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Downtown Orlando Project Discussion


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1 hour ago, jrs2 said:

I've got the same question.  On my app, the image looks like an aerial view of Eola which may be depicting that controversial tower proposal for the corner of Rosalind & Central on the park side.

Yeah, if I had to guess I'd guess they're talking about Orlando Central and City Centre.

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7 hours ago, idroveazamboni said:

The gist of the story was great but we've got to get the dude a fact checker. Audubon Parkway? And while no one is prouder of our downtown than I am, I don't think downtown St. Pete or Miami Beach (just to name two)  have anything to be ashamed of. Nevertheless, it captures the zeitgeist pretty well. 

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There's quite a few errors in the article. Like how he mentioned that the DPAC was on Church Street... a mistake that could have been avoided by simply going on Google Maps. Anyways, it's great to hear a positive article about the actual city of Orlando and not the usual fanfare about the theme parks and touristy areas.

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55 minutes ago, orange87 said:

Does anybody else think Skyhouse is an ugly building? It has the worst "crown" (if you can even call that a crown) of any building I've ever seen. Skyhouse legitimately looks like it's unfinished.

skyhouse-orlando-orlando-fl-primary-phot

You're right about the roof or crown or whatever you want to call it, looking unfinished. I've thought that since the day it was officially completed.

29 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

I like it - more depth and texture than your typical glass box. It gives a nod to previous eras. The only downside is that it's being replicated across the sunbelt like a Del Taco franchise so nothing unique about it for O-town.

Pretty much the same with Modera, isn't it?

Is that what is in store for downtown Orlando's future?

McHighrises? 

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Sadly, you're probably right. I imagine it will take a local firm with ties to the area to spring for something unique - all the more reason to invest in local startups instead of throwing $$ to move someone in from Texas that's likely to disappear in five years.

On the other hand, even that's not foolproof. When Sun Bank Center was under construction, someone came up with a pic of an almost identical building (iirc it may have been a Marriott in San Antonio.)

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16 hours ago, JFW657 said:

Pretty much the same with Modera, isn't it?

Is that what is in store for downtown Orlando's future?

McHighrises? 

Modera is boring, but is it not coming from a replicated template like Skyhouse is it?

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I can't find a reason to complain.  Their model allowed them to build a high rise here when everyone else was doing low mid rise.    The same cookie-cutter tower replicated in various cities isn't the same as a subdivision of 300 cookie cutter homes, in my opinion.  Heck, I think a city could handle two of them.

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1 hour ago, Pete C said:

Modera is boring, but is it not coming from a replicated template like Skyhouse is it?

There is this one in Atlanta...

8affa509220c41fa24fe450cf09d3a01c-f10xd-

...not sure if it ever got past the rendering phase, but they obviously have plans to use the general design in multiple cities.

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34 minutes ago, Jernigan said:

I can't find a reason to complain.  Their model allowed them to build a high rise here when everyone else was doing low mid rise.    The same cookie-cutter tower replicated in various cities isn't the same as a subdivision of 300 cookie cutter homes, in my opinion.  Heck, I think a city could handle two of them.

It's certainly better than nothing. Or as you said, some low mid rise Central Station type thing. And ANYTHING is better than sprawling suburbs, though that was never an option given the location.

Still, it makes you wonder if this kind of replicated design is going to become the future norm in high rise construction.

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On 2/7/2017 at 11:08 AM, sunshine said:

Downtown Orlando lakefront office hits the market

Feb 7, 2017, 10:44am EST
 
 
-----------------------------------------------
 
Is this time for the city to buy it?

 

Highwoods is keeping this buIlding after all

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On 7/2/2017 at 4:26 PM, spenser1058 said:

I like it - more depth and texture than your typical glass box. It gives a nod to previous eras. The only downside is that it's being replicated across the sunbelt like a Del Taco franchise so nothing unique about it for O-town.

As a Southern California native ... careful what you say about Del Taco ... 

 

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On 7/2/2017 at 3:58 PM, orange87 said:

Does anybody else think Skyhouse is an ugly building? It has the worst "crown" (if you can even call that a crown) of any building I've ever seen. Skyhouse legitimately looks like it's unfinished.

skyhouse-orlando-orlando-fl-primary-phot

IMO, this tower is way nice than, say, Solaire, especially the crown; maybe even nicer than 55W (of the residential buildings).

But, that being said, the improvements this project has made to the parcel where it was built upon...I dare not criticize b/c it is light years better now.  In fact, if I were to make a short list of projects that fall under the category of "I'm glad this was built compared to what was there before", it would include the following projects:

Skyhouse

Steelhouse

The Sevens

Lucerne development

Dynetech

55W

The rest, are 50/50 whether they should've been built vs what was there, or were built on empty otherwise un-noticed parcels.

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4 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

IMO, this tower is way nice than, say, Solaire, especially the crown; maybe even nicer than 55W (of the residential buildings).

But, that being said, the improvements this project has made to the parcel where it was built upon...I dare not criticize b/c it is light years better now.  In fact, if I were to make a short list of projects that fall under the category of "I'm glad this was built compared to what was there before", it would include the following projects:

Skyhouse

Steelhouse

The Sevens

Lucerne development

Dynetech

55W

The rest, are 50/50 whether they should've been built vs what was there, or were built on empty otherwise un-noticed parcels.

The VUE

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1 hour ago, jrs2 said:

IMO, this tower is way nice than, say, Solaire, especially the crown; maybe even nicer than 55W (of the residential buildings).

But, that being said, the improvements this project has made to the parcel where it was built upon...I dare not criticize b/c it is light years better now.  In fact, if I were to make a short list of projects that fall under the category of "I'm glad this was built compared to what was there before", it would include the following projects:

Skyhouse

Steelhouse

The Sevens

Lucerne development

Dynetech

55W

The rest, are 50/50 whether they should've been built vs what was there, or were built on empty otherwise un-noticed parcels.

Are you serious? Skyhouse doesn't even HAVE a "crown." It's like they were building Skyhouse and then gave up once they got near the top.

Edited by orange87
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47 minutes ago, orange87 said:

Are you serious? Skyhouse doesn't even have a "crown." It's like they were building Skyhouse and then gave up once they got near the top.

Maybe if they had painted it a different color.

What's up there now looks too much like bare concrete, hence the unfinished appearance.

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1 hour ago, orange87 said:

Are you serious? Skyhouse doesn't even HAVE a "crown." It's like they were building Skyhouse and then gave up once they got near the top.

that's because it's too wide for the height.  It's should've been at least 5 stories taller at a bare minimum.  Yeah, I don't like how the building stops, then the center portion continues going up abruptly 2-3 more levels; they could've transitioned it better.  From an angle it's not so bad.

 

17 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Maybe if they had painted it a different color.

What's up there now looks too much like bare concrete, hence the unfinished appearance.

I agree about the color making it look "unfinished", but I don't think you can change the color of the top or "crown" if the rest is an unfinished grey- unless it was a glass enclosed feature or like the roof of the Chicago Board of Trade, which is a green copper angled roof plus statue.  They could've made the top of this like the Chicago Tribune, by working the setbacks and other features vertically more.

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Can't beat Suntrust "crown" obviously.  The Skyhouse design, I don't particularly care for.  It is a matter of taste, of course, but the reason I don't care for it is not the decoration on the top, it is the fact that they made it short and stubby.  Should have had at least a couple of floors higher with setbacks, leading to a narrower crown that could have been decorated in a similar way.  That would have been a much more visually appealing building and fit in better with BOA and the courthouse!  

As it is it looks like they chopped off about the top five floors off of what would have been a nice building with a spire.  Typically Orlando "re-design" haha. 

Just my opinion though. To each their own!

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5 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

Can't beat Suntrust "crown" obviously.  The Skyhouse design, I don't particularly care for.  It is a matter of taste, of course, but the reason I don't care for it is not the decoration on the top, it is the fact that they made it short and stubby.  Should have had at least a couple of floors higher with setbacks, leading to a narrower crown that could have been decorated in a similar way.  That would have been a much more visually appealing building and fit in better with BOA and the courthouse!  

As it is it looks like they chopped off about the top five floors off of what would have been a nice building with a spire.  Typically Orlando "re-design" haha. 

Just my opinion though. To each their own!

you are 100% right about opinion, because I for one cannot stand the Suntrust design.  

[rant] As far as a "crown", you are correct in that it has a very distinctive crown.  But that being said, the Hood administration shot down the "cube" building in 1997 by Pizzuti.  Really?  I found that shocking because I think the four aqua pyramids on Suntrust are ridiculous and the central glass wall portions in aqua on the east and west facade are horrible too.  Of all the great SOM buildings in Chicago, they gave us...this.  

I don't see that kind of "Florida" design in Jax, Tampa, or Miami, so why the F would they put such a "weak" and "non-serious" design in this hole?  Because of Disney? Big mistake.  And why would the downtown development board agree to it?  DuPont (BOA) is far superior in design.  WTF makes Orlando so much more tropical than Miami that they would  build a building that's more or less peach and aqua in color?  F'ing peach and aqua?  That's not a serious color combination.  Bring on that damn silver Tremont Tower PLEASE and make it taller too.  F'ing peach and aqua...

Somebody please call Novarre and have them build Skyhouse II and put it opposite Lincoln Tower and make it 45 stories and mask Suntrust out of existence.  

Yes, they used nice materials, but the coloring sucks.  I don't even think that's an opinion matter, I mean, who can agree that an aqua building is acceptable in a downtown that's trying to be a serious office market and architectural magnet?  Do people from other states even recognize that building as being "Orlando"?  I dunno.  

I was in Manhattan two weeks ago...yet again... and I didn't see anything as non-serious as Suntrust on that island.  

Sorry.  I can't stand Suntrust and I find myself always making excuses for it's below average design.

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1 hour ago, jrs2 said:

you are 100% right about opinion, because I for one cannot stand the Suntrust design.  

[rant] As far as a "crown", you are correct in that it has a very distinctive crown.  But that being said, the Hood administration shot down the "cube" building in 1997 by Pizzuti.  Really?  I found that shocking because I think the four aqua pyramids on Suntrust are ridiculous and the central glass wall portions in aqua on the east and west facade are horrible too.  Of all the great SOM buildings in Chicago, they gave us...this.  

I don't see that kind of "Florida" design in Jax, Tampa, or Miami, so why the F would they put such a "weak" and "non-serious" design in this hole?  Because of Disney? Big mistake.  And why would the downtown development board agree to it?  DuPont (BOA) is far superior in design.  WTF makes Orlando so much more tropical than Miami that they would  build a building that's more or less peach and aqua in color?  F'ing peach and aqua?  That's not a serious color combination.  Bring on that damn silver Tremont Tower PLEASE and make it taller too.  F'ing peach and aqua...

Somebody please call Novarre and have them build Skyhouse II and put it opposite Lincoln Tower and make it 45 stories and mask Suntrust out of existence.  

Yes, they used nice materials, but the coloring sucks.  I don't even think that's an opinion matter, I mean, who can agree that an aqua building is acceptable in a downtown that's trying to be a serious office market and architectural magnet?  Do people from other states even recognize that building as being "Orlando"?  I dunno.  

I was in Manhattan two weeks ago...yet again... and I didn't see anything as non-serious as Suntrust on that island.  

Sorry.  I can't stand Suntrust and I find myself always making excuses for it's below average design.

Beyond ridiculous. I'm sorry, but anybody who thinks Skyhouse is amazing yet Suntrust is bad can't be taken seriously.

Edited by orange87
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Yes, it is all opinion. I don't particularly like the overall design of SunTrust, just saying it has the best, most prominent Crown feature. My top 3 highrise in Orlando for overall Design:

1. BOA - Distinct and classic without being Cheesy

2. Angebilt Hotel - Historic and the architectural details those era buildings possess still look great

3. Citi Tower - Clean and sleek looking with nice architectural detail and crown for a residential building, but I would like to see final treatments on things like final paint and what they do to that hideous garage side wall on the east.

The next are kinda Meh, but would probably put the courthouse and Wells Fargo building on North Magnolia ahead of Suntrust for overall architectural design. 

 

I just had a thought, have we ever had a thread for Best Highrise buildings in Orlando ranking? We could all post our top 5 and why and then average out the list to rank them!

Edited by dcluley98
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