Orlando Performing Art Center Wish List

[sunshine]

What is your ideal of the performing art center in Orlando? What do you envision? Who would u like to design it? What would u put in it? Which building do u want it to look like? Would u want it to be ultra futuristic or classical? I would like to know...

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Here is mine...

I hope the performing art center which take up Roman desgin similar style to CNL towers across the street but more classical. Orlando need a landmark building to attract people go downtown to take pictures. It needs to be taller than 408 expressway, so that it is visible from the South. Ideally, it will look like the theatre in the Phantom of The Opera movie and incorporate sclupture. Surronding hotels will take up the same arcitecture style.

Hopefully nothing look like Miami performing art center or ultra modern like LA Disney Concert Hall. Like it as classical as it can be.

[tm68]

Great topic. Ideally, I would love to see something grand. If we're gonna spend the money, I say do it right the first time so it doesn't have to be retrofiited in 10 years.

I really liked the original Moshe Safdie design. Futurisitic and Florida. Much better than the latest FBB design.

Something like Gehry's Disney Performing Arts Center in LA is one of the most beautiful design's in the world imho. I say futuristic with a classic flair.

[prahaboheme]

I hope it does take into account the style of the City Hall complex as well as the Westin hotel, all of which have a classic flair to them. I would hope it would be the most important building along Orange, though thats definitely wishful thinking! We really need a good architect on this project, preferably someone outside Orlando.

[accatt2204]

Im another person who hopes it does blend in with the city hall, and westin. Probably a post-modern building with a "classy" look would be good. It doesnt need the height in my opinion because that area sseems to look decent with the midrises currently there. I can see a plaza developing in that area soon.

[Jaybee]

How about I.M. Pei design similar to the Dallas Symphony...

or a Richard Meier center like the Getty in LA...

or check out Fort Worth's relatively new symphony hall.

Definintely not anything by FBB, and definitely not mimick the cheap architecture of the Westin or the "sacrifice alter" on the CNL building. This is hardly good hotel architecture, even though it may be posh on the inside.

[prahaboheme]

I like it.

[FLClarkKent]

Personally, I'd like to see a complete retrofit of the Bob Carr...and I don't mean just a paint job. There's plenty of space around that building to expand, construct an entirely new exterior facade...along with enlarging and modernizing the interior.

I think building something new and shiny is always great. I'd love to see a new performing arts center and new arena.

I just don't like the downside. As soon as you do that, the Carr and TD Waterhouse go dark. And this creates another new "hole" in downtown that will take years to fix.

[cwetteland]

Great point and I agree, the Carr is still a great facility, and it has a lot of history. Will the city have maintenance funds for both venues if one is seldom used?

[FLClarkKent]

I'd never been to the Carr until this weekend...saw "Hairspray"...good show, btw...nice enough theatre, although it could use a overhaul. And why oh why is there no middle aisle?

Anyway, haven't heard whether the city would run both the Carr and a new venue. Although I don't see how it would be financially feasible to have both.

[Hisma]

It seems Dyer has been set on the site adjacent to City Hall for the PAC from the get-go. Who knows what will become of the Bob Carr... who knows, it could end up getting knocked down & replaced with some kind of retail complex, or condos.

In any case, I would prefer the PAC to be next to city hall anyway. Prime real estate, centrally located in the more "upscale" area of the CBD.

I would love for the complex to incorporate a mix of stone & glass, with some sort of art cut into the stone. Say, the performing arts school be mostly stone facade, and the actual theater have a glass facade. I'm not big on metal, it makes things look too "futuristic", something that takes away from the classiness imo.

All I know is it ethier needs to stick to a neo-classical look, or be artisically unique without going over-the-top. I'd prefer the latter, but there are just so many things you can do with this, I'll just leave it up to a top dollar architect

[FLClarkKent]

In any case, I would prefer the PAC to be next to city hall anyway.  Prime real estate, centrally located in the more "upscale" area of the CBD. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But what happens when you start removing things from the "downscale" parts of downtown? They just slide further downhill.

I have a real concern for the future of the whole Expo Center area. The Expo itself is going to be turned into a UCF facility...great for getting people there during the day, but it will be deserted during the night and on weekends. Much like the new FAMU law school.

What happens if the Carr and Waterhouse are replaced by new facilities in other parts of downtown? This whole area becomes a ghost town after dark. Bad news for the Marriott and nearby Holiday Inn.

Will developers rush in and save the area with condos? Doubtful. If it were a condo-friendly location, Paramore would be just like Thornton Park. I don't think too many people are going to plunk down $300K for a view of I-4 and the Federal Courthouse.

This area is full of public projects, and unless a whole lot of them are razed - which would be expensive - I don't see how that part of downtown could be altered enough to make it residential. At least not any time soon.

I just hope that city leaders realize that you can invest in existing buildings - some of which like the Carr actually have a little bit of history - and turn them in to world class facilities. It just takes a little vision, and of course, a lot of money.

[sunshine]

It can be turned into part of FAMU. FAMU gonna expand somehow...and student dorm needs to be built. Long time ago, I remembered seeing FAMU school layout, it supposed to have a library building and a student dorm.

Another thing they can do is to change it into downtown conference centre. A downtown conference centre gonna be built in the future anyway according to the downtown plan.

Performing needs to be in downtown, so new towers will be built around it especially some classy hotels like Westin.

[OrlandoJoe]

While Glenda Hood was Mayor she was working closely wiith President Hitt of UCF to build the PAC downtown as a joint use building. Does anyone know what happened to this partnership?

I think the Bob Carr is okay...but Orlando should have a world class facility. I could hardly understand the lyrics at Phantom of the Opera...sound needs to be improved. A middle row would be very helpful

[Boomer136]

With the unveiling of the design this Friday, I though now was a good time to resurrect this thread for it's last gasp before closure.

Since the loading docks are going to be on Magnolia, hopefully they have put something around there to lessen the industrial nature of that area. I also hope it is done in some way as to be beautiful on the south side so the elevated look one will get on the 408 is a draw, and not just boxes stacked on top of each other with air handlers.

I think with the plaza component, and the nice set back of city hall, the opportunity to have a large Italian type square if done right is an exciting possibility, especially if some classic elements are hinted at. Its tough, in this town anyway, to be too literal, otherwise it'll get panned as Disney-esque.

I'm thinking the west side will be mostly glass, but hopefully in some interesting shapes.

[JRS1]

^^

I want them to preserve the original portion of Bob Carr-- built over 70 years ago.

^^

loading docks on Magnolia: I thought they were going to demolish Magnolia between South & Anderson?

[RedStar25]

the loading docks are no longer on magnolia... It was part of the deal with FUMCO... to incorperate their campus into the PAC the loading docs would not be near the church.

[Boomer136]

the loading docks are no longer on magnolia... It was part of the deal with FUMCO... to incorperate their campus into the PAC the loading docs would not be near the church.

[Boomer136]

^^

I want them to preserve the original portion of Bob Carr-- built over 70 years ago.