Adesso

[TheCarolinaKing]

Great Pics! Everything is looking better than what was once present , excluding the fact that it seems as though the main street side lacks sun coverage, and worst of all....those flim flam POWER LINES!

[BrasilnSC]

Thanks! Those pictures were taking in the afternoon, so I believe the Main St. side gets some morning sun.

Am I wrong in assuming those will be buried? Adesso will not look very luxurious with the cluster of poles and power lines along S. Main. Not to mention the ones in front of Horizon I running along both Main and Blossom.

[Captain Worley]

I wouldn't count on those lines getting buried...

[Spartan]

^Not unless there is a larger S Main streetscape project, which I doubt will happen in the near future.

[Firefox]

^Not unless there is a larger S Main streetscape project, which I doubt will happen in the near future.

[Spartan]

It depends on whether or not S Main is a state-maintained road. They probably have their eyes set on Greene Street though.

[mr. chips]

Since that part of Main is not a busy thoroughfare, but a very wide street, it would be great if they could narrow it and make it a park-like street with lush plantings, a median with trees and places to sit all along. Something really imaginative. There are already several restaurants there that could have a more extensive bistro or sidewalk cafe style seating that would make this whole area a "destination". Miyos, Immaculate Consumption, the Mexican restaurant at the other end, and several smaller restaurants are already there. Why not do something special here?

[waccamatt]

I think Mr. Chips' idea would be great.

[BrasilnSC]

I wouldn't count on those lines getting buried...

[krazeeboi]

Since that part of Main is not a busy thoroughfare, but a very wide street, it would be great if they could narrow it and make it a park-like street with lush plantings, a median with trees and places to sit all along. Something really imaginative. There are already several restaurants there that could have a more extensive bistro or sidewalk cafe style seating that would make this whole area a "destination". Miyos, Immaculate Consumption, the Mexican restaurant at the other end, and several smaller restaurants are already there. Why not do something special here?

[mr. chips]

I wonder if any of the "movers and shakers" in Columbia ever read these posts? Maybe they would get some good ideas! Perhaps if developers (like those of Adesso), and USC development officers, and city council people could be clued in to these discussions, it might stimulate some creative thinking, and let them feel the pulse of the citizenry. Any ideas on how to alert them to this discussion group? Can we be more pro-active in letting them know about it?

[The_sandlapper]

Damn! The Adesso is huge! I had no idea it was gonna be that big. It really densifies that area. For a minute there I had to do a double take, I wasn't sure if that was Columbia or not, LOL.

[krazeeboi]

I don't like the back side of the building, but the S. Main side is OK. I would have preferred to see some brick accenting though.

[Spartan]

^Hopefully there will be another project that will block the back side...

[krazeeboi]

^True. There's definitely room for it. Perhaps in time, when most of the units are absorbed, a complimentary residential building could be built that faces Assembly.

[digital_sandlapper]

Addesso is all but done. Is there anyone else out there that's . . . well, as disappointed as me at the end result??

(Tell the truth . . this is anonymous, you know.)

[BrasilnSC]

It's a little bland. Could have definitely had some more pzaz, but the density it created at that corner is nice.

[krazeeboi]

I'm not really too fond of the beige/tan external color scheme they went with--I think it will make for one plain jane, vanilla-looking intersection, along with the Horizon block research buildings and the honors college buildings--it came out looking a little better than I thought it would earlier in the construction process.

[Spartan]

Can anyone grab a picture now that the exterior is complete? Last time I saw it, the exterior wasn't done. I think I mentioned before that I wasn't fond of the exterior color. Everything else about it is pretty good though.

[CorgiMatt]

Every time we have this discussion I bring it back to San Francisco. I know Columbia isn't San Francisco, but we have a touch of a lot of different places here, and Adesso brings ol' Frisco home, largely because of the coloring scheme. It's even on a hill. I like it. Challenge yourselves to see it as a unique architectural specimen.

A side note: Today's The State newspaper has a wonderful article on Columbia's modern architecture in the "Living and Art" section.

[digital_sandlapper]

I don't have a problem with the location--that's great. I also join you in giving kudos to the massing and scale. I even have no problem with the color.

It's the building materials that are cheesy as all get out. It's like they ran out of money at the end and just slapped up synthetic stucco and plastic windows with NO trim. The seams are even showing at each pre-fab panel of the cladding! I thought the synthetic stucco trend died out long ago, partly due to its shoddiness and the su bsequent lawsuits. Adesso's designers have "gone to town" with it, even adding a faux cornice "crown molding" made of it that makes it look like a strip mall over in Harbison. Ugh.

USC, however, is using QUALITY materials in their construction, thank goodness. Limestone, or at least concrete made to look like it, is used extensively in the Horizon development's garage and in other buildings, high-quality blond brick (which I love). Kudos, USC!

[BrasilnSC]

Baker Brothers American Deli will move into the ground level space at Adesso. The sign is already up and another sign said it'll open July 2008. I believe there is more retail space available, but not completely sure.

Here's the link to the deli website: Baker Brothers

What a transformation that block has experienced compared to the old Addam's Bookstore and Pizza Hut. There are lots of trees and plenty of shade which makes for a pleasant walk . I wonder how they are selling.

[johnpro318]

When I emailed the sales representative, she said that they have been selling steadily since they started closing in March. The building is also completely finished and they are in the process of trying to get another restaurant or cafe to come to the site. Hopefully they are selling well because I want this to succeed. 195k for a 1 bedroom may be intimidating to some though. (295k for a 2 bedroom)

[emerging.me]

When I emailed the sales representative, she said that they have been selling steadily since they started closing in March. The building is also completely finished and they are in the process of trying to get another restaurant or cafe to come to the site. Hopefully they are selling well because I want this to succeed. 195k for a 1 bedroom may be intimidating to some though. (295k for a 2 bedroom)

[krazeeboi]

I'm not surprised, seeing as though there's no relief in sight from ever-increasing gas prices. Prioreschi might want to consider putting Vsion on hold instead of cancelling the project altogether.