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On 4/15/2019 at 8:37 AM, spenser1058 said:

Just for prahaboheme!

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/david-whitley/os-op-ask-orlando-library-brutalism-david-whitley-2019041-story,amp.html

From the Sentinel 

I really liked Johansen’s original building. I particularly liked the way boards were imprinted in the wet concrete to give it an organic feel. The rock gardens and the second-floor entry (which would not fly in the ADA era) all made for a striking structure that fit in perfectly with what surrounded it (particularly the minimalist UC and the exterior of the Christian Science church (now St. George’s.)

The expansion, however (and the initial interior which was truly dank - that’s been fixed) simply blew away all sense of proportion to what was around it (much like the blank wall of the AT&T addition, although thankfully OPL has windows and a variety of levels and outcroppings to make it more interesting).

Over the years, they’ve done much with trees, signage and the rainbow light panels on the west side to humanize it, but it was simply too much for the block.

 

It’s the finest example of brutalism in the state.

Johansens original building...

Edited by prahaboheme
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So I went to pick up my wife after going to the movies with her girlfriends and noticed a portion of the exterior of the "round building" is standing at Heritage Square right in front of Caseys complete with plaque.  Does anyone know when it went up?

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6 minutes ago, codypet said:

So I went to pick up my wife after going to the movies with her girlfriends and noticed a portion of the exterior of the "round building" is standing at Heritage Square right in front of Caseys complete with plaque.  Does anyone know when it went up?

They announced they were going to a while back but I hadn’t heard it had happened. I guess they wanted to make sure Hank was ready for it!

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10 hours ago, Camillo Sitte said:

FYI - that isn't a result of some special process or effort to create that look, it's just a natural result of using wood planks for the formwork.

The reason you don't see that effect very often on newer construction is because natural grain wood just isn't used much anymore to make formwork. It's much more likely to be  plywood, aluminum, steel, fiberglass, foam, etc.

From what I read, they purposely built the forms with irregular, uneven wood planks in order to create that appearance. 

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7 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

From what I read, they purposely built the forms with irregular, uneven wood planks in order to create that appearance. 

That was also my understanding. I know other concrete buildings I’m familiar with don’t tend to have that and I really like it.

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5 hours ago, codypet said:

So I went to pick up my wife after going to the movies with her girlfriends and noticed a portion of the exterior of the "round building" is standing at Heritage Square right in front of Caseys complete with plaque.  Does anyone know when it went up?

Few months ago.  I saw it walking to Wall St during last kickball season.  Thought I took a picture to share, but I can't find it.

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5 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

That was also my understanding. I know other concrete buildings I’m familiar with don’t tend to have that and I really like it.

You can certainly choose a particular species of wood and arrange it in a particular pattern, but when you use natural wood as the formwork, the resulting impression is a functional byproduct of the material and it's arrangement.

I read the post I quoted as a belief that the resulting aesthetic qualities of the concrete in the DT library was a kind of wonderful serendipity.

If instead, that poster was trying to say something to the effect, "I really like the specific formwork choices the architect made for the DT library...", then I misread the post.

In addition to the choice of grain pattern and orientation [verticle, horizontal, etc.], you can also control how much concrete is excreted between the boards and the size, placement, and pattern of the divots left behind by the formwork braces.

Edited by Camillo Sitte
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From Growthspotter:

https://www.growthspotter.com/news/hotels/gs-owner-to-demo-building-next-to-dr-phillips-center-for-new-hotel-20190501-story.html

"The New York-based company that paid nearly $1.4 million for a nearly century-old office building across from the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts has filed plans with the city to demolish it.

GDC Properties President William Ingraham told GrowthSpotter the company is prepping the quarter-acre site for a future 11-story hotel tower with retail and restaurant space on the ground floor.

GDC is the same firm that transformed the former Orlando Utilities Commission headquarters at 500 S. Orange Ave. into the city's first Aloft-branded hotel. Ingraham said the company doesn't have a start date yet for the new 126-key Orlando tower because all of its attention now is focused on a project in New York.

"We don't have a construction date yet, but we're preparing for the eventual development of that site," he said.

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LaBelle Furs, probably downtown’s oldest retailer, is turning 100 this year and is having a big sale to prep for a redo of their storefront.

Here’s hoping whatever they do keeps the awesome neon sign up top.

https://bungalower.com/2019/05/01/la-belle-furs-hosting-sale-to-prep-for-big-remodel/

From Bungalower 

 

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10 hours ago, Jernigan said:

GDC filed a demo permit for the 3 story office building across Anderson from the DPAC,

That hotel project isn’t dead after all.

Does that thing occupy the old Bowyer/Dewberry building or just the Designzillas house?

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2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

LaBelle Furs, probably downtown’s oldest retailer, is turning 100 this year and is having a big sale to prep for a redo of their storefront.

Here’s hoping whatever they do keeps the awesome neon sign up top.

https://bungalower.com/2019/05/01/la-belle-furs-hosting-sale-to-prep-for-big-remodel/

From Bungalower 

Yeah, the sign is awesome.

furmurder.jpg

Hope they keep the the slogan. 

Maybe add some splashes of red paint to the building exterior. :thumbsup:

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I'm a big fan of leather and understand where it comes from, but leather primarily comes from food animals.  I see that, personally, as a circle of life thing where as much of the animal is used as possible.

Furs?  Yeah, I don't get that.  I find anti-fur protesters annoying because the fur will be replaced by another fur, which just worsens the cause???? But furs usually come from animals that are not part of the food chain.

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42 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

I'm a big fan of leather and understand where it comes from, but leather primarily comes from food animals.  I see that, personally, as a circle of life thing where as much of the animal is used as possible.

Furs?  Yeah, I don't get that.  I find anti-fur protesters annoying because the fur will be replaced by another fur, which just worsens the cause???? But furs usually come from animals that are not part of the food chain.

I long ago stopped wearing animal products and would prefer others refrain from doing so as well.

i also have dialed back my meat-eating over the years as well, sticking mostly to fish and dairy products and the occasional pastrami sandwich at Beefy King or Pub Sub (I’m swearing off those nowadays for other reasons).

I could do a PETA on LaBelle and unequivocally condemn them, I suppose, but the folks determined to buy furs would just go to some mall to buy them.

Meanwhile, a family that has hung in for 100 years(!) Downtown might be lost and there would be no net reduction in fur sales. That strikes me as counterproductive.

Besides, their sign rocks...

I think St. Augustine said it best, “Lord, make me pure, but not yet.”

Edited by spenser1058
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45 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

I long ago stopped wearing animal products and would prefer others refrain from doing so as well.

Serious question, if people are eating the meat wouldn't you prefer the whole animal be used in an appropriate fashion?  For fashion!  I kill me!  (sorry the pun wasn't serious, but too good to pass up)

Now, if everyone stopped eating meat, then the problem becomes a different one.  The whole world becoming vegetarian isn't likely in the near future, so I'm very pro using the entire animal and wasting as little as possible.

Edited by HankStrong
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