COMPLETE: RISD Chace Center

[Frankie811]

Letters to the editor

http://www.projo.com/opinion/letters/conte...ob.12c8433.html

[Cotuit]

The height proposed, dreadfully out of scale with the street, is inexcusable.

It is one story taller then nearby buildings on its side of the street, and the same height, if not shorter than those across the street.

Possibly the upper levels could be extended farther toward the Metcalf Building, open below; this would actually offer the shelter that Journal arts writer Bill Van Siclen incorrectly suggests will be offered by the proposed effort.

Van Siclen is correct. There is a sheltered area at the back the building between it and Memorial Hall accessible via the College Building Archway from College Street, and via the stairs at the back of the piazza on North Main Street. Creating a cave on North Main Street by bridging the building to the Metcalf Building would be foolhardy in my opinion, the open air piazza is a much more attractive public space along the street.

[billypc99]

I can not for the life of me figure out how Mr. Robbins, who I presume might be claiming to be from Robinson Green & Beretta, came to the conclusion that the Chase Center is going to be "dreadfully" out of scale with the other buildings. Surely this an opinion, but factual measures such as the acutal height of buildings on the street do not, in any way, support the contention that the Chase Center is going to be "dreadfully" out of scale. I have come to the conclusion that the writer may have been uninformed. He uses the language "proposed height", but I beleive the height has been finalized. Also, one could easily look at the render and incorrectly assume that the building is going to be well over 10 stories because of the glasswork.

[Cotuit]

It is one story taller then nearby buildings on its side of the street, and the same height, if not shorter than those across the street.

I might be a bit off on this after looking at the nearby buildings this afternoon. Chace is probably slightly higher than RISDs Design Center or Auditorium which are directly across the street, but not as high as nearby buildings such as 20 Washington Place, ISB, and the Courthouse.

Also one could argue that the neighboring Metcalf Building is dreafully out of scale since it is such a long stretch of sameness when the rest of the area is much more finely grained. Leading me to believe that it is not scale, but rather style that the writer is upset about.

[Garris]

Also one could argue that the neighboring Metcalf Building is dreafully out of scale since it is such a long stretch of sameness when the rest of the area is much more finely grained.

Exactly. This is one of those conversations that has to be had in the new planning/zoning process. What is "out of scale?" Is anything an inch taller than the buildings to the left or right of them by definition "out of scale?"

With the proposed K. Gibbs condo in Wayland Square, people were arguing the initial 4 floor building was grossly "out of scale" with the neighborhood, including my neighboring 2 floor condo. I would ask people, "Are we living in the same Wayland Square? I can point out a dozen buildings here that are 4 floors or more, and many of the 3 floor buildings here have peeked points on the roof that will likely go higher. And I'm not including Wayland Manor or Richmond Square yet..."

People would answer, "Oh, that's not the point. The buildings right next store and across the street aren't that tall, and those other buildings you are thinking of were built in a different era..."

Yes, a better era that understood urban streetscapes and density, in my opinion...

So, I'll throw it out there. What is a neighborhood's scale? When is it OK to blow that scale out of the water (like for Metrolofts, in my opinion) and when is it not (the silly 10 story or so condos proposed for Richmond Square, in my opinion)?

Secondary question is how to we gradually advance height here in the city without shocking people?

Discuss...

- Garris

[Cotuit]

I moved some posts that were veering off-topic to the Providence Tomorrow thread.

[Carter711]

I'm not really sure why this story is running on CANADA.com, but I can't argue with good press

Rhode Island School of Design art centre to undergo expansion

http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment...ea8&k=77956

[KRC]

I'm not really sure why this story is running on CANADA.com, but I can't argue with good press

Rhode Island School of Design art centre to undergo expansion

http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment...ea8&k=77956

Nice find! Great article. It really makes you appreciate what we have going on in our little city.

[bhooley]

I didn't realize there was going to be a small plaza in the parking lot space. Sounds great. I've seen renderings of the building but are they any more details on the plaza?

[Cotuit]

A lane on South Main Street has been closed to start utility work for the Chace Center. Actual work on the building should begin shortly and this lane configuration should remain in place throughout the project. Work has been ongoing for the last month or so on surrounding buildings that will be tied into the Chace Center.

[Cotuit]

I didn't realize there was going to be a small plaza in the parking lot space. Sounds great. I've seen renderings of the building but are they any more details on the plaza?

The Plaza wil be doing double-duty as a loading dock for the Museum and the neighboring Metcalf Building. I haven't seen any renderings of the plaza itself but it will be an open space beside the Chace Center (to the left if you were looking at it from across South Main). It kind of doesn't sound good that the plaza will also be a loading dock, but this sort of dual use is very European and something I'd like to see more of in Providence. A loading dock is a necessary evil and its nice to see it softened by making a public space out of it. At the back of the Plaza there will be a staircase leading to an outdoor space on the second level behind the Chace Center, then the stairs continue up to Benefit Street.

---For reference, the Metcalf Building is the large brick building in the above photo, the stone building peeking into the frame at the right is the Bank Building.

At the back of the lot, the large brick building looming over the project is Memorial (Mem) Hall, the main entrance being on Benefit. To the left of Mem. Hall (as seen from South Main) is the Museum, and to the right, behind the Bank Building is the College Building. The College Building extends all the way down College Street from Benefit to South Main, halfway down College there is an archway in the College Building which will lead to the Chace Center.

[Cotuit]

Chace Center this afternoon:

As you can see, they've actually started working on the site (up 'til now surrounding buildings have been being worked on). There are a lot of utilities on site that need to be moved and foundations from old buildings. So don't expect any vertical movement anytime soon.

[KRC]

There are a lot of utilities on site that need to be moved and foundations from old buildings. So don't expect any vertical movement anytime soon.

I can only imagine what's underneath here. That particular spot in the city has been a focal point of civic life in one form or another for well over 300 years.

[Frankie811]

There are a lot of utilities on site that need to be moved

I guess that's why the street was closed a few nights last week while workmen were digging into the ground.

[Cotuit]

I guess that's why the street was closed a few nights last week while workmen were digging into the ground.

Yes, utitilty work in the actual street should end soon, but work on the site will take a bit longer.

I must say, so far Turner has done a good job with diversions as far as they effect pedestrians. There's a crosswalk right at the site that was removed, but they've painted new crosswalks at either end of the block. Instead of signs that say 'sidewalk closed, cross here' with no place to go, they've actually painted crosswalks and they have areas where wheelchairs can mount the sidewalk at either end.

[Lone Ranger]

I can only imagine what's underneath here.

[sarcasm][insensitivity]

The bones of the Narragansett.

[/sarcasm][/insensitivity]

[webbage]

[sarcasm][insensitivity]

The bones of the Narragansett.

[/sarcasm][/insensitivity]

LMAO!

[Cotuit]

I'm hearing steel should be rising here "this month."

[dgreco]

I'm hearing steel should be rising here "this month."

[KRC]

I'm hearing steel should be rising here "this month."

[Cotuit]

They certainly are moving along at a brisk pace on this project. I can't wait for it to be finished.

[Garris]

It won't actually be "finished" until Fall '08. But I wouldn't be surprised if that were a ribbon cutting tied to the school calendar kind of finished and we might actually see some parts of the building open in the summer of '08.

I did just walk by the site and I'm not holding my breath on steel "this month," maybe within "a month."

[Cotuit]

(at least was pre-redo of the architecture... I can't get a good sense of how it will look now).

[DaveRPI]

I think it will be good. Perhaps not quite the big starchitecture draw it once promised to be, but we may be better off for that. I don't think we'll see architecture people coming here just to see (it would be nice to have a modern building in Providence like that though), but I think it will be attractive, modern, and most importantly, functional.

[markOne]

I can't wait for this project to be done. I have always really liked the RISD museum and the experiences they provide to their guests. All "real" cities have well known museums and I hope the Chase Center puts the RISD museum on the map. If I hit the lottery (common theme here lately...) I would have given them the money to build their original design.