UNC Charlotte uptown campus

[skysdalimit]

I like it for a building, but since it's uptown, it would be nice if they could do something modern and glassy with lots of lights.

[dubone]

I like it for a building, but since it's uptown, it would be nice if they could do something modern and glassy with lots of lights.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...like times square. the student bookstore could use brown paper bags.

[Raintree21]

Just 2 of the many similar halls at UNC-Chapel Hill. This is Murphey Hall and Gardner Hall.

[atlrvr]

I've let UNCC slide for the most part on their main campus, because it is a suburban environment, and I realize they are tryin to achieve the look of higher learning......here though I find it inexcusable.

What it seems is that people feel so guilty that Charlotte is accused of having no soul or history, that we feel the need to create something that fills this void, nevermind if the style was attractive or not, or if it ever existed in Charlotte, and I can promise that this neo-Georgian-Roman style NEVER existed in Uptown. Instead of worrying about creating a faux-architectual history for this city, we should be trying to create something dynamic. There are many new designs that are both modern and dynamic yet timeless.......look at Gateway Village......brick is used in a modern yet timeless style.

As a city, we need to get over the fact that we have few existing older buildings, and embrace the clean slate as something that says Charlotte. I don't want to be known as the city a century behind architectually, but as the city that is creating it's own style that is recognizable.......

[atlrvr]

Raintree.....exactly

[Miesian Corners]

Some other urban university buildings:

University of St Thomas, downtown Minneapolis (main campus in St Paul)

University of Cincinnati, College of Art and Architecture

Georgia State University, Student Center, downtown Atlanta

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stata Center for Information Sciences

University of Minnesota, McNamara Building

Ontario College of Art, Toronto

[dubone]

Just 2 of the many similar halls at UNC-Chapel Hill. This is Murphey Hall and Gardner Hall.

speaking of buildings being "featured" in movies. Saunders hall in thrill hill was featured in Patch Addams, with robin williams. It had two legs coming out from each side of the, ahem, entry way, and a big sign saying "At your cervix".

... and to your point, you are right, i thought of that set of chapel hill buildings instantly when i saw the rendering.

[dubone]

I've let UNCC slide for the most part on their main campus, because it is a suburban environment, and I realize they are tryin to achieve the look of higher learning......here though I find it inexcusable.

What it seems is that people feel so guilty that Charlotte is accused of having no soul or history, that we feel the need to create something that fills this void, nevermind if the style was attractive or not, or if it ever existed in Charlotte, and I can promise that this neo-Georgian-Roman style NEVER existed in Uptown.  Instead of worrying about creating a faux-architectual history for this city, we should be trying to create something dynamic.  There are many new designs that are both modern and dynamic yet timeless.......look at Gateway Village......brick is used in a modern yet timeless style.

As a city, we need to get over the fact that we have few existing older buildings, and embrace the clean slate as something that says Charlotte.  I don't want to be known as the city a century behind architectually, but as the city that is creating it's own style that is recognizable.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

atlrvr, I absolutely agree with you about not faking an architectural past. Downtown charlotte already does exemplify a forward looking, unique architectural identity. I don't agree though, that it is inherently "fake" for a university to use historical architectural cues. Most american universities used ancient archecture as much as possible to evoke the classical period. In fact, Washington DC was built on the same premise. Even though the buildings and country did not date back to the originating period of the architecture, it helped to create a sense of their values and a timelessness to the buildings.

i agree that in this case, it is probably just a lack of imagination and lack of budget to pay for professional architects.

and to Mies' pics, the MIT Stata center is wicked cool! sigh. no way the state of north carolina would fund something that interesting.

[atlrvr]

Yeah......the Stata is one of my favorites......Miesian, do you have any pics of the back side? I almost like it better.

[dubone]

In case any of you haven't already figured it out, it will apparently be on the southwest corner of 9th and Brevard (8th/9th/Brevard/Trolley). I haven't seen it explicitly written, but the new conference was held "on the future site", and the footage shows that block.

This confirms what Atlrvr reported to us a few months ago, that the park will no longer be north - south between 9th and 7th. It does reinforce the Charlotte 2010 plans for an education quad around the park. As originally planned, Mint, Imaginon, and UNCC will all abut the park, but in a different configuration than was envisioned a few years ago.

http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top....asp?ArID=91603

architecture notwithstanding, i think having a sizeable university building will be good for first ward.

PS... the more i think about it, the more i agree that this proposed design is a MAJOR disappointment from what could/should have been. It could have been a major landmark, but instead will just "a building".

[squatopus]

It looks like a bunch of the buildings on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus.  I thought UNC-Charlotte wanted to shed their UNC label.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It all depends on who you ask...the feelings are mixed here on campus on whether or not to remove the UNC. Personally as a student I would rather see the name changed to the University of Charlotte and get rid of the UNC part. At times, people from out of town often think every decision is controlled by those folks up in Chapel Hill, when in fact we have our own board of trustees, executive staff, chancellor...all that good stuff.

The current Chancellor (who is retiring in July) is totally against the name change. The new Chancellor coming in from U-Wyoming may decide it needs to be changed. From what I have heard, he is very knowledgable about "branding" and the marketing of an organization, so we'll just have to wait and see. Mayor McCrory is all for the name change as well.

Someone needs to make a decision on what the school's name will be...UNC Charlotte, UNCC, NC-Charlotte, or just plain Charlotte. Currently its like our school has an identity crisis...the academic side of campus is UNC Charlotte while the athletics goes with just Charlotte.

[OE-305]

I kinda like the simple elegance of the proposed UNCC building (although I did go to UNC and thus i'm a little bit partial to that style). I think you guys are right in that the building is going to have a hard time fitting in with the more modern architectural styles uptown. This might be one of those buildings that might just take some time to grow on you.

One thing that I'm curious about is, will this building sit on the edge of the park or be across the street from it? A building like this needs a lot of greenery around it to really look nice and fit in. In the picture it looks kinda bland on the front side b/c it is missing some trees.

(side note: I think that the MIT building looks butt-ass ugly. It's fake chaos that probably won't age very gracefully. Think of those old riot-proof buildings of the late 60's and how they look now.)

[Miesian Corners]

OE, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, to be sure. I love Gehry's MIT building, but realize not everyone shares my fondness. The trouble with the UNCC building is that it shows no imagination at all.

UNCC is home to a very good College of Architecture; this building should (and could) be a testament to that. It should tell the story of a good 21st Century instiutution of higher learning. As drawn, it tells us not to dream, not to think, not to question. This building tells us that mediocrity is just fine.

[dubone]

lol

i think almost NO modern building looks good when they get old. It almost like the boomer generation as a whole... they were the generation famous for its youth, that had a hard time (psychologically) as they got older. That may be true of the Stata building, but for some reason, that sticks out to me as an exception to that rule. maybe because of materials and existance of human-scale windows. if you want examples of buildings with non-plum walls that look great with age, visit amsterdam. most buildings don't have plum walls, and that is even before visiting any coffee shops.

I agree that the UNCC building as designed needs a "quad" to make it look reasonably comfortable in its environs. The park, if i understand it right, will be just across 8th street. The park will definitely be on the same block as Dixies Tavern (7/8/brevar/trolley). This building is on the same block as the Philip Carey Warehouse (8/9/brevard.trolley). 8th street is a very narrow street, though, so it almost has the same effect of being right on the park/quad.

By the way, i am hopeful that the historic structures on this block will remain. They are along the trolley line ( i took photos of some in my original photo tour), and this building appears to be shaped with a rectangular siteplan, rather than a full square/whole block design. The buildings are 100 years old, and create an interesting look along that part of the trolley corridor. http://www.cmhpf.org/neighborhoods/CenterCityProps1.html

[dubone]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/11429621.htm

there isn't much new info in the observer article on this topic, but it does give much more info on levine's perspective. I know it is all wolf-crying at this point, but at least he is still saying optimistic and imminent statements.

Does anyone know what site levine is referring to by "...a building on the southwest corner of the park [he hopes] will become the home of the N.C. Dance Theater." Is that Dixies? or United Presby? or would it share the block with Spirit Square?

[atlrvr]

He is referring to Dixie's......which while I'm not a big fan of Dixie's I think it words better a restaurant than a theatre just because it will bring a more continuous stream of people.

[dubone]

i was surprised as the articles have yet to be specific on which block it is and what will happen to the existing buildings there. are there any clues yet as to whether uncc bought the entirety of the block?

[atlrvr]

I've put in calls this morning to people that should know, so I'll post it when someone calls me back.......the floor plates on this should only be about 20,000 sq. ft. which is 1/2 acre.......a full city block is nearly 4 acres, so I doubt they would take a whole block.

[dubone]

wow. could it be that this will just be a sliver of the block along brevard, with the rest being residential/commercial? definitely keep us posted.

[ElricSeven]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/11429621.htm

there isn't much new info in the observer article on this topic, but it does give much more info on levine's perspective.  I know it is all wolf-crying at this point, but at least he is still saying optimistic and imminent statements. 

Does anyone know what site levine is referring to by "...a building on the southwest corner of the park [he hopes] will become the home of the N.C. Dance Theater."  Is that Dixies? or United Presby? or would it share the block with Spirit Square?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We should give him some credit for doing the deal with UNCC, despite everyone's reservations on the design it is better than an empty parking lot.

[atlrvr]

Hmmmm.....I'm losing faith in people's knowledge.......so far I've heard southwest from CCCP, and northwest from the Observer (though the Observer editor sounded more certain)......I have a lady at Levine digging into it so hopefully she will have the authoritative say.......otherwise I might be knocking on the chancellor's door.

[atlrvr]

Ok.....I am now dumber for having talked to the nice lady at Levine.......she called me back to tell me that it was right at the corner......when I asked her which corner, her reply was "North Brevard and 9th", when I asked which of the 4 corners she put me on hold for a minute and came back and said "If you stand at the corner of Brevard and 9th, it's right there on the corner, but it won't take up the whole block, do you follow me know?" At which point I told her I perfectly understood........

[Miesian Corners]

NC Dance Theatre is proposed to go in the southwest quadrant of E 7th and N Brevard. This is the site where Mr Levine said he was going to move the Treloar house. Basically, diagonally from where it currently sits, but facing 7th St instead of Brevard. I bet you he tears it down.

[dubone]

that is so funny!!!

i think it is clear, though, that it is on the block bounded by 8th, 9th, brevard, trolley, as that is where they had the ceremony. i doubt they would have set up the ceremony in a completely different place than where they were going to locate.

but it makes some sense that schmoes would not know how to label it with cardinals, because that block is technically BOTH NW and SW of that corner, because charlotte's grid is diagonal.

keep digging, all the random slip-ups help shed more light. maybe someone will say that UNCC is really being designed by IM Pei and the brick structure is the nascar hof. .

[atlrvr]

Lol......yeah, that would be nice. I think that the Observer reporter had his cardinal directions 90 degrees off from mine......from someone who has seen the site plan, I was told it does sit in the park, and the NW corner is proposed to have an office tower (not holding my breath on that one any time in the next 10 years)

This would run contradictory to the ULI/CCCP plan that had the park running east-west, but I think it makes more sense, because having a rail line with no pedestrian crossing bisecting the park never made sense to me......the Mint will have to settle on having a statue garden a block away.......I was also told that 8th would remain open, though I would assume redesigned to slow traffic to a crawl through there.