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

[Pete C]

What's humorous to me is how so many are willing to sacrifice great examples of architecture by notable architects (as praha mentioned with OPL - the Amherst Apartments on Colonial Drive is another that comes to mind) and to replace them with yet another visored piece of hackwork by a nobody at Baker Barrios. But that's progress!

 

Who is willing to sacrifice the OPL? I haven't heard anyone suggesting that.

[jack]

I'll have more on this in another post as it's an important topic - suffice it to say, a lot of it has to do with the fact that those of us supporting preservation have been constantly lied to over the years by this administration. There have been so many buildings doomed to demolition by neglect while promises were made the entire time that changes were coming if we just waited until things were worked out. Those promises continued right up until the night the bulldozers arrived in the case of the Jaymont Block, just to mention one.

 

In the case of Tinker Field, we kept being told that we had to wait for the city to get around to attracting another minor-league baseball team. When we suggested that Tinker was significant for reasons other than baseball as it became apparent any such team was likely to be placed in another part of town, we were ignored. Once again, that was the M.O. right up until city staff got around to announcing that, oops!, we forgot to mention that we need to tear down Tinker for the expansion of the Citrus Bowl with ZERO warning. The preservationists aren't the problem - an administration that cannot be trusted is.

 

What's humorous to me is how so many are willing to sacrifice great examples of architecture by notable architects (as praha mentioned with OPL - the Amherst Apartments on Colonial Drive is another that comes to mind) and to replace them with yet another visored piece of hackwork by a nobody at Baker Barrios. But that's progress!

What replaced the Amherst? 

 

This may sound strange, but the library is one of may favorite buildings in Orlando. I typically do not line Brutalism, having just one building isolated make is seem much more approachable. It is probably why i like the round building, it is the only building that looks that way. Besides, we are tearing down a 100,000 sq ft building to replace it with a building of similar size.  

[sunshine]

I always like the library and alwasy thought that it should not be a libray and instead an art museum. Market it as an attration in downtown. Together with the church next to it and the Orange county museum.

 

As for this museum, besides that all the trees in front of it totally covered it up, it does not get the attention in deserved as a lousy museum. Orange County History museum need to get a bigger and larger building to make in into a full blown museum with theme parks history & memorablia in it. Then this building should be changed into a market place or something like Faneal hall in boston. This will kick off the retails since that area is pretty active with the bars..

[prahaboheme]

^Interesting concept about a reuse of the History Museum - this also reminds me of Charleston's Old Slave Mart.

Edited October 7, 2014 by prahaboheme

[sunshine]

The OC museum building + library building + church + post office building could totally formed our Orlando version of Faneuil hall market place.

 

Repurposing the buildings and couple it with Eola park...you have an interesting area. Not to mention we will have new museum/libary/post offcie buildings to cheer for...

[jrs2]

Or, you know ... 

 

 

Side note: am I the only one who always thinks Winnie Palmer looks like it has a bunch of windows boarded up? Odd design.

this is another example of a scaled down project; should've been, if I recall correctly, about 20-22 stories tall.

 

what is it exactly with this town and shortening everything?  it's starting to get to me...

[cwetteland]

this is another example of a scaled down project; should've been, if I recall correctly, about 20-22 stories tall.

 

what is it exactly with this town and shortening everything?  it's starting to get to me...

In the case of commercial ventures, the driver is maximizing return. It's not rocket science, it's math.  NORA, Steel House, Rida ... probably looked at the last wave of high rise condos, that sat 1/2 occupied for a decade.  I'm just stoked that unlike many other large cities, Orlando is building downtown,  Jacksonville, on the other hand, has some tall offices but almost nobody lives downtown.  I'm fine with the scale of things north of livingston.  I'm not sure how Winnie Palmer was funded (commercial or charity).  If it was commercial, its size was probably driven by demand.  If it was charity, you build what you can afford.  Size for size sake is not part of the equation.

[jrs2]

In the case of commercial ventures, the driver is maximizing return. It's not rocket science, it's math.  NORA, Steel House, Rida ... probably looked at the last wave of high rise condos, that sat 1/2 occupied for a decade.  I'm just stoked that unlike many other large cities, Orlando is building downtown,  Jacksonville, on the other hand, has some tall offices but almost nobody lives downtown.  I'm fine with the scale of things north of livingston.  I'm not sure how Winnie Palmer was funded (commercial or charity).  If it was commercial, its size was probably driven by demand.  If it was charity, you build what you can afford.  Size for size sake is not part of the equation.

I agree with everything you said.  The Winnie Palmer thing was a thought I had after I saw how Adventist built the Ginzburg Tower bigger and built out the upper floors later.  But, Adventist has deeper pockets.

 

As for the rest of downtown, I agree totally; and I am thrilled to see Rida finally building on that lot after so long.  Also, NORA finally being built out after Verde never broke ground.  Steelhouse also, filling in that horrible ugly lot.  Skyhouse, converting a homeless hangout into a fully developed northern end to Magnolia; Lexington Court too, rounding out the Crowne Plaza lot.  And Artisan 420, adding more density to that neighborhood.  That's good stuff.

 

Now I'm eager to see The Sevens finish out the SR 50 to Park Lake block.  That's going to be huge; a real neighborhood-building project.  NORA may be that project soon, complimenting 801 North Orange, but The Sevens will really complement those two projects' retail, which will be 3 straight blocks of retail.  Retail begets retail, and residential begets residential.   

[Ocityst]

DPAC really is a gem. Got a good look yesterday.

[FLheat]

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/gallery/?module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=3413&file=max

 

DPAC and Demo from above

Edited October 10, 2014 by FLheat

[John Hargrove]

Drove by DPAC last night and it looked really nice. Tried to snap some pictures while stopped at the light:

 

 

 

[Jernigan]

Drove on 408W to I4 and got a good look at the east side of the building and man it could use something better than a whitewash for all the people who will only see it from that perspective 99 percent of the time. Given the fact that it is an arts building, it should be a given.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Jernigan

[sunshine]

You should be focus on the road when you are driving...

[John Hargrove]

What? Why? It's not that hard. Hell, I'm driving right n

[Pete C]

Yeah tell that to the people who installed a massive video board on the side of the Amway Center. Anyone know if anyone has blamed that for causing any wrecks?

[smileguy]

Drove on 408W to I4 and got a good look at the east side of the building and man it could use something better than a whitewash for all the people who will only see it from that perspective 99 percent of the time. Given the fact that it is an arts building, it should be a given.

 

The site to the east of the PAC was - I believe - slated for high-rise development. Maybe that will - one day - be the fate of the property.

[jrs2]

I like this pac.  where are they at with Phase II funding?  They really need to get that phase going and complete the complex.

[JFW657]

That roof just looks like it's poised to jump off the top of the building though. 

[tc01]

I'm not liking the design of the building.

Edited October 12, 2014 by tc01

[spenser1058]

Driving by it early each morning, I think the lighting is what saves us. I can't help remembering back to the beginning, though, where the architect said something along the lines of capturing Orlando's "essence" in the design. Whatever this says about our essence truly frightens me.

[jack]

It looks better at night from the side. But overall, it is just okay to me. 

[sunshine]

Driving by it early each morning, I think the lighting is what saves us. I can't help remembering back to the beginning, though, where the architect said something along the lines of capturing Orlando's "essence" in the design. Whatever this says about our essence truly frightens me.

 

Maybe it means "we are good at spending a lot of money with medicoare design" essence

[JFW657]

One thing I noticed via Google Maps Street View, is that going West bound on the 408 (East West Expressway to us old timers) the view is downright bad looking. 

 

 

Looks like the back of a Walmart. 

 

 

 

[John Hargrove]

One thing I noticed via Google Maps Street View, is that going West bound on the 408 (East West Expressway to us old timers) the view is downright bad looking. 

 

 

Looks like the back of a Walmart. 

 

Has a sweet spoiler though. +10 horsepower.

[HankStrong]

Always add a sweet spoiler.  Always.