the subway doors and walls to otherwise prevent people from falling in, as well as the tactile floor.

The larger subway stations feature underground malls that are very extensive and connect to major destinations (the basements of skyscrapers and shopping malls).

And now for the smaller urban spaces that I can't get enough of:
A typical Taiwanese Day Market ("Tsai-Chi-Ya"), taken at 6:30 AM when the shops are just opening up - these get very busy during the day and are our favorite place to get cheap, fresh groceries and prepared foods. There are so many fruits that simply are not available outside of tropical countries. They are slowly closing up and being supplanted by more conventional supermarkets, since the street markets like this are more commonly frequented by the older generations.

This is the juncture where the market enters a covered alleyway.

A traditional butcher shop in the covered section. The meat just sitting out there without refrigeration can be a little frightening, but it's extremely fresh and the color of the meat looks much more natural than the bright red carbon monoxide-tinged meat in conventional supermarkets.

A building below an elevated highway. Activation beneath these bridges helps avoid the sketchiness or neighborhood-dividing effect that such highways can otherwise have.

Cute mascots in a small pocket park. There's a playground behind here. Every mega-block has several of these parks within, which are always populated with children as well as the elderly, who sit on the benches and soak in the sun.

 

Edited December 26, 2019 by AsianintheNations

[The ATX]

Excellent post and commentary!

[markhollin]

Had a layover in Seattle yesterday, and got these shots of Mt. Rainier as well as the new $1 billion International Terminal still u.c.  This link has more info on the unique design and a video showing how it is being built:

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/05/23/sneak-peek-inside-sea-tac-airports-new-968m.html

 

[Dale]

Moscow gets my vote for most attractive public realm ...

https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=2047505

[donNdonelson2]

1 hour ago, markhollin said:

Had a layover in Seattle yesterday, and got these shots of Mt. Rainier as well as the new $1 billion International Terminal still u.c.  This link has more info on the unique design and a video showing how it is being built:

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/05/23/sneak-peek-inside-sea-tac-airports-new-968m.html

 

You really lucked out with the great views of Mt. Rainier! I spent six weeks there in 2000 and never saw the mountain through the cloud cover.

 

[LA_TN]

3 hours ago, markhollin said:

Had a layover in Seattle yesterday, and got these shots of Mt. Rainier as well as the new $1 billion International Terminal still u.c.  This link has more info on the unique design and a video showing how it is being built:

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/05/23/sneak-peek-inside-sea-tac-airports-new-968m.html
 

1) you got very lucky to get that pic! Congrats! 

2) bridge is cheaper than tunnel

[nashmoney]

Since I am currently in quarantine here in Atlanta, I thought I would go out and enjoy the 80f weather we had here yesterday and take some shots of midtown. I currently live in midtown in one of the SkyHouse buildings. I would have gotten Rooftop shots but our amenity deck is closed 

Sorry I do not know the names of buildings and projects under construction. I am shooting with my Note 10 camera 

Enjoy! 

I walked down Peachtree headed north, then circled back down West Peachtree headed south. 

This is a residential project-  Condos and Apartments. Couldn't find a name or rendering

Artmore Hotel

Southeast's Largest Whole Foods - This building is called the Icon

 

Pretty cool Wrap on this building

New apartments

Nice little Midtown park with a fountain

MARTA Arts station

Historic building - Condos

CVS and QT 

Biltomore hotel and apartments

New apartments

Condo Buildings - Publix is in the base of these buildings

New apartment building on the right

Hanover midtown in the grey

Post Midtown

Apartment building

Nice old house sandwiched with the new - Think this is being used by the construction company building the development across the street. Not sure of its fate after

Residential project - sorry again not sure of the name or scope - Atlantic Station in the background

Cool little open space

Atlantic station in the background

Ascent apartments and Canopy hotel

Looking down West Peachtree

Historic Rhodes Hall

High Museum

Very Expensive Condos across from the High - starting at $1M

Colony Square 5 floor addition - retail and restaurants

Norfolk Southern current headquarters - Their new headquarters is being built in Midtown. Will get a picture of it on my next walk.

Lobby and Base renovations

The FED park

ATL Fed

My whole walk was pretty shaded like this

To the right is mostly all new Residential

Just about every building has retail at the base - residential and office

2 condo buildings

Handover Midtown - there is a new DGX that opened up in the base of this building. Open from 7am-11pm. It's been a hit!

Edited April 29, 2020 by nashmoney

[nashmoney]

A couple of more pictures from my balcony. 

[U_R_]

Atlanta is looking fine in those pics.

[nashmoney]

Here are some more pictures of my walk today in midtown atl. 

Pretty day here! Hope you enjoy!

 

The Mayfair Condos

Westin Midtown

King Spalding bldg- one of my favorites

Older homes converted to restaurants

Joe's on Juniper - pretty popular spot.  Place is usually hopping, but most restaurants in ATL are still closed for dine in

This parking lot is prime for development

Hanover Midtown

Broadstone Midtown - Cool Pool!

New Condos - starting at $300

Iliana apartment building - Another one of my favorites

The Georgian Terrace - I LOVE this building

Georgian Hotel

Fox Theater - Another Grand Beauty

Courtyard and Element Hotel

Courtyard and Element Hotel

Georgian Terrace

Not sure of the name - but condo building across the street from the Georgian

Old fire station - now restaurant

Emory Building under contruction

MARTA North Ave Station - their is a redevelopment plan in the works for this station - mixed use 

Rendering of Norfolk Southern's massive complex

Bank of America building

AT&T 

This will be part of the North Ave Station redevelopment

 

Norfolk Southern Complex U/C

Anthem's new building

CODA Building

CODA Building

Side of the Biltmore Hotel

Edited May 4, 2020 by nashmoney

[Bos2Nash]

On 5/3/2020 at 6:49 PM, nashmoney said:

Rendering of Norfolk Southern's massive complex

Wow. That's a star-studded tri-cast of architects on that job. Also had no idea just how big Kimley Horn is.

[21jump]

Here's some photos from a couple of walks I took last week in America's Finest City.

[MLBrumby]

I love San Diego, but it's skyline (collection of DT buildings) is really lacking. Of course, I'd move there in a heartbeat if it wasn't part of California. 

[donNdonelson2]

I’ve always enjoyed my work trips to San Diego, but last year when there I noticed that portions of downtown had deteriorated. Many empty storefronts, and lots of homelessness related issues (such as human waste on the sidewalks). 

[Auntie Yock]

25 minutes ago, MLBrumby said:

I love San Diego, but it's skyline (collection of DT buildings) is really lacking. Of course, I'd move there in a heartbeat if it wasn't part of California. 

San Diego's downtown is somewhat limited in what it can do height-wise, because the airport is just off the downtown. I noticed those are the same buildings that were there when I visited almost 30 years ago.

[PruneTracy]

5 hours ago, Bos2Nash said:

Also had no idea just how big Kimley Horn is.

There's quite a few major AEC firms that barely have a presence in Tennessee. AECOM, Jacobs, WSP, Stantec, and HDR all have less than 25 engineers apiece here. Don't know if that is good or bad. But we do have a number of regional firms headquartered here.

[LA_TN]

On 5/3/2020 at 6:49 PM, nashmoney said:

Rendering of Norfolk Southern's massive complex

 

This is quite a shock to see. I know a lot about CSX, but little about Norfolk Southern. I would have never dreamed NS needed or could afford this massive of a complex. CSX has been counting pennies, but maybe @rookziecould shed some light on this

On 5/5/2020 at 2:15 PM, Bos2Nash said:

Wow. That's a star-studded tri-cast of architects on that job. Also had no idea just how big Kimley Horn is.

A lot of wow on that board. A lot. Makes us feel really good here in Nashville, goodness gracious

On 5/5/2020 at 7:31 PM, PruneTracy said:

There's quite a few major AEC firms that barely have a presence in Tennessee. AECOM, Jacobs, WSP, Stantec, and HDR all have less than 25 engineers apiece here. Don't know if that is good or bad. But we do have a number of regional firms headquartered here.

This has been a bit disappointing. Still hoping one of our local firms becomes a big player in the US or global arena. But I'm not holding my breath while waiting