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50 Monroe to get de-skinned?


GRDadof3

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14 hours ago, baobabs727 said:

I'm sorry, but there is something viscerally objectionable about the title of this thread. Pardon me for being old-fashioned, but IMHO more aptly put, one would query whether this building would be re-cladded or would receive either a refreshed façade or a completely new one. Anyway...it is looking nice no matter the nomenclature. 

Well the buildings did have their skin removed, and will not be re-cladded. They are buildings and not animals or people. :)

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3 hours ago, baobabs727 said:

sure. but it has received a new façade. ;)

Joe's right, no new facade. although I guess you could call the filled in windows a "new facade." 

And why do you have a problem with things that are visceral? 

Anyway, welcome to the GR forum! :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

I think we might be in for another color surprise at 50 Monroe. They’re starting to clean up the buildings on the Ottawa side, and it almost looks like they’re uncovering red brick on the northeast building. 

Couldn’t get a photo. Maybe it’s brick that was replaced in the past? But it sure looked like red brick peeking through. 

Joe

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  • 2 weeks later...
34 minutes ago, x99 said:

What did they ever decide to do on the outside of this?  They can't possibly just be leaving the concrete blocks... but if they're putting in windows already...?

Interesting observation. I had assumed they were going to match the brickwork (but probably not so arched windows). Never noticed the window on the side. 

Maybe they don’t know what color of brick to match. :) I hope they splurge and make it somewhat historically accurate. Actually, I hope they really splurge and make it totally historically accurate. :)

Joe

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12 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

Interesting observation. I had assumed they were going to match the brickwork (but probably not so arched windows). Never noticed the window on the side. 

Maybe they don’t know what color of brick to match. :) I hope they splurge and make it somewhat historically accurate. Actually, I hope they really splurge and make it totally historically accurate. :)

Joe

There was a quote from one of the owners awhile back (to paraphrase) that the final design would show some of the scars...  Let's hope the scars are not CMUs on a street-facing facade...   I think that would be a first downtown, and not a good one.   I can't imagine industrial concrete blocks would help market the building, but who knows?  I agree re: the accuracy.  If they stuck the original parapet wall back on, that would be amazing.  There are precious few high style parapets left intact downtown.  The building on the right had a fabulous one, with a huge pediment running the middle 3/4 of the length of the facade, and four sort-of story-high pineapple urns, 2 at the edges of the building and 2 at the edges of the pediment.   It was unusual, but pretty cool.  Flanagans is one of the only buildings with a massive parapet still fully intact. 

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1 hour ago, x99 said:

What did they ever decide to do on the outside of this?  They can't possibly just be leaving the concrete blocks... but if they're putting in windows already...?

So far as I can tell, the windows are only being installed on the sides so far, where there is no concrete block.

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On 7/26/2018 at 7:45 PM, joeDowntown said:

Actually it hasn’t. They’re restoring the original facade after it was de-skinned. ;)

Joe

 

On 7/26/2018 at 10:56 PM, GRDadof3 said:

Joe's right, no new facade. although I guess you could call the filled in windows a "new facade." 

And why do you have a problem with things that are visceral? 

Anyway, welcome to the GR forum! :)

Lol. Semantics, gentlemen. Kinda, sorta. In any event, thanks for the welcome. Great town, GR. I'll check back in to see the final product ...and to re-test my tolerance levels for all things "visceral." ;)

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47 minutes ago, tSlater said:

I find it interesting how the easternmost building is turning out to be a red building rather than white. Red looks much better on it, honestly.

And I think I recall them saying that the arched windows and parapet would not be restored. Although I hope they don't keep the blocks either.

Cool surprises. The renderings show the building on Monroe as brown brick (it was soot/dirt), the northern building on Ottawa, white. 

 

3 minutes ago, Floyd_Z said:

Is it just me or does this whole project seem like a money pit?  Yeah restoring it would be cool, but the skinned version wasn't THAT bad

I agree. It seems awfully expensive, but I LOVE that they are doing it. :)

Joe

54 minutes ago, tSlater said:

I find it interesting how the easternmost building is turning out to be a red building rather than white. Red looks much better on it, honestly.

And I think I recall them saying that the arched windows and parapet would not be restored. Although I hope they don't keep the blocks either.

Cool surprises. The renderings show the building on Monroe as brown brick (it was soot/dirt), the northern building on Ottawa, white. 

 

7 minutes ago, Floyd_Z said:

Is it just me or does this whole project seem like a money pit?  Yeah restoring it would be cool, but the skinned version wasn't THAT bad

I agree. It seems awfully expensive, but I LOVE that they are doing it. :)

Early Rendering:

-a08f21c58e2be4ae.jpg&key=7b3ff7ab460084

Joe

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10 hours ago, Floyd_Z said:

Is it just me or does this whole project seem like a money pit?  Yeah restoring it would be cool, but the skinned version wasn't THAT bad

I can definitely see why these buildings were covered over at one time. But there's a lot of work to do yet before they're finished. 

It's probably why it took so long for this project to get started. Cold feet at the altar. :)

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1 hour ago, mielsonwheels said:

I thought they were covering the concrete blocks with an architectural metal panel.

I think that was for the side destroyed by the smoke stack demolition accident when they originally put the modern facade on. Last I read, they were still trying to figure out what to do with the Ottawa side.

Joe

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53 minutes ago, GR_Urbanist said:

I was hoping they would have kept the atrium as a nod to that part of the building's history. Or at least keep some sort of atrium intact.

 

What is the use of having a gap between these building anyway?

Alley ways are cool. Maybe it could become a neat outdoor dining area for a restaurant. Or just use it for utility services like alley ways are originally intended for.

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46 minutes ago, tSlater said:

Alley ways are cool. Maybe it could become a neat outdoor dining area for a restaurant. Or just use it for utility services like alley ways are originally intended for.

Agreed!   Chicago's West Loop has a great example of this.   Green Street Meats has outdoor seating in the alley (left), and then opens up to RM Champagne (right).    Also has the entrance for a 10 seat ramen restaurant in the basement.   Really cool spot. 

image.png.ba0fc7c2b0ee826aa0e24dad4f3c4523.pngimage.png.5bb90d1773e1c4afdf5df0e369ed18f2.png

 

 

Edited by Hoeks
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I think the original plans had lighting like the photos above. Don’t know what they plan on doing but I doubt it’ll be an alley for dumpsters. 

Joe

3 hours ago, GR_Urbanist said:

I was hoping they would have kept the atrium as a nod to that part of the building's history. Or at least keep some sort of atrium intact.

 

What is the use of having a gap between these building anyway?

I heard the atrium was leaky and mold infested. So I don’t think it was worth saving. 

Joe

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