Innovista

[growingup15]

Hey im not sure if this was brought up before but I think i have an idea for a great riverfront tourist attraction.

 

Anyone ever thought about a Columbia Eye. or the Columbia Wheel. like a Huge Ferris Wheel near the Riverfront with a gift shop and maybe a restaurant on the bottom of the wheel. I was bringing this up because I noticed a few Cities around have those Myrtle Beach has one of course London has one Tokyo Japan has one. I mean why not.

[carolinagarnet]

5 hours ago, growingup15 said:

Hey im not sure if this was brought up before but I think i have an idea for a great riverfront tourist attraction.

 

Anyone ever thought about a Columbia Eye. or the Columbia Wheel. like a Huge Ferris Wheel near the Riverfront with a gift shop and maybe a restaurant on the bottom of the wheel. I was bringing this up because I noticed a few Cities around have those Myrtle Beach has one of course London has one Tokyo Japan has one. I mean why not.

Interesting idea. It would be difficult to support because of the lack of tourists and the inconsistency of visitors (mainly during football weekends). It would be nice if the river had a focal point of some sort though.

[carolinagarnet]

On 1/26/2016 at 1:01 PM, TKJones said:

Maybe so. All I know is that they originally planned to finish up by the end of the summer since it's right in front of the Moore School entrance. Either way, looks like it's almost done which will be a huge improvement for walking/driving through the area.

Looks like the street is finally finished! 

http://columbiabusinessreport.com/news/56918-1st-phase-of-penny-program-rsquo-s-innovista-project-opens

[growingup15]

3 hours ago, carolinagarnet said:

Looks like the street is finally finished! 

http://columbiabusinessreport.com/news/56918-1st-phase-of-penny-program-rsquo-s-innovista-project-opens

I rode through there today i meant to post that it was finished earlier today but i forgot.

[TKJones]

Yeah, I was happy to see that last week. They already have the next block stripped off too.

[carolinagarnet]

Not much new, other than that the Palmetto Compress will apparently be open in June. 

http://columbiabusinessreport.com/news/56926-growing-downtown-population-drives-vista-development?rss=0

[TKJones]

Innovation center is looking great with the glass put in

[victory]

3 hours ago, TKJones said:

Innovation center is looking great with the glass put in

Looks great! Just think..it used to be a Hardees. Does anyone remember what used to sit on the land the Strom Thurmond Fitness Center was constructed upon? Seems like it was a massive Volkswagen something or other.

[growingup15]

1 hour ago, victory said:

Looks great! Just think..it used to be a Hardees. Does anyone remember what used to sit on the land the Strom Thurmond Fitness Center was constructed upon? Seems like it was a massive Volkswagen something or other.

OMG i remember that Hardees  it was so long ago I was so young. its amazing watching the City grow so much. that area used to be so bare. now its a busy intersection and filled with nice big offices.

[TKJones]

On a side note, I'd really like to see USC stop building nearly everything out of that sand-colored brick. As modern as most of the buildings near that intersection are, the area as a whole still looks very bland.

[mr. chips]

3 hours ago, TKJones said:

On a side note, I'd really like to see USC stop building nearly everything out of that sand-colored brick. As modern as most of the buildings near that intersection are, the area as a whole still looks very bland.

I guess it is a matter of personal taste- but I rather like this color, and the fact that these USC buildings have a kind of architectural unity. These buildings are also immediately identifiable as USC.

[growingup15]

17 hours ago, TKJones said:

On a side note, I'd really like to see USC stop building nearly everything out of that sand-colored brick. As modern as most of the buildings near that intersection are, the area as a whole still looks very bland.

I like that design. its very modern. especially when they add it with Glass panels on it. Also you have to remember this is South Carolina we're a state of refuse to change for the futuristic. we rather keep everything classy. some of the buildings have that Classy/Futuristic Vive to it. but it we're not gonna see something like the Nascar hall of fame in Columbia style building or most of Charlotte style of Buildings in Columbia Anytime soon. unless someone brings a lot of money to the table.

[carolinagarnet]

18 hours ago, TKJones said:

On a side note, I'd really like to see USC stop building nearly everything out of that sand-colored brick. As modern as most of the buildings near that intersection are, the area as a whole still looks very bland.

If you look at the side of campus across the Pickens Street Bridge, inconsistency has been a problem for USC. Every instance of modern architecture on campus (i.e. Humanities, Gambrell, Swearengen, BA) looks dated after a decade or less. I would rather USC use modern elements in a proven style. The bricks are a take on the yellow and white motif emanating from the Horseshoe. I would also argue that keeping the style ties the buildings into the Innovista District and into the campus.

[TKJones]

The design is cool and fitting, especially with the glass sections as I said. Same with 650 lincoln, strom, marriot, etc.

All I was really trying to say was that since everything is the same neutral color, those nicer buildings tend to blend in with the bad ones (coliseum, old law school, jones I think it's called on main) depending on where you're walking, and make the area as a whole look a lot more dated than it actually is - at least to my eye.

Good point bringing up consistency though - can't really argue against them trying to do a better job with it in this area than they have in some of the others. I'm excited to see how everything turns out on Greene.

[ColaFan]

8 hours ago, TKJones said:

The design is cool and fitting, especially with the glass sections as I said. Same with 650 lincoln, strom, marriot, etc.

All I was really trying to say was that since everything is the same neutral color, those nicer buildings tend to blend in with the bad ones (coliseum, old law school, jones I think it's called on main) depending on where you're walking, and make the area as a whole look a lot more dated than it actually is - at least to my eye.

Good point bringing up consistency though - can't really argue against them trying to do a better job with it in this area than they have in some of the others. I'm excited to see how everything turns out on Greene.

 

I tend to agree with you.  I think using the same tan yellow brick on every new building on campus is pretty monotonous.  It works, but its fairly boring.  That color also tends to show wear also.

Of course, I kind of hate the business school, so maybe its not so bad.

[carolinagarnet]

18 hours ago, ColaFan said:

 

I tend to agree with you.  I think using the same tan yellow brick on every new building on campus is pretty monotonous.  It works, but its fairly boring.  That color also tends to show wear also.

Of course, I kind of hate the business school, so maybe its not so bad.

USC really should have made a decision on the long-term strategy for the area before building the business school with elements from the Coliseum. The building could have looked much more like the Koger Center had the school not forced the architect to blend glass with brutalist columns and concrete. The building has grown on me, but it was definitely not Vinoly's best work.

[mr. chips]

1 minute ago, carolinagarnet said:

USC really should have made a decision on the long-term strategy for the area before building the business school with elements from the Coliseum. The building could have looked much more like the Koger Center had the school not forced the architect to blend glass with brutalist columns and concrete. The building has grown on me, but it was definitely not Vinoly's best work.

I totally agree!

[Spartan]

On 2/18/2016 at 8:44 AM, carolinagarnet said:

If you look at the side of campus across the Pickens Street Bridge, inconsistency has been a problem for USC. Every instance of modern architecture on campus (i.e. Humanities, Gambrell, Swearengen, BA) looks dated after a decade or less. I would rather USC use modern elements in a proven style. The bricks are a take on the yellow and white motif emanating from the Horseshoe. I would also argue that keeping the style ties the buildings into the Innovista District and into the campus.

Well said. I don't really care for the blonde brick color, but when you get away from the center of campus, having buildings that create that sense of place becomes more important because the buildings are interspersed with non-university buildings and businesses. If you look at the College of Charleston, unless you're looking at the Cistern or the library, you really don't know whether your on campus or not. I hope that Carolina can avoid that as much as possible.

 

On 2/19/2016 at 2:15 PM, carolinagarnet said:

USC really should have made a decision on the long-term strategy for the area before building the business school with elements from the Coliseum. The building could have looked much more like the Koger Center had the school not forced the architect to blend glass with brutalist columns and concrete. The building has grown on me, but it was definitely not Vinoly's best work.

That building is a monstrosity. It looks like a doublewide in the sky. 

[lucjanrc]

Progress on the student housing and foundation square:

[carolinagarnet]

Wow, Foundation Square is a LOT bigger than I anticipated. It makes sense since the Square is designed to mirror the entrance to CLA on all four corners, but visually it's still massive.

[Nick2]

In the vista/innovista, they actually require buildings to meet the architectural style that you were discussing or at least compliment it. They have shot down a few hotels in he area because the design wasn't right.

[growingup15]

11 hours ago, Nick2 said:

In the vista/innovista, they actually require buildings to meet the architectural style that you were discussing or at least compliment it. They have shot down a few hotels in he area because the design wasn't right.

Are you serious? Man i understand a need for a design neighborhood but that would of been good money for the innovista area.

 

Well i hope they can soon get some develop of hotels in Innovista soon something big like an Four Points Sheraton or a Omni hotel. Something big and luxury looking to. Like 14 floors or maybe bigger if the zone allows it.

 

I know development it really gonna take off when they start and finish the bridge over the RR

[carolinagarnet]

13 hours ago, Nick2 said:

In the vista/innovista, they actually require buildings to meet the architectural style that you were discussing or at least compliment it. They have shot down a few hotels in he area because the design wasn't right.

Which hotels have they shot down? My understanding is that they sent comments back concerning the Hyatt proposal, but approved the design after they made some adjustments. I think the Aloft sailed through and of course the Hilton and Hampton Inn were built in dark brick.

[Nick2]

My bad, that wording wasn't clear. They shot down proposals and made them resubmit rather than not allowing them from being built altogether. The Hyatt is a good recent example. 

They probably won't let a tall hotel get built any more than a block west of assembly street because of the strange zoning rules they have. They've gone a little overboard with it in my opinion but it's better than letting anyone build anything. The vista more so than the innovista has a character to it that they want to preserve and build upon.

And they don't automatically force redesign if a building doesn't quite fit in. The new Aloft hotel that will be going up at the corner of lady and lincoln isn't really the typical vista design but it's not right on gervais an will have some solid retail and also gives off a similar trendy feel to it. It probably also helps that it's boutique which Columbia needs more of. However, they did ask for some changes like the pedestrian pathway to the lincoln st parking deck will have to have its "Materials and details and lighting ... be similar to those used along Lady Street."

 

[carolinagarnet]

1 hour ago, Nick2 said:

My bad, that wording wasn't clear. They shot down proposals and made them resubmit rather than not allowing them from being built altogether. The Hyatt is a good recent example. 

They probably won't let a tall hotel get built any more than a block west of assembly street because of the strange zoning rules they have. They've gone a little overboard with it in my opinion but it's better than letting anyone build anything. The vista more so than the innovista has a character to it that they want to preserve and build upon.

And they don't automatically force redesign if a building doesn't quite fit in. The new Aloft hotel that will be going up at the corner of lady and lincoln isn't really the typical vista design but it's not right on gervais an will have some solid retail and also gives off a similar trendy feel to it. It probably also helps that it's boutique which Columbia needs more of. However, they did ask for some changes like the pedestrian pathway to the lincoln st parking deck will have to have its "Materials and details and lighting ... be similar to those used along Lady Street."

That makes sense, I recall there being some minor feedback. I would prefer that the DDRC use its role to make these kinds of small requests to ensure uniformity. My guess is that the Aloft designer probably never even considered the alley materials. The same can be said of The Hub- the end product looks better because they incorporated the DDRC recommendations about the coloring of the facade. I would prefer that Innovista stay relatively small so as not to overwhelm the Vista or the CBD. I can't imagine anywhere in the district that would be a natural fit for anything taller than, say, 6 or 7 stories. The land in the district is reasonably priced enough to preclude developers from having to raise the height of a buiding to make the economics work.