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Detroit YMCA


rbdetsport

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I'll deal with it and give them some credit. At least it's something for the city. It's better than nothing. Everyone is giving it a bad name when they haven't even been inside of it. It's not always about the outside. Maybe the inside will be awesome.

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Well considering that there was an old YMCA to compare it to, and that the outside didn't have to look like crap, they could have done better with it. It's good to have this downtown, but Detroit should start being more choosy it what it allows to get built in it's downtown area. This would have looked fine out in Southfield.

I mean, it's pretty much a given that the inside will serve the purpose of the building, you can't go wrong there. Knowing that, you'd think the architect or the Y would have made an effort to spruce up the outside.

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  • 1 month later...

I tend to disagree that this building is an eyesore and should have been built elsewhere. That large portion that looks like a television is actually very unique. The basketball courts are located in that area and have a great open view that allows a lot of light in. There is also an elevated track in that space. I think Detroit has a tendency to always want to build buildings that fit into their surroundings to replace the history we have destroyed. Detroit needs more modern and innovative structures. On a small scale this building achieves it. Sure it doesnt fit in with Broadway or Harmonie Park but does it have to? Detroit needs more of an architectural variety and thats why i like this building in that location.

I dont know if it has a PM station but I do believe the PM cuts through the structure in some way.

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Variety is always great, but Detroit doesn't always do it correctly. We see cities like Chicago and New York with modern hi-tech looking buildings all the time, but the skyline looks fine, the sites from street look fine, so what is the problem with Detroit? The context in which this building is being placed simply does not work with the surroundings. You have to draw a line somehwere as to what kind of architecture is acceptable within it's enviroment and what is not. As an architecture student at U of M, we've looked at off the wall buildings with slanting walls and stainless steel cladding that have actually worked within their urban settings. But many of these buildings are massive, and have a reason to be unique. They are also built with custom materials shaped in such a way that the structure is authentic. When I look at the YMCA, I see it as a building trying to make a statement, but falling short because it is nothing more than a steel framed box covered in exterior drywall and sheet metal. We can debate about whether it looks out of place in its surroundings or not, but as an architecture student, I know such debate will not go anywhere. But personally, I believe it is. I'm very into the aesthetics of urban enviroments, and I feel that buildings both new and old should look good next to each other. A great working example is the Compuware Building which looks awesome against a backdrop of historic buildings. Plus, the building is authentic within the downtown area embracing Campus Martius park with its grand entrance, keeping good height with the surrounding buildings, and occupying a footprint that takes up the whole block. But when I look at the YMCA alongside its older neighbors, it's just too out of place. I feel it would be no different than placing a 1960's ranch style home next to a bunch of century old homes in Indian Village. (You can even go there to see it). As I said before, a line has to be drawn, and the YMCA fails to meet my expectations.

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Variety is always great, but Detroit doesn't always do it correctly.  We see cities like Chicago and New York with modern hi-tech looking buildings all the time, but the skyline looks fine, the sites from street look fine, so what is the problem with Detroit?  The context in which this building is being placed simply does not work with the surroundings.  You have to draw a line somehwere as to what kind of architecture is acceptable within it's enviroment and what is not.  As an architecture student at U of M, we've looked at off the wall buildings with slanting walls and stainless steel cladding that have actually worked within their urban settings.  But many of these buildings are massive, and have a reason to be unique.  They are also built with custom materials shaped in such a way that the structure is authentic.  When I look at the YMCA, I see it as a building trying to make a statement, but falling short because it is nothing more than a steel framed box covered in exterior drywall and sheet metal.  We can debate about whether it looks out of place in its surroundings or not, but as an architecture student, I know such debate will not go anywhere.  But personally, I believe it is.  I'm very into the aesthetics of urban enviroments, and I feel that buildings both new and old should look good next to each other.  A great working example is the Compuware Building which looks awesome against a backdrop of historic buildings.  Plus, the building is authentic within the downtown area embracing Campus Martius park with its grand entrance, keeping good height with the surrounding buildings, and occupying a footprint that takes up the whole block.  But when I look at the YMCA alongside its older neighbors, it's just too out of place.  I feel it would be no different than placing a 1960's ranch style home next to a bunch of century old homes in Indian Village.  (You can even go there to see it).  As I said before, a line has to be drawn, and the YMCA fails to meet my expectations.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought about going to Michigan for architecture but im a Spartan at heart.

I respect your opinion on the subject. Have you walked by the structure? I walked by it recently and I did not get the feeling that it was out of place. It is isolated I believe on its lot and it is going to be looking out at a newly built parking garage. In that sense I dont think it sticks out too horribly. I guess it depends on your view of Detroit. I like Compuware but I dont feel it pushed the envelope enough and could have been more modern. I think Detroit has a lot of old historic buildings, what Detroit doesnt have is modern and innovative structures. I dont think YMCA will take away from the older buildings I think it will only enhance them. I understand your analogy about Indian Village but I think its just a tad off comparing a neighborhood to a city setting. Im just happy that Detroit architecture is now allowing us to have these debates.

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I don't think anybody has a problem with the building having a modern look - it's just the way it was done. It's like they were on the right path and lost their focus on the way.

And at least from the drawing, it looks so cheap and gives you the feeling that not a lot of thought went into the design - and this is coming from someone who isn't an architecture or even an urban planning major.

It could've redeemed itself somewhat if it interacted with the street better. That's the main reason why this building wouldn't truly fit in with any real urban environment, IMO.

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I don't think anybody has a problem with the building having a modern look - it's just the way it was done. It's like they were on the right path and lost their focus on the way.

And at least from the drawing, it looks so cheap and gives you the feeling that not a lot of thought went into the design - and this is coming from someone who isn't an architecture or even an urban planning major.

It could've redeemed itself somewhat if it interacted with the street better. That's the main reason why this building wouldn't truly fit in with any real urban environment, IMO.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now are you just going buy the rendering or have you actually seen the building first hand?

Personally i dont get the same impression looking at the rendering as i did walking by the project. I think a lot of thought went into the design. The building serves its function while giving gym patrons a unique view and taste of Detroit. I believe one poster said that it looked like televisions. Yes that is true but by putting large expanses of glass it brings light and Detroit into the gym experience. I know if I was living downtown this would be the place where i would work out. As far as interacting with the street i think the final project will do that. One end of it seems to be open with a public space. The street that it faces has been redone with a median that has a modern looking lighting system. I think the designers were trying to create a structure that is modern but also interacted with its surroundings. This is my take as I have seen it being built. I think final judgement should be reserved for when the building is actually done.

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Now are you just going buy the rendering or have you actually seen the building first hand?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I haven't seen the building in person since before it started resembling the rendering. That's why I made sure to put "by the drawing" in my previous post. ;) I replied to a picture of the building and said it doesn't look too bad in that pic. I just feel they could've done some things that would make it a lot better.

Personally i dont get the same impression looking at the rendering as i did walking by the project.  I think a lot of thought went into the design.  The building serves its function while giving gym patrons a unique view and taste of Detroit.  I believe one poster said that it looked like televisions.  Yes that is true but by putting large expanses of glass it brings light and Detroit into the gym experience.  I know if I was living downtown this would be the place where i would work out.  As far as interacting with the street i think the final project will do that.  One end of it seems to be open with a public space.  The street that it faces has been redone with a median that has a modern looking lighting system.  I think the designers were trying to create a structure that is modern but also interacted with its surroundings.  This is my take as I have seen it being built.  I think final judgement should be reserved for when the building is actually done.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Based on the rendering, the building appears to have only one entrance and two "blank" walls, although it looks like there's a little public space on one corner. If that's the case, I don't agree that it interacts with its surrounding.

However, I can agree with waiting for final judgement, and I hope you're right about the building.

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I actually searched for some more renderings and what not and found a site with some extensive virtual tours of the building. I found that this helped my understanding of the structure as well. There may need to be a program download to view properly though. I did it and it took just a few seconds.

http://www.virtualeyes.net/cybercitytours/...it/detroitymca/

I was wrong when I said I thought that the people mover went through the building. The people mover station is simply on the same lot. What the designer did though was make a plaza between the entrance of YMCA and the entrance to the people mover station. It appears that this plaza includes some sort of water feature. The plaza can be accessed from the east and west making, in my oppinon, a very good and efficient public space. The building also interacts with the street in the fact that from several views pedestrians can view inside of the building into the pool area or the basketball/track area. I think that these are cool features for the structure. The building also has incorporated brick into the structure so it wont just be steel and glass.

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  • 2 months later...

Most new ones don't. The Y in Ann Arbor has tons of rooms, and looks more like an apartment building or hotel, as does the one in Saginaw which is largest YMCA I have ever seen in Michigan. However, when the new Y was built in Ann Arbor, it was decided the old one would be turned into affordable apartments.

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  • 1 month later...

YMCA builds on history at its new downtown site

From the Detroit Free Press - September 9, 2005

The YMCA came home to downtown Detroit on Thursday morning, when a new, $32-million facility was dedicated at the corner of Broadway and John R.

"We're where we belong, in the heart of Detroit," John Carter, chairman of the YMCA Board of Directors, said during the ceremony. "And we're glad to be back where we've always been."

The John & Marlene Boll Family YMCA, a 100,000-square-foot facility scheduled to open in December, is the organization's first return to downtown since the old building at Witherell Street and Adams Avenue was razed eight years ago.

...

"We had every intention of coming back and this turned out to be the perfect site," said Kevin Bolding, branch executive for the new YMCA.

In addition to a fitness area, the six-floor facility also will feature a child development center, a 200-seat theater, a sports area that includes a gym, aerobics center and pool, a caf

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