IN PROGRESS: The Residences at The Westin

[gregw]

My guess is that he would like to see something that doesn't just try to fit in but push the envelope. How bout this?

http://www.spl.org/images/slideshow/NewCentralSlideshow.asp

I'd love it.Brussat would have such a cow.

Morgan makes some valid points...I'll give him that.  However, IMHO he is taking out all his frustrations on one building and that is quite sad.  If such a strong opinion is made against ONE building, then he should have the common curtesy to suggest an alternative.  The fact of the matter is that he cant and that is the bottom line.  Mr. Morgan please do tell me what you mean by "exceptional design"  and how can you apply it to the position of the new tower.  I have a feeling that if his "exception design" were to be applied, then it would destroy the synergy between the mall, the current westin and union station.

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[Cotuit]

If such a strong opinion is made against ONE building, then he should have the common curtesy to suggest an alternative.  The fact of the matter is that he cant and that is the bottom line.

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He seems to be looking for a glass and steel structure, I think by exceptional, he's thinking of something like the Gherkin in London:

Of course he goes on and on about the scale of buildings, and having towers reserved for the suburbs (yes, let's have everyone live and work in the suburbs and make the city centre into an urbanism museum ).

Personally, there's something I don't quite like about the Westin, there's a fakery to it that is offputting to me, though looking at the skylines of other cities I know the Westin is more of a blessing than a curse. I'm not fond of twin tower complexes, but the new tower is not a true twin, and I think it will actually enhance the current tower standing there by itself as it is now. If I had my way the current Westin Tower would look different, and the new tower would too. But as the reality is that we have the existing one, like it or not, the proposal for the new tower works very well, I think.

[Cotuit]

I'd love it. Brussat would have such a cow.

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It would be nice if the Journal could find an architecture critic that sat somewhere between these two poles.

[Airwaves]

The new Westin tower's architecture is very complimentary to the surroundings I think. Having said that - this building will dwarf even the existing Westin tower and considering Francis Street is not exaclty a wide blvd - I think it may overwhelm that whole intersection. But the goal here for the developer is to build a successful project - not a monument to appease frustrated architects.

[Magellan98]

The new Westin tower's architecture is very complimentary to the surroundings I think.  Having said that - this building will dwarf even the existing Westin tower and considering Francis Street is not exaclty a wide blvd - I think it may overwhelm that whole intersection.  But the goal here for the developer is to build a successful project - not a monument to appease frustrated architects.

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With the G-Tech building, there will be substantial structures at all four corners of the road giving Providence a truly urban intersection. The Westin addition with its arcade reaching nearly to the street will only serve to entice pedestrians - particularly if there is good retail mix along the arcade. Plus, given the widths of Francis St and Memorial Blvd, I don't think the Westin addition will be overwhelming at all.

I just don't get why so many people are against "big" or "tall" projects. If you walk into downtown a great intersection is that at Westminster and Dorrance. It's got significant buildings (though not terribly tall) at all four corners. Imagine the same intersection with taller buildings - would it be overwhelming? Of course not. This is a city - not a suburb - or a suburb masquerading as a city (ala Stamford, CT).

[CtownMikey]

I second that Magellan. I think with the retail of the mall, gtech, and westin on the ground level .. along with all 4 corners being occupied, that the area will be loved by everyone. There is no reason not to like it and I think everyone will see that when its complete. I look foward to these 4 corners more than parcel 2 or 6 and OTW. Simply because those coming in from the highway at that intersection will be amazed by how active the space has become, and for those who are new to the area, it will give them a much different view on the city then I'm sure is being thought of now.

[DaveRPI]

"With the G-Tech building, there will be substantial structures at all four corners of the road giving Providence a truly urban intersection. "

since when has 'urban' become defined only as a 4-way intersection with 10+ story towers???

i like the towers and all, but i think everyone on this site desperately wants taller towers for merely a boost to their ego. if the city they live in looks more like the bigger cities across the country somehow they will feel better about themselves and the city in general...

here's an example for you guys... Hartford, CT... they have a lot more skyscrapers than providence and most other cities of its size, but has no where near the charisma of our city and it shows... the place is a dump!

who cares what color paint the house has if the inside is a crap box!?!

lates

-Dave

[Garris]

"With the G-Tech building, there will be substantial structures at all four corners of the road giving Providence a truly urban intersection. "

since when has 'urban' become defined only as a 4-way intersection with 10+ story towers???

i like the towers and all, but i think everyone on this site desperately wants taller towers for merely a boost to their ego. if the city they live in looks more like the bigger cities across the country somehow they will feel better about themselves and the city in general...

here's an example for you guys... Hartford, CT... they have a lot more skyscrapers than providence and most other cities of its size, but has no where near the charisma of our city and it shows... the place is a dump!

who cares what color paint the house has if the inside is a crap box!?!

lates

-Dave

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Hartford's skyscrapers are a product of a time when their economy and overall fortunes were much better than they are now. If the city is depressed currently, it's not because of its skyscrapers, its because of other, bigger problems.

A similar trend has happened in Providence. Our skyscrapers were built during good times when people and businesses wanted to be downtown. When an area is hot, and more people and businesses want to be there, and you are relatively built out, you only have two options...

1) Build out (sprawl, like Phoenix or LA, where you become a huge suburb without a core)

2) Build up...

I'd much rather build up than out. There are terrific cities without much height (Washington DC, Paris, Annapolis, etc.), but Providence is enormously dense (one of the most dense in the nation) and height just makes sense here. As has been pointed out here by others, the Boston/Providence metro is 4+ million people, if only a fraction of those people want and can afford urban downtown living, there currently isn't enough space in either city to accomodate them (that's why both are so expensive right now... If you don't have the space, the prices for existing space go up). If people are so concerned about the high prices of Providence that are developing, one solution would be to build more, taller buildings!!

I really don't get this anti-height sentiment so many have, especially since most of the people who are against it don't live in the downtown. If you live in the West End or Wayland Square, why do you care if someone builds a 30 story apartment tower downtown? If you don't like it, don't live there. It's a city, and there's only so much room. I'd rather build a 40 story, 300 unit building downtown than bulldoze a farm in Cumberland to do a massive 400 unit suburban condo!

- Garris

[billypc99]

"If people are so concerned about the high prices of Providence that are developing, one solution would be to build more, taller buildings!!"

Garris, excellent point! Creating affordable homes and aprartment at 1-3 units a pop is an expensive and inefficient way to solve the housing problem. Sure there are grants and subsidies to help, but it will can only make a small dent in the affordable housing crisis. Going taller certainly provides encomies of scale at the production level, but we have overlooked this in the quest for affordable housing. If we provide public monies in such projects, then we will get more mileage out of each dollar than simply doing it unit by unit. On the legistlation side this is tough issue to push because it is difficult to provide public monies to new larger scale projects when so many properties (existing & newly converted units) need subsidies to drive the rehabilitation. This has been a success thus far in our city, but I think we need to entertaining new ideas such as public monies (grants, tax credits, etc) for 4-10 story affordable housing units.

[gregw]

I think that part of the reluctance of people in Providence to accept taller buildings is that the last time a skyscraper was built that people really like was in 1928 when the Superman bldg was constructed.

High-rise architecture in Providence definitely went downhill after that.

Consider some of the more recent examples:

Textron (Old Stone), 1968, blah

One Financial Plaza (Hospital Trust), 1973, blah

Numerous elderly highrises throughout the city, 1960s-1970s, grim as hell

Holdiay Inn, c. 1969, blah

Regency Plaza, c. 1969, blah

Sciences Library, Brown, 1970, still intensely disliked by many

Fleet Center, c. 1985, increasingly dated postmodern but probably the best of the post 1928 tall buildings

Old Stone Square, So. Main St., c. 1985, extremely controversial when built and still widely disliked. (Not so bad IMHO)

Citizens Bank, c. 1990, virurently disliked by East Siders when built because it spoiled the view of the Baptist Church steeple when driving down Angell St. A pretty awful building IMHO.

Westin, c. 1997, relatively innocuous but hardly exciting.

Maybe it's not that people here dislike tall buildings per se but they doubt that anything new will win their affection.

[Cotuit]

As has been pointed out here by others, the Boston/Providence metro is 4+ million people

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It's closer to 10 million if you go from South County up to Manchester, NH and Worcester out to the Cape.

[Airwaves]

With the G-Tech building, there will be substantial structures at all four corners of the road giving Providence a truly urban intersection.  The Westin addition with its arcade reaching nearly to the street will only serve to entice pedestrians - particularly if there is good retail mix along the arcade.  Plus, given the widths of Francis St and Memorial Blvd, I don't think the Westin addition will be overwhelming at all.

I just don't get why so many people are against "big" or "tall" projects.  If you walk into downtown a great intersection is that at Westminster and Dorrance.  It's got significant buildings (though not terribly tall) at all four corners.  Imagine the same intersection with taller buildings - would it be overwhelming?  Of course not.  This is a city - not a suburb - or a suburb masquerading as a city (ala Stamford, CT).

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Wasn't stating anything against tall buildings - am all for them. I'm speaking to the mass of the proposed addition, which I still say is a great design just a bit overwhelming.

[Cotuit]

Wasn't stating anything against tall buildings - am all for them.  I'm speaking to the mass of the proposed addition, which I still say is a great design just a bit overwhelming.

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The tower is set at the corner of Francis and Sabin/Exchange. The Union Station complex and the ProJo building are it's low rise neighbours at that intersection, with the park (and hopefully eventually a reconfigured Emmit Square) as open space on the fourth side.

The Francis and Memorial corner will have a lower level section that attaches to the exisiting Rotunda section. So at Francis and Memorial it will actually be similar in height to the mall probably, maybe a bit taller.

There will be a bit of a canyon effect, but the retail activity in the Westin tower base, the GTECH ground floor, and the Francis Street section of the mall will liven it up and actually make the space feel better than it feels today. The other end will act to define the edge of the Kennedy Plaza, Burnside Park, Emmit Square open space. Hopefully we can get something built at the parking lot behind the Biltmore and the Parkade Garage to finish the edges of this space.

[CtownMikey]

so any word on those pretty trees that were moved??? did they survive?

[pdxstreetcar]

I'm not certain what happened to them, all I can report is that theyre not there anymore.

[provid]

They have all been removed ( someone posted above where they have been placed ) Smith Street?

[Recchia]

They have all been removed  ( someone posted above where they have been placed ) Smith Street?

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I think Cotuit said they were put on the front lawn of the Dept of Administration Building across from the State House.

[Recchia]

The escalator from Exchange St. opened today.

ProJo Article

[Cotuit]

The escalator from Exchange St. opened today.

ProJo Article

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I noticed that when I was walking home. No one appeared to be using it.

[provid]

The westin staff must be very excited that people can now aviod all the hotel guest

[kinematix]

I used the new escalator today and I hope it catches on. It's one of the more narrow escalators I've ever been on but I realize this was probably necessary due to the tight space it's in. Gotta wonder who picked the colors for the entrance though. Rainbow Bright comes to mind.

[provid]

I would not worry if its going to catche becasue the other one will be closed soon

Btw whats the deal with the nasty purple?

[Cotuit]

I would not worry if its going to catche becasue the other one will be closed soon

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I've heard the existing escalator is now not coming out. Which of course would be stupid, and defeat the entire purpose of installing the new one. The Westin lobby is likely to need a dramatic overhaul once the new tower goes up, so maybe they won't change anything else until after that happens.

[Frankie811]

I've heard the existing escalator is now not coming out. Which of course would be stupid, and defeat the entire purpose of installing the new one. The Westin lobby is likely to need a dramatic overhaul once the new tower goes up, so maybe they won't change anything else until after that happens.

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In today's journal story it said that the old one would be removed.

http://www.projo.com/business/content/proj...8x.1c80d44.html

[provid]

I was thinking what retail would do really well in that new retail spot seen in the Westin Tower render and what I came up with is panera bread.