Dr. P Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center [Phase 2 Under Construction]

[sunshine]

it BLOWS...Atlanta's design just kicked our @$$

I dont think it is even in the same league as Miami's. This made Miami's PAC look stunning.

[orlandouprise]

i would have like the building to have more street presence...imagine if the cantalevered roof would have extended over orange ave and the plaza to come in off south street. IMO that would have been more dramatic.

i wonder how Camille Sitte likes it...arent these his buddies (the architectural masterminds) that came up with this garbage...

[GregoryMCSE]

Orlando needs to get this right. The price of this PAC is tremendous. Orlando cannot afford to think small town or conservatively. Miami and Atlanta can get away with pedestrian PACs because after all, they are Miami and Atlanta. Orlando should not settle for boring, plain or conservative. To most people Orlando = Disney. They don't know or don't care about downtown Orlando, at best they drive past downtown Orlando on their way to the theme parks. Tampa and Miami have more going for them because of their locations, their pro sports teams, their culture etc. Orlando has to get this right; our PAC means more to us. I know the PAC is for the locals, but it is also about Orlando's image. For 650 million our PAC, the Citrus Bowl and the new arena need to stand out!! The visual on this the entrance/front of the PAC has no flair, it has no impact... it is monolithic, 60's retro, and boring. If it evokes UCF's architecture or a Lynx station or for goodness sakes a convention center it is simply put, not good enough.

Edited August 22, 2008 by GregoryMCSE

[OCF]

I don't hate or dislike it but there certainly wasn't much of a wow factor for the exterior. As far as the actual performance spaces, the one I did see looked very nice.

[JRS1]

I don't know what to think. yet.

[JRS1]

Barton Meyers of LA is the design firm on this.

[bic]

As other people have already mentioned, my first reaction's stream of consciousness went something like "it looks like it's out of the 60's....like an airport out of the 60's. looks like Lincoln Center. I don't like that flat roof...especially in Orlando where it rains a lot. This thing isn't going to look good from the air. Is that Magnolia running through the center of the site? That's not very attractive. This isn't going to be good enough."

[orlandouprise]

I guess that is a "front porch" but where are the rocking chairs?

Also, that open area with the palm trees is supposed to be an outside performance space. There are small ponds in it and lots of trees. What kind of performing will be going on there? Tree climbing art? Rock skipping art? Homeless laying around getting tanned art?

i totally agree...are the trees there so the performers can hide in them or maybe jump out of them, maybe splash around in the puddles....rediculous. the plaza was supposed to be itailian piazza (sp?) -esque not jungle-esque.

this $hite always happens to Orlando...what a disappointment

[bic]

Here are some renderings, elevations, and floorplans:

[bulldogger]

Did our city choose the company based on their track record or did we put out an RFP and pick from the most well liked proposal?

From the second rendering above, I would say that the roof could have been extended all the way across the outdoor performance space above the hotel and office buildings. Could have shown dramatic lighting above like a ceiling ala Vegas.

[orlandouprise]

Something like the Seattle Public Library with its street presence is what i was expecting...oh well

[FLheat]

The Orlando Sentinel is supposed to do a feature in Sunday's Edition, so hopefully we can get more images. Looking at the floorplan, I think all female tickets should have a $5 surcharge to pay for the additional restroom real estate--it looks like they get 3 times the space. There better not be any women crowding the lobbies outside the restrooms during intermission.

[bulldogger]

Well, they do take up twice the amount of space with regards to toilet bowl vs. urinals and it takes longer to drip vs. shake.

Since this is going to be a "green" building, I wonder if they will use hand dryers or recycled paper.

Edited August 22, 2008 by bulldogger

[steve_o]

Hate to say it, but I kind of like it. Though I am always a fan of square type architecture with an abundance of glass usually seen in western cities like Phoenix, AZ. I only wish it had a stronger curb appeal to the main streets like Anderson and Orange. However, this may be better in the long run for traffic and limo service.

[Jaybee]

Went at lunch. Uh, Magnolia is there to extend the Lymmo line to points south (Sodo, hospital), the overall planning concept of street connectivity, and the added bonus of drop off druing an event (rather than having traffic tie up on Orange). The placement of the hotel is disappointing - it uneccessarily juts out; it better be exceptional to step over the street wall line. The tower of the hotel should be setback 60-feet in order to create better symetry on site from Orange. There is already talk of needing additional floors on the office portions enclosing the plaza... they could create a matching tower to the south of the hotel to create the symetry, which would create a more formal site plan. Arcades treatment around the plaza needs some detailed work. The bending of South is to satisfy First Methodist in order to acquire the last property needed to create the block - they have recent expansion plans previously mentioned. If the above is mitigated, it could be good - but not as good if they reserved the prime part of the site (on Orange) for the PAC and not Hine's speculative buildings. Pics follow...

[jack]

A part of the agreement with OPAC and FUMCO was to abandon parts of south st to give FUMCO more land for development.

[Jaybee]

[JRS1]

I went to the website before and viewed the renderings bic posted. I don't mind the roof overhang... I just think it should've been 2 levels taller.

woops. didn't see the above post. fabric roof? bad idea. not happy right now.

Edited August 22, 2008 by JRS1

[bic]

That last shot looks to be of an earlier iteration of the design. Is that an older massing model?

The thing I like most about the design of the PAC is the idea of the long plaza leading up to the main building. The balconies flanking the sides of the plaza and the "stage" that is cantilevered over Magnolia are an obvious attempt to mimic the inside of a theater and it works. I'm not a big fan of the small arched awning over part of the plaza or the size/shape of the ponds in it but I'm sure those elements will be tweaked before the plans are set in stone.

[sunshine]

I am sorry, this doesnt looks like something that would cost 408 millions. It looks some college project. This pair with the unispiring design of the arena.... very disappointing.

[JRS1]

^^

I agree. I am fond of those balconies over the plaza. but I am very disappointed in the fabric element of the overhang. that's an architectural element that this town can and should do without- OIA arrivals section included. but the other-- the balconies, is a fascinating direction to go in; they could host those concerts there instead of in front of city hall (Eddie Money for example), which is the idea I guess.

[Pieson]

I actually like the UCF's new PAC designs better

this just doesnt seem very impressive, doesn't really stand out

we shall see though, could turn out great

[RedStar25]

And what is up with the rounding of South Street? What is the point in that?

Yes FUMCO is being given back some land after selling its land south of south street. The church is in desperate need of expanding and the city wanted to calm traffic on south street. So the solution was to curve south street out away from FMO. This gave FMO back a half acre of land and will slow traffic.

So Boomer136...

Why do you say there wont be a reall pipe organ in the acoustic hall? Isn't it apart of the budget?

They are a must have now adays for a PAC to be considerd world class. What are the dimentions of the Chamber (if you know)?

By the way FMO's architect's web page is

http://www.cdhpartners.com/index.html

Some of thier work includes

Edited August 23, 2008 by RedStar25

[Boomer136]

The Orlando Sentinel is supposed to do a feature in Sunday's Edition, so hopefully we can get more images. Looking at the floorplan, I think all female tickets should have a $5 surcharge to pay for the additional restroom real estate--it looks like they get 3 times the space. There better not be any women crowding the lobbies outside the restrooms during intermission.

1. Women drive the arts.

2. The additional men's rooms are by the bars. A stroke of genius, I think, at least an attention to detail! (M-Honey, I'll be right back. F-But this is the third time... M-I know, I'll bring it up to the doc next physical, promise, gotta go...)

[Boomer136]

I went to the website before and viewed the renderings bic posted. I don't mind the roof overhang... I just think it should've been 2 levels taller.

woops. didn't see the above post. fabric roof? bad idea. not happy right now.

Perhaps I'm mis-reading Liz, but solar panels?