Gallery on Fulton

[wingbert]

I can't believe how fast the last few stories went up. It is now a prominent fixture in GR's skyline. The perspective this building has of downtown is quite unique. Has it topped off yet? I'll get a few pictures up tomorrow, just don't want my lens to get frozen before I can get a picture off.

I don't get a chance to get downtown much if at all this time year (weather, holidays, family obligations, etc.) I sure would like to see some recent pictures of this building - and this is a sincere comment and not meant to stoke any fires regarding the earlier photos & photo credit conversation a few posts back.

Edited December 11, 2009 by wingbert

[GRDadof3]

I can't believe how fast the last few stories went up. It is now a prominent fixture in GR's skyline. The perspective this building has of downtown is quite unique. Has it topped off yet? I'll get a few pictures up tomorrow, just don't want my lens to get frozen before I can get a picture off.

I think there's one more floor left (?). I only counted 7 residential floors above the theater the other day.

[joeDowntown]

The Gallery on Fulton Facebook page says it is topped off and they are having a ceremony on the 17th:

The Gallery Come Celebrate the Topping Off of the Gallery on Fulton! What: Ceremonial Lighting of the Christmas Tree on the roof of the Gallery on Fulton Remarks by Mayor Heartwell, UICA Exec Director Jeff Meeuwsen and Developer Sam Cummings When: Thursday, December 17, 2009 ...- 2:00 PM Where: Veteran's Park, Fulton Street & Sheldon Avenue Who: All are welcome!

"The Gallery" Facebook page

Joe

[andrew.w]

I think there's one more floor left (?). I only counted 7 residential floors above the theater the other day.

I think seven's all there is. At least that's how many are in the rendering bringing the total floors to 12. For some reason I had thought that it was going to be 13 or 14 floors too, but that must have been one of the earlier schemes.

[crinzema]

[joeDowntown]

Go team, thanks for the pics. I did notice that it is perfectly framed when driving down Fulton or Louis street. Can't wait to see how the facade turns out!

Joe

[Gorath]

Gallery on Fulton to be topped off with a ceremony on Thursday at 2pm.

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2009/12/gallery_on_fultonuica_to_get_t.html

Chris Knape, Grand Rapids Press, says that they will hoist a tree (I assume an evergreen) to the top of the building during the ceremony. I thought that evergreens are only used on steel structures. Gallery is poured in-place concrete.

[GRDadof3]

Flabam!

[wingbert]

Flabam!

Nice! Thanks for posting.

[mpchicago]

Flabam!

I love the effect this has on the streetscape!

[GRDadof3]

Thanks! I like how it hovers in the background all around Heartside (much like 38 Commerce):

[RegalTDP]

Wow, Louis Street just got more scenic! Maybe the Gallery will inspire more foot traffic and more businesses there now.

Thanks GRDad.

[joeDowntown]

It definitely anchors the eastern end of downtown. It's exciting to see this and 38 Commerce popping up between the restored buildings. Good mix of old and new!

Joe

[fotoman311]

More photos, from inside the new building: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yodraws/sets/72157623022268656/

[John E]

Can you believe that it looked like this just nine months ago?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johne777/3390124743/sizes/l/

~John

[joeDowntown]

It is crazy. We walked up Weston last night and it's cool to see Weston Apartments sandwiched between two new development projects. That neighborhood is going to have a lot of life pretty soon!

Joe

Can you believe that it looked like this just nine months ago?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johne777/3390124743/sizes/l/

~John

[joeDowntown]

Got a pic today while westbound on Fulton:

Joe

[GRDadof3]

Not to outshine your pictures Joe, but new additional renderings of Gallery and UICA:

http://www.built-form.net/work/community-education/the-gallery-on-fulton/index.html

Couple of weird observations: it looks like you actually travel underground (under the parking ramp?) to get from the Division entrance into UICA at the Commerce end? And did someone accidentally bang the model into something? (the image about 3/4's of the way down).

[andrew.w]

Couple of weird observations: it looks like you actually travel underground (under the parking ramp?) to get from the Division entrance into UICA at the Commerce end?

Are you referring to the section drawings? I'm not sure what is going on there. You don't travel underground; if you look closer you can see a another ramp leading from the main entrance to the grand stairwell on the UICA side that follows the slope of Fulton. But I don't know where the set of stairs and ramp that DO lead underground (cut by the section line) are going. My assumption is that the ramp turns and continues down to the lower level but I would have to consult the plans for that.

Models with such thin parts do get damaged easily if moved around a lot. But I am wondering why they decided to photograph it and include it on their website anyway.

------

So looking at the floor plans (on your Flickr because for some reason I can't find them here) it looks like something in the layout must have changed but it basically appears that there are three ramps. One goes up from the lobby to the theater level and another down to the level at Commerce. A third ramp (seen in the section) proceeds down below ground to the lowest level. It appears that an additional set of stairs that meet with this ramp have been added since the last edition of floor plans.

Edited December 30, 2009 by andrew69@ltu

[wingbert]

And did someone accidentally bang the model into something? (the image about 3/4's of the way down).

I think the banged up look is part of the design done with the intention of making it fit in better with south Division Ave.

[GRDadof3]

Are you referring to the section drawings? I'm not sure what is going on there. You don't travel underground; if you look closer you can see a another ramp leading from the main entrance to the grand stairwell on the UICA side that follows the slope of Fulton. But I don't know where the set of stairs and ramp that DO lead underground (cut by the section line) are going. My assumption is that the ramp turns and continues down to the lower level but I would have to consult the plans for that.

Models with such thin parts do get damaged easily if moved around a lot. But I am wondering why they decided to photograph it and include it on their website anyway.

------

So looking at the floor plans (on your Flickr because for some reason I can't find them here) it looks like something in the layout must have changed but it basically appears that there are three ramps. One goes up from the lobby to the theater level and another down to the level at Commerce. A third ramp (seen in the section) proceeds down below ground to the lowest level. It appears that an additional set of stairs that meet with this ramp have been added since the last edition of floor plans.

This one. Seems strange how the corridor goes down and then back up again (?). Unless it's a separate ramp and set of stairs, that just look continuous.

With the model, I actually thought they were pulling a Frank Gehry move by bending the window frames. Then I noticed other "dents" in that area.

[joeDowntown]

Believe me, you weren't showing my pictures up. I like to call that shot "jackass with iPhone at stop light". I may do a series some day.

Joe

[andrew.w]

This one. Seems strange how the corridor goes down and then back up again (?). Unless it's a separate ramp and set of stairs, that just look continuous.

Yup, that's what I was referring to. Assuming no discontinuous/jagged section cuts, those stairs and that ramp must be in the same line, since they are both cut in the section. What I was trying to say is that in the older plans there is a similar ramp (in a slightly different location) that turns and continues down to the lower level. So maybe that is what this ramp does, and the stairs were inserted as a shortcut from the Division entrance.

...Or I suppose it could just go down and back up again, but that would be pretty pointless.

Edit: I figured it Out! Those stairs and ramp lead down to the entrance of the film theater. Which would be "behind you" - i.e. on the other side of the section cut in this section diagram. The film theater looks to be located under part of the parking ramp.

See in this photo: (yodraws on Flickr)

Edited December 31, 2009 by andrew69@ltu

[GRDadof3]

Yup, that's what I was referring to. Assuming no discontinuous/jagged section cuts, those stairs and that ramp must be in the same line, since they are both cut in the section. What I was trying to say is that in the older plans there is a similar ramp (in a slightly different location) that turns and continues down to the lower level. So maybe that is what this ramp does, and the stairs were inserted as a shortcut from the Division entrance.

...Or I suppose it could just go down and back up again, but that would be pretty pointless.

Edit: I figured it Out! Those stairs and ramp lead down to the entrance of the film theater. Which would be "behind you" - i.e. on the other side of the section cut in this section diagram. The film theater looks to be located under part of the parking ramp.

See in this photo: (yodraws on Flickr)

I think they changed the floorplans then. You can see them here on my flickr:

[Quercus]

I'm in town for the holidays and had to do a tour of the ever-changing GR. I particularly enjoy the prominence of the Gallery; I guess I wasn't expecting it to be so visible.