Belmont @ Freemason Progress

[willy]

It looks a little Charlotte to me.

[rusthebuss]

I think it will look alot better in real life. Also this is probably not a final rendering. One thing is that we have various colors DT and sometimes we need a offwhite building to stick out.

[hoobo]

It looks like they were going for a yacht design. Blue and white with balcony railings that resemble gunwale railings. The sails appear to be umbrellas for the roof-top deck. With the different crowns and glasswork, the tower looks like a two-building sandwich. I understand the resort reference since it does have a hotel look to it (the Oceanfront Courtyards perhaps). However, this building seems like a condominium out of San Diego, Vegas, or Miami. It's a departure from the staid Norfolk look. It needs a little tweaking but its uniqueness relative to surrounding buildings is its selling point.

[vdogg]

It does look like resort architecture, but maybe that's the light and airy look they wanted. I really liked the neo-traditional brick version, but this will blend well with the skyline, at least the "upper" part. It plays off of NS, 150 Main and Granby Tower nicely, although it sure doesn't transition so well from Ghent and Freemason. I like the glass, and I hope the surfaces have some curvature and some color. I'd like to see the backside.

Let me clarify that I really do like this building but the reason I liked the old building so well is that it was designed specifically to fit in with freemason. Also, it appears that they have reversed the orientation of the garage, putting it towards the back of the lot as coming from Granby instead of the front. Not sure if I like that either.

[br0guy]

I actually like the design and feel of this building, just not at the Freemason location. The Brick design would've meshed much better with the neighborhood. This building would look a lot better down at waterside, or near the Cruise Terminal, or somewhere by the water.

[GoodNews]

I actually like the design and feel of this building, just not at the Freemason location. The Brick design would've meshed much better with the neighborhood. This building would look a lot better down at waterside, or near the Cruise Terminal, or somewhere by the water.

I agree

[urbanfan]

Let me clarify that I really do like this building but the reason I liked the old building so well is that it was designed specifically to fit in with freemason. Also, it appears that they have reversed the orientation of the garage, putting it towards the back of the lot as coming from Granby instead of the front. Not sure if I like that either.

The parking lot has always been in the exact location, even before the change over from the midrise buildings. The garage is still on the large lot behind the small lot which fronts brambleton.

[lammius]

The year was 1991.

The place, Miami.

It's a sore thumb for that location. The building materials and colors are not similar to anything nearby. The ground floor does an awful job of addressing the street. Any hope of making Brambleton an active pedestrian street is lost on this building.

The previous design was far superior.

[rusthebuss]

The year was 1991.

The place, Miami.

It's a sore thumb for that location. The building materials and colors are not similar to anything nearby. The ground floor does an awful job of addressing the street. Any hope of making Brambleton an active pedestrian street is lost on this building.

The previous design was far superior.

I disagree! I think we need different types of building through out DT and Midtown. It give a good variant going down Brambleton. I think it will complement Granby quite well.

[Padman]

It's really growing on me, but it would be nice to have a shop or two on Brambleton at street level. This is the kind of design that we're seeing all over the country now..very good but not especially original. The more I think about it, I'm glad that it's not going to be another post-modernist tower. Jeesh..Trader, Harbor Heights and Harbors' Edge and its possible twin fill that bill pretty well don't they?

[br0guy]

I think it will complement Granby quite well.

I think that's part of the problem... it seems like they're trying too hard to fit in with Granby.

[Padman]

I think the older design really gave many of us a warm, fuzzy feeling. It looked traditional, yet novel at ther same time. Kind of like post-modernism did when it was a new idea in the '80s.

[lammius]

I disagree! I think we need different types of building through out DT and Midtown. It give a good variant going down Brambleton. I think it will complement Granby quite well.

Having different building types is a good idea in many places, i.e. the CBD. But Freemason/Ghent is such a homogenous area. Even the Hague Towers which was built in a non-conforming style, still uses traditional building materials and color palette with the surrounds. This is such a contrast that I can't help but think it just would not look good there. It doesn't even fit in with Granby, IMO.

[rusthebuss]

You know what I don't think this is the Kortarides tower. This looks like its sitting on that lot across from the post office. This has to be the Hoffler Tower. Where did you find this at Willy? on the architects web site?

[urbanfan]

This is the brambleton tower (kotarides). I think what is fooling everyone is the misrepresentation that the drawing shows. The street shown is not brambleton avenue, it is just an architect rendering. They do that because drawing the street the way it really is would detract from the look of the building. The actual street that this is running beside the building is Duke Street, and the street bisecting the tower from the garage is York Street. It is the same orientation as before. The only building you will see from brambleton will be the tower.

[rusthebuss]

The reason why I said that is because it looks very similar to the Hoffler Tower. Look at the top and the glass that is being drawn there. It also fits the tulip lane footprint.

[rusthebuss]

I went on the site and seen that it is the Kortarides Tower. Sorry for assuming it was the other tower.

[vdogg]

I have to admit, this building is growing on me. If they decided to plop this thing down in Town Center, we'd all be doing back flips by now. The thing that throws us off is the location, but when I step back and just look at the building itself it truly is a striking structure. It is more what I would expect a nice office tower to look like actually than a truly residential structure. Needless to say it will be a good addition and will definately lend a more "big city" feel to the surrounding area.

[rusthebuss]

Its better than being 15 stories!

[lammius]

I have to admit, this building is growing on me. If they decided to plop this thing down in Town Center, we'd all be doing back flips by now. The thing that throws us off is the location, but when I step back and just look at the building itself it truly is a striking structure. It is more what I would expect a nice office tower to look like actually than a truly residential structure. Needless to say it will be a good addition and will definately lend a more "big city" feel to the surrounding area.

I simply disagree.

My quarrel isn't with the building itself. It is a decent design. BUT I think it's a horrible idea to use THIS design style and THESE building materials at THIS location.

You can't look at a building just as itself, outside of its context. That's what modernists did in the 1940s-70s. That's how you get such gems as the City Government complex or the Norfolk Federal Building. Unfortunately too many architects ignore the principle that buildings must be context sensitive. Yeah, we may do back flips if this thing were coming to Town Center or even Main Street. It's not an entirely bad looking building. It simply does not belong at this location. I think if most of us were to see this built there we'd look at it and say, "wtfsorethumb.com!"

As for height, personally I'd rather see a good looking 7 story building than a standout 20-story beast. 20 stories can be made to look good at this location, but this building doesn't do it. Please, back to the drawing board!

[rusthebuss]

I like it and I think that its far enough from freemason to feel seperated from it. I think you will change your mind once it is built and see it.

[erdogs]

This building is not in the freemason district. It will sit directly on Brambleton seperated from the neighborhood behind it. I think this building will be an eye catcher for all the right reasons. When you will drive down Brambleton when this is complete and the sun is beamming off it you will all say" WOW!". I don't know what you guys are seeing but I really like it. To me the other concept was boring and more of a fit in Ghent, maybe off Colonial, not downtown.

[johnhowell]

I kind of liked the older design better. BTW, I only counted 18 stories.

[willy]

BTW, I only counted 18 stories.

Count the all glass portion and you will get 20.

Norfolk council OKs selling land for downtown apartment building

Because work won't begin on the main apartment building until the parking garage is done, Mayor Paul D. Fraim said it could take two years or longer to complete the project.

A groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for next fall.

Also, obviously the Pilot is still working off the old 15 story comments from the State of the City speech.

[vdogg]

Count the all glass portion and you will get 20.

Plus it says 20 on Humphreys site. I doubt that the pilot has even obtained the new renderings yet.