What's the most shameful monstrosity ever built in your city? [Archive] - Page 7

JMininger

Aug 7, 2007, 1:15 AM

In my city San Sebastian fourty years ago it was built this house apartments house

The pic's talking

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/5412/1000475ot6.jpghttp://img487.imageshack.us/img487/3584/1000474kw9.jpg

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/3678/1000480pn2.jpg

In my opinion this building is the most shameful mostruosity in my City, in this thread, and in the world also

I'have got pic's more explanatory about this eyesore and i'll post editing

Don't know if its the ugliest building in the world ... but yes, it is pretty bad.

Helladog

Aug 7, 2007, 5:23 AM

The Pimp

Aug 7, 2007, 6:39 PM

The buildings on the campus of UIC in Chicago.

m0nkyman

Aug 10, 2007, 1:16 AM

Here's a couple from Edmonton that I would like to nominate...just me though...

Park Square

***UNCREDITED PHOTO***

City Square

***UNCREDITED PHOTO***

My apologies, I haven't quite figured out how to properly add images, so it's just links for now.

Umm. Peregrine Pointe.

Those two are distant runners up to that architectural vomit.
http://aptenobytes.typepad.com/m0nkymans_photo_blog/images/DSC00476-tm.jpg

pogue

Aug 10, 2007, 1:36 AM

Umm. Peregrine Pointe.

Those two are distant runners up to that architectural vomit.
http://aptenobytes.typepad.com/m0nkymans_photo_blog/images/DSC00476-tm.jpg

You are soooo right. I remember that building going up. I drove by it everyday...it's quite sad really. Nothing like this belongs in any part of any city.

:yuck:

rockyi

Aug 10, 2007, 2:12 AM

Saint John, NB isn't exactly a architectural dream. but the building on the left is especially ugly...in a better photo, you can see it is a crappy gold colour...awful.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/Obsceneeyedog/Saint%20John/Irving.jpg

I've been to St John and you do have some beautiful older structures. I do remember the one in your photo. It just doesn't fit the city.

pogue

Aug 10, 2007, 4:21 AM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7529178@N06/1067928628/

Can't stand this one either.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7529178@N06/1067928628/

m0nkyman

Aug 10, 2007, 4:36 AM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7529178@N06/1067928628/

Can't stand this one either.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1002/1067928628_f0a9d00458.jpg

whereas I quite like that building.

sprtsluvr8

Aug 10, 2007, 5:11 AM

delete

Helladog

Aug 11, 2007, 12:27 AM

I've been to St John and you do have some beautiful older structures. I do remember the one in your photo. It just doesn't fit the city.

True, some of the older buildings are really nice. One of he larger ones being the old general hospital which was demolished several years ago unfortunately. There are still alot of smaller ones left.

ajknee

Aug 11, 2007, 5:11 PM

Umm. Peregrine Pointe.

Those two are distant runners up to that architectural vomit.
http://aptenobytes.typepad.com/m0nkymans_photo_blog/images/DSC00476-tm.jpg

WOAH!!! That is aweful. It's on par, and might actually be worse than The Mercer:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/Images/Buildings/WestLoop/MercerTower1-001.jpg

I have to say though, so many of the buildings on here are not shameful monstrosities. Rather they are architectural ideas that haven't pleased everyone (such as the Brutalist ones), and I'm fine with those. But these two buildings are complete wastes of materials. They both give off the appearance that their respective architects simply gave up. They're unfinished. And THAT is shameful.

crooked rain

Aug 11, 2007, 5:13 PM

Umm. Peregrine Pointe.

Those two are distant runners up to that architectural vomit.
http://aptenobytes.typepad.com/m0nkymans_photo_blog/images/DSC00476-tm.jpg

Peregrine Pointe is certainly one of the ugliest buildings built this decade anywhere in North America.

Pictures do not do its ugliness justice since you can never clearly see the aluminum siding they clad the building in. I was shocked that the city of Edmonton allowed that, especially at such a prime river valley location.

ajknee

Aug 11, 2007, 5:24 PM

Peregrine Pointe is certainly one of the ugliest buildings built this decade anywhere in North America.

Pictures do not do its ugliness justice since you can never clearly see the aluminum siding they clad the building in. I was shocked that the city of Edmonton allowed that, especially at such a prime river valley location.

Oh, wow. It has aluminum siding? That's even worse than I thought. Ugh.

m0nkyman

Aug 11, 2007, 5:30 PM

http://aptenobytes.typepad.com/m0nkymans_photo_blog/images/DSC00478-tm.jpg
It's worse than you think...

mdiederi

Aug 15, 2007, 10:01 PM

Found this on google maps. I don't know what this building in San Diego looks like from the side, but what the hell is up with this swastika shape? It's on Tulagi Road off of Silver Strand Blvd.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/mdiederi/buildings/Swas.jpg

SFUVancouver

Aug 15, 2007, 11:52 PM

Someone threw up this brutalist monstrosity in Coquitlam, a suburb of Vancouver.

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/5034/lougheedvillagebrutalisac2.jpg*
This is not a promising first impression.

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/4926/lougheedvillageincoquithq2.jpg*

One positive note is that there is a lot of foot traffic along the path leading from this complex to the nearby Lougheed SkyTrain Station, suggesting that this has become a somewhat transit oriented community.

* both photos taken by me August 13th

Stephenapolis

Aug 15, 2007, 11:53 PM

^^
There is also a swastika in the middle of the Metrodome. It can only be seen from the inside though.
Also remember the swastika was a positive sign before it was corrupted by the nazi's

CGII

Aug 16, 2007, 12:43 AM

The swastika is a very efficient design for channeling light (and breeze, in a pre-air conditioning world] to both interiors and courtyards: floor plates aren't designed just for shits.
From the ground, the swastika shape of those buildings in conjunction with the green space should make for some fairly engaging scenery. But don't worry that the Nazi's are taking over San Diego or anything.

neverdone

Aug 17, 2007, 2:00 AM

http://www.caminandosinrumbo.com/brasil/brasilia/Brasilia_5.jpg

http://www.caminandosinrumbo.com/brasil/brasilia/Brasilia_1.jpg

http://www.caminandosinrumbo.com/brasil/brasilia/Brasilia_4.jpg

I nominate everything ever built in downtown Brasilia, and everything thereafter.......they just can't get it right in that place.

Note: For more information on Brasilia's architecture, consult the original planners:
http://www.frc.org/img/blog_images/planet-of-the-apes.article

These are beautiful

GVNY

Aug 17, 2007, 4:32 AM

ajknee

Aug 17, 2007, 3:53 PM

I appreciate people who can see beauty in absolute ugliness.

Oh, and for the thread, Louisville's worst has not been constructed yet--but it's coming (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=127240)!

Are you kidding. I LOVE Museum Plaza. Yeah, it's a step outside the norm for boring old American architecture. But it's still an amazing design. And I think it's a building that people will grow to appreciate, quite similarly to Graves' Humana Tower a few blocks east of it. People hated that before it was built. Now it's the pride of the Louisville skyline.

CMD UW

Aug 18, 2007, 8:08 PM

Here is a real charmer in nearby Kingston, Ontario.
http://www.pbase.com/gaffer/image/58353315/original.jpg
Wow...wtf?

Matty

Aug 18, 2007, 10:18 PM

That thing is awesome.

GVNY

Aug 18, 2007, 11:25 PM

Are you kidding. I LOVE Museum Plaza. Yeah, it's a step outside the norm for boring old American architecture. But it's still an amazing design. And I think it's a building that people will grow to appreciate, quite similarly to Graves' Humana Tower a few blocks east of it. People hated that before it was built. Now it's the pride of the Louisville skyline.

To get into a debate, please tell me, besides the awkward shape that is certain to make people uncomfortable, what is so revolutionary and amazing about this project? I hope your answer is not the thirty story concrete wall facing the city.

This is one of those projects that is destined to turn people off, while simultaneous arousing the new-age architects and their followers. It is elitist, and that should be avoided with these big scale projects. It should be designed for the masses to enjoy, which this clearly is not. Museum Plaza shocks.

And besides, Museum Plaza is already complete, thousands of times over (http://sweb.cz/tofu007/Skyscraper.Lovely.jpg). Just a funky composition of corporate boxes, folks.

ajknee

Aug 21, 2007, 5:13 PM

It is elitist, and that should be avoided with these big scale projects. It should be designed for the masses to enjoy, which this clearly is not. Museum Plaza shocks.

I originally thought it was an elitist design also. But then I watched the TEDTalks video by Joshua Prince-Ramus about the design, and it's actually quite the opposite. That's what I like about it most, that fact that it's not elitist at all. I know it's a 15 minute video, but I recommend watching it. Museum Plaza is the third of three projects he talks about.
Here's the video:
www.TED.com (http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/49)

dfwcr8tive

Aug 23, 2007, 8:29 PM

The "ugliest building" of Fort Worth. While not terrible on its own, the 1958 Civil Courts addition is out of place connected to the 1895 courthouse. In the 1980s a fake facade was thrown over the building to help it complement its neighbor, but now that the county offices have moved the building will come down soon and the courthouse lawn will be restored.

Before & after Richard Haas' mural (http://www.richardhaas.com/zmuralfr.html):

http://www.richardhaas.com/murals/tarrant1.jpg

http://www.richardhaas.com/murals/tarrant2.jpg

http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/oldftw/strykeroldcourthouse.jpg

dfwcr8tive

Aug 23, 2007, 8:39 PM

olga

Aug 25, 2007, 1:52 PM

http://www.richardhaas.com/murals/tarrant1.jpg

http://www.richardhaas.com/murals/tarrant2.jpg

Oh my, I don't know which one is worst. Generally, I prefer when additions to old buildings are made in as a contrast, in a modern design.

rockstar

Sep 21, 2007, 3:45 PM

The top one is really hideous. I would not want to work in that building.

SuburbanNation

Oct 4, 2007, 2:54 AM

im sure someone has posted this...but if we are talking shameful monstrosities...

http://www.core77.com/reactor/images/04.07_images/04.07_3a_combo.jpg
core77

http://www.architecture.ca/planningarchitecture/document/document_images/PruitIgoe.JPG
architecture canada

http://graphics.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Photo/2007/03/17/1174154804_8951.jpg
boston.com

http://homepage.mac.com/burkejm/iblog/C37546793/E88583396/Media/7.JPG
unknown- i call it "kill me now"

SapphireBlueEyes

Oct 4, 2007, 7:46 AM

http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Images/WestTown/10SouthCanal-001.jpg I know this building is for utilitarian purposes to house vital infrastrutcture, but couldn't they have put the infrastructure underground? It would be even more unassuming, [which is one of the purposes of this building's design] if it was put underground. Why waste a great location for such ugliness, it's just as disgusting as body acid coming up into your mouth-like the Ludwig Meis Van Der Rohe autrocities committed against humanity in the city of Chicago.

dallasbrink

Oct 4, 2007, 6:20 PM

soon to be joined in ugliness matrimony with:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k40/toddguy/mplouisville-1.jpg

Which is the front runner soon-to-be building that will snatch the ugly crown tiara away from that ugly old soviet monstrosity in Kaliningrad.:D

(just my opinion of course!)

Hell its self would spit it out

dallasbrink

Oct 4, 2007, 6:32 PM

Built by H Ross Perot about ten years before he ran for president...

http://www.geocities.com/mschwa01/images/500_HDQT.JPG

The skybridge is sarcastically known as the 'God Pod'...

http://theboss206.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/eds.jpg

It's dated, but frankly beastie from the day it was finished...

http://www.wbdg.org/images/env_atria_11.jpg

this one isnt so bad

Stephenapolis

Oct 4, 2007, 9:35 PM

http://homepage.mac.com/burkejm/iblog/C37546793/E88583396/Media/7.JPG
unknown- i call it "kill me now"

WOW! That pics hardly looks real. That is some massive renewal, the streets are even gone.

lawsond

Oct 4, 2007, 11:20 PM

^^^^
can anyone i.d that picture of the ultimate urban nightmare??
i can see a parking lot full of cars on the right.
it is surreal.
WHERE IS THAT???

Mininari

Oct 6, 2007, 5:06 AM

Most shameful monstrosity ever built in Vancouver, B.C.
I nominate the downtown Sears building which is part of the Pacific Centre Shopping Centre. It was originally an Eaton's department store (defunct Canadian department store chain).

Unfortunately, I can't find a good picture of this thing... but it basically reminds you of a urinal, or a toilet. Must be the stained white colour....
yech.

Horizon in air

Oct 9, 2007, 2:41 PM

beat this
http://static.flickr.com/82/238135366_7472892945_o.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/381173836_9595cfc9f8_o.jpg

MolsonExport

Oct 9, 2007, 4:24 PM

Kaliningrad (Russia): the beloved House of Soviets. Truck-face ugly, and never used.

http://scripts.mit.edu/~zong/wpress/wp-content/uploads/images/436px-Dom_sovetov.jpg

dfwcr8tive

Oct 9, 2007, 5:51 PM

beat this
http://static.flickr.com/82/238135366_7472892945_o.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/381173836_9595cfc9f8_o.jpg

Those are cool I want to live there (if it was fixed up)! Where is this?

MolsonExport

Oct 9, 2007, 7:07 PM

beat this
http://static.flickr.com/82/238135366_7472892945_o.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/381173836_9595cfc9f8_o.jpg

"Clickity-Click...Barba-trick!"

Chicago3rd

Oct 9, 2007, 10:41 PM

http://wilbsnodgrassiii.smugmug.com/photos/74061739-L.jpg
The BOX. And it will be getting so lots worse soon!

Chicago3rd

Oct 9, 2007, 10:59 PM

The Portland Building is tacky shit. It's like to put a white cube in front of Michael Graves and said 'Here, fuck this up!'

People often get offended when someone totally blows the limits of conventional thought away.

Two bad things is they didn't use the materials suggested by MG and the city to mute a few things. Oh another one...it was built cheap and there have been some major issues with the structure....bracing has had to be put in the building.

Chicago3rd

Oct 9, 2007, 11:04 PM

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/illinois/chicago/library/141newlibrary.jpg

^ I'm sorry, but the HW Library does NOT belong on this thread.

I know, it was heavily criticized by the Blair Kamins of this world back in the 90's, as everybody was in a panic that CHicago had lost its architectural nerve for cutting edge design.

But those fears are clearing away, and over time I think this building will get its due appreciation. It's absolutely breathtaking and pretty unique in its own right.

The west side belongs on this thread...this face and the east and west face don't.

Dragonfire

Oct 11, 2007, 2:56 PM

The Intel Shell that stood in downtown Austin:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/binary/8380/pols_naked-38145.jpeg

That's an image of it being demolished. Intel was working on a new office building in downtown Austin when the dot-com bubble burst, and they just stopped working on it. The shell stood there for I believe over 5-6 years, and this past year they finally demolished it.

Currently standing, probably the upper and lower decks of I-35 through part of downtown/central Austin. Very ugly, and driving on the lower deck is a pain.

staff

Oct 11, 2007, 6:55 PM

Those are cool I want to live there (if it was fixed up)! Where is this?
I believe it is some failed resort town in Taiwan, or possibly somewhere in mainland China.

And yeah, it's awesome. :)

krudmonk

Oct 11, 2007, 7:56 PM

Before & after Richard Haas' mural
http://www.richardhaas.com/murals/tarrant1.jpg

http://www.richardhaas.com/murals/tarrant2.jpg
Oh my, I don't know which one is worst.
You can't be serious! That is a great improvement!

Patrick

Oct 11, 2007, 9:10 PM

You can't be serious! That is a great improvement!

Yeah, I'm going to have to agree, whats wrong with the replacement?

Patrick

Oct 11, 2007, 9:15 PM

The BOX. And it will be getting so lots worse soon!

So, they're turining it into condos! Wow, I always wondered what that advertisment was on top, yes its very big and bulky, but its not big and bulky enough to ruin the entire skyline, or even a part of it.

http://i20.tinypic.com/2up65o8.jpg

dfwcr8tive

Oct 11, 2007, 9:32 PM

Yeah, I'm going to have to agree, whats wrong with the replacement?

It's not a replacement... it's a cover-up. When you get too close to the building you realize that the facade is faux-painted panels covering another structure.

Dragonfire

Oct 12, 2007, 12:02 AM

It's not a replacement... it's a cover-up. When you get too close to the building you realize that the facade is faux-painted panels covering another structure.

Okay, now THAT'S very tacky. Kinda reminds me of a movie theater near my house that's in an art deco style. It looks great, but most of it is either plastic that looks like marble or styrofoam painted to look good.

Horizon in air

Oct 12, 2007, 2:29 AM

I believe it is some failed resort town in Taiwan, or possibly somewhere in mainland China.

And yeah, it's awesome. :)

Yep, it's in Taiwan. It's in the vicinity of Taipei, on the north coast. The developers seemes to have abandoned it way before the entire resort project was even completed. The shape and the materials used made the houses rather uncomfortable inside.

Atomic Glee

Oct 12, 2007, 6:34 PM

Okay, now THAT'S very tacky. Kinda reminds me of a movie theater near my house that's in an art deco style. It looks great, but most of it is either plastic that looks like marble or styrofoam painted to look good.

It's being demolished soon, so no worries. That's why I neglected to include it in my post - I prefer to pretend it's already come down. :)

tarapoto

Oct 12, 2007, 8:33 PM

Calgary:

Harry Hays Federal Building
McKimmie Library at the University of Calgary
Calgary Board of Education building
Scotia Centre

Here let me help you with some photos:

http://www.tpsgc.gc.ca/text/buildings/images/HarryHays-Calgary.jpg
http://www.tpsgc.gc.ca/text/buildings/images/HarryHays-Calgary.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1329/592209070_749bb881c7.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1329/592209070_749bb881c7.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Education_Centre_Building_%28Calgary%29_2.jpg/250px-Education_Centre_Building_%28Calgary%29_2.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Education_Centre_Building_%28Calgary%29_2.jpg/250px-Education_Centre_Building_%28Calgary%29_2.jpg

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/thumb/e/e5/180px-Scotia_Center-Calgary.JPG
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/thumb/e/e5/180px-Scotia_Center-Calgary.JPG

the urban politician

Oct 13, 2007, 9:48 PM

I think we should change the name of this thread to:

"Show us buildings in your city that were built in the '70s"

:haha:

BenL

Oct 22, 2007, 3:09 PM

Five from London

Paternoster Square development - to get some sense of perspective, this was built metres away from St. Paul's Cathedral
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/BenL26/paternoster.jpg

British Library (pictured next to St. Pancras International)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/BenL26/BritishLibrary.jpg

MI6 Headquarters
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/BenL26/MI6.jpg

St. George's Wharf
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/BenL26/StGeorgeWharfSW8.jpg

No1 Poultry (this would have been the site for the only Mies van der Rohe tower in London, designed as a mini-Seagram)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/BenL26/450px-1_Poultry.jpg

aluminum

Oct 26, 2007, 11:54 PM

Trump Tower (U/C) in Toronto. It is going to become the ugliest building in the world.

wisla_krakow

Oct 27, 2007, 1:27 AM

I love nearly all the buildings in this thread.
I think a whole new city should be built with all the buildings mentioned in this thread.

albion41

Oct 27, 2007, 1:31 PM

http://www.spd-fraktion-dortmund.de/v2/cms-img/U-Turm-4.jpg
welcome to dortmund :-)

albion41

Oct 27, 2007, 1:33 PM

http://www.biologie.de/w/images/9/9d/Industrieruine_Phoenix-West_Dortmund.jpg
not to forget

3madjack

Oct 28, 2007, 8:05 PM

:previous: Those two above just creep me out. I want my mommy!

olga

Oct 28, 2007, 8:17 PM

Five from London

I agree with you on all of these, except British Library which I really like (and I have som pics in this thread (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=139493)).

olga

Oct 28, 2007, 8:23 PM

Yeah, I'm going to have to agree, whats wrong with the replacement?
It's butt ugly, that's what's wrong.

Those are awesome!!! They need some love and care though:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/381173836_9595cfc9f8_o.jpg

Dac150

Oct 28, 2007, 9:43 PM

Aaaaaaaaaa...what the hell are those things? And where are they? Just looking at them creeps me out.

j3shafer

Oct 30, 2007, 4:07 PM

Deleted

Upward

Oct 31, 2007, 3:39 AM

http://www.spd-fraktion-dortmund.de/v2/cms-img/U-Turm-4.jpg
welcome to dortmund :-)

We may have a new front-runner...

staff

Nov 6, 2007, 12:41 AM

Alt Erlaa in Vienna,
http://aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at/aeiou.encyclop.data.image.a/a387464a.jpg

http://www.wien.gv.at/stadtentwicklung/architektur/wien/images/alterlaa-b.jpg

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/2641/flug2smal1op4.jpg

Pretty awesome.

staff

Nov 6, 2007, 12:53 AM

...and some random awesomeness in Kaliningrad;

http://www.pbase.com/ed1994/image/40602425.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/ed1994/image/40602702.jpg

They lit up that commieblock when celebrating;
http://www.kaliningrad.ru/upload/foto/users/Bright/large/8bef731260ce76add5d25678d41cf700.jpg

Austinlee

Nov 6, 2007, 1:13 AM

Those Vienna apartment blocks are really horrible... Good call.

Stephenapolis

Nov 6, 2007, 4:14 AM

http://www.spd-fraktion-dortmund.de/v2/cms-img/U-Turm-4.jpg
welcome to dortmund :-)

Is that Underdog's secret lair???

LivingIn622

Nov 6, 2007, 8:51 PM

It's butt ugly, that's what's wrong.

Those are awesome!!! They need some love and care though:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/381173836_9595cfc9f8_o.jpg

These are disturbing photos. Those things are gross to look at. What even are they?

bayrider

Nov 6, 2007, 9:24 PM

Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD)

http://davidbyrne.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/05_02_05_a_toronto_cad.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/Ocad.jpg

HomeInMyShoes

Nov 6, 2007, 11:46 PM

We may need to redo the ugliest building in the world pole sometime. A few of these are really really up there with the top three from last time.

Distill3d

Nov 7, 2007, 4:01 PM

beat this
http://static.flickr.com/82/238135366_7472892945_o.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/381173836_9595cfc9f8_o.jpg

someone want to tell me where these gems are located? would be cool to own one if they were fixed up

FrancoRey

Nov 7, 2007, 6:20 PM

:previous: Seriously I want to know where these Sci-fi Jetson homes are! I'm gonna laugh when someone tells me somewhere in Europe.

staff

Nov 7, 2007, 10:42 PM

^^
As stated earlier on this very page, they are located on Taiwan.

staff

Nov 24, 2007, 10:34 AM

Buildings with balls on top are a widely known phenomenon in China, although this has to be one of the most disturbing examples:

http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/4403/walkhankou121pl4.jpg
Pic by LordChaos80

In Wuhan, Hubei.

M.K.

Nov 24, 2007, 12:19 PM

someone want to tell me where these gems are located? would be cool to own one if they were fixed up

really saying, i like those a lot. the design is wonderful and good idea for some nice modular houses. if they were renovated and fixed would be very nice living in them, i would not care livin in one of those jetsons house if mantainance woul be cheap. The view would be spetacular.. :tup:

yarabundi

Nov 24, 2007, 10:58 PM

And the winners of my own personal hit-parade are :

in sixth place :
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/2429/worstbuildingbislf5.jpg

in fifth :
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/2973/worstbuilding6gb9.jpg

in fourth :
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/7871/worstbuilding5pi9.jpg
Even though I have to admit that this building is a pale imitation of Place Bonaventure in Montréal, hence having a much less negative impact in its environment !!

My third place goes to :
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/8881/worstbuildingquatrodr7.jpg
I've been to Boston so often that I had the misfortune of judging on location the impact of City Hall.

The Runner-up :
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/7601/worstbuildingti7.jpg
It could easily have been number was it not of the next one !!

And finally, way ahead of any other building :
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/9177/worstbuildingterof9.jpg

Congratulation to all winners.

scalziand

Nov 27, 2007, 12:15 AM

How about the Naugatuck Town Hall? Another product of the 60's...

http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles31688.jpg

pic from city-data.com

All of the other buildings facing the park in this photo are of late 19th to early 20th century vintage.

The facade consists of these terrible looking panels that have a coating of pebbles on them. Pure concrete brutalism would almost be better...

Independence

Dec 2, 2007, 4:27 PM

And the winners of my own personal hit-parade are :

in sixth place :
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/2429/worstbuildingbislf5.jpg

Thank you very much for voting my post the sixth place.
That's been worth the shock I suffered from discovering that this little beauty is real.

Today, it seems that you just have to draw some wack shit on your sketch pad and say it's genious or art-somethin.

Oh my...

Independence

Dec 2, 2007, 4:32 PM

Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD)

http://davidbyrne.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/05_02_05_a_toronto_cad.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/Ocad.jpg

OH S H I T !.
:maddown:
That's all I can say ._.

Look! It really has some sensitivity for the surrounding area! (lol):sly:

ItsConanOBrien

Dec 2, 2007, 9:16 PM

From Wikipedia...

The Franklin Tower is a mid-rise building located in Portland, Maine. At 204 feet, it is the tallest building in the state of Maine, making Maine 47th out of the 50 states in terms of tallest building per state. Construction was completed in 1969, and its primary use is residential.

It affords residency, via the Portland Housing Authority, to people who meet criteria such as these: retirement age, disability, limited income, or other such criteria. As of 2007, it was possible to rent a single-occupancy unit for less than $300 per month. Comparable apartments in the Portland area generally rent for more than twice that cost.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9b/Picture_371.jpg/800px-Picture_371.jpg

WilliamTheArtist

Dec 3, 2007, 5:33 AM

Agreed! :tup: :haha:

Agreed! :tup: :haha:

IMO that White Plains building is hideous, while I really like lots of the brutalist or modernist buildings posted in this thread. Like this one:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/03/23/travel/oc-govt-650.jpg

I really like this building as well. I dont know how to describe it, but there is just something fascinating about it. Its so unique and, I would say, well done. Many buildings on here look like "one off" experiments that went painfully wrong, very amateurish. This looks like something that was done by someone who had an innate talent. You may think I am crazy, but I think this building is an unsung classic that I would be proud to have in my city. There were a lot of horrid buildings done in the same time period as this one, but this one perfectly captures a particular style and look, and evokes the artistry and feeling many were trying for but failed to achieve. The isolated setting really helps the feeling as well. Kind of like "Falling Water" it needs to be in that setting.

Ch.G, Ch.G

Dec 3, 2007, 7:41 AM

DAM RIGHT! :D

the bigest monstrosity in winnipeg would have to be the public safties building and parkade (head office for the winnipeg police)... or all the surface parking lots

http://img465.imageshack.us/img465/5738/psb2zz3.jpg

I actually find that building very nice!

Vashon118

Dec 22, 2007, 6:32 AM

From Seattle:

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1238/howellandterry20060126fx4.jpg

Once was the headquarters for Regence Blueshield. The building is currently fenced off (has been that way for close to a year) and a 30-story condo tower is planned for the site

worldwide

Dec 28, 2007, 9:32 AM

i really like most of the buildings in this thread. the courthouse in london, ontario, canada is awesome. vines have taken over most of the podium and it looks sweet from street level. there is some public art on site that needs to go though. i grew up about a 10 minute walk from this building

JayUk

Jan 27, 2008, 8:40 PM

http://http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/9753/thecapitalip6.th.jpg (http://img87.imageshack.us/my.php?image=thecapitalip6.jpg)

YUCK!

Boquillas

Jan 28, 2008, 1:44 AM

I'm sorry, but the more inventive and original odd-shaped buildings on this thread aren't the problem-- it's the homogenous, completely undistinguished soul-crushing boxes that are the worst. (And I don't mean brutalism-- I really respond to some of the more powerful and simple "gestures" of brutalist architecture.) But a lot of the buildings on this thread are just unusual. Unfortunately a lot of us have confused unusual with ugly. I'm not worried about what structures aren't "fashionable" so much as I'm annoyed by those that show a dearth of imagination.

olga

Jan 28, 2008, 7:48 AM

^Totally agree! That's exactly what I'm thinking looking thru this thread.:yes:

Nutterbug

Jan 28, 2008, 8:12 AM

From Seattle:

No mention of the library or EMP?

ajknee

Jan 28, 2008, 4:21 PM

No mention of the library or EMP?

The Seattle Library is a great building. If you've never listened to the TEDTalk by Joshua Prince-Ramus, you definitely need to check it out. www.TED.com (http://www.ted.com)

As for the EMP, I completely agree. I HATE Gehry. Over the years it's become clear that he's a one trick pony. And the ONLY building that worked for him is the Guggenheim Bilbao. Even that is amazingly unfunctional.

Oh here's the link to the actual talk by Joshua Prince-Ramus:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/49

jephweiser

Jan 28, 2008, 6:23 PM

Down_Under_the_El

Jan 28, 2008, 7:03 PM

Nowhereman1280

Jan 28, 2008, 11:02 PM

This wins hands down for Kansas City. It's the Richard Bolling Federal Building. The sad thing is they are in the process of a $200 million renovation. Of course with no work to the exterior.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timsamoff/258766082/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87956690@N00/208263454/

http://www.gsa.gov/gsa/cm_attachments/GSA_BASIC/bolling_R2YL2-u_0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR.jpg

I disagree, I really like that building, there are some buildings in KC that are so bland they beat that hands down.

I would say the Bernardian for Chicago. Its so cheep looking. Apparently old, French style, buildings had 4 story faux facade parking garage podiums and bright yellow, 2'x3' bricks...

http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Images/NearNorthSide/TheBernardin-004.jpg
Chicagoarchitecture.info

Patrick

Jan 28, 2008, 11:33 PM

^omg thats nice, not badd at all!

Tom Servo

Jan 29, 2008, 4:43 AM

^omg thats nice, not badd at all!

wow. seriously?

Spocket

Jan 29, 2008, 12:16 PM

Reading this thread has reminded me just how disparate are peoples' opinions. Most of these buildings are fine. A commie-block ? Every city has dozens of them and I don't understand how one can be better or worse than another. Brutalism ? Well, the only thing about Brutalism that I personally dislike is how depressing it is since it almost never looks like much more than a grey box to me. Occasionally somebody put in a diagonal line somewhere or something juts out but on the whole, it's pretty boring and depressing stuff to me. Bland but not necessarily bad always.

Then we have modernism which to me looks quite good in tower form. While the massing tends to be rather monotonous it adds colour and shine to a skyline.
And of course there are so many people that can't stand faux-heritage buildings. I find this ironic considering most "heritage" buildings were imitations of earlier styles themselves.
Eventually we get into today's newest architectural fad. These buildings are just a repeat of the sixties from an average person's point of view except that instead of plain concrete boxes we get plain glass boxes. For some reason people go ga-ga over this style. Meh..whatever I suppose. To each their own.

With all that said, the worst buildings IMO are always the ones that have been allowed to deteriorate into rusting, crumbling hulks. The Montreal silo-thingy makes a great example. On the other hand it was never built to look good but rather to serve a purpose and that was it. There are people in my city that would like to leave burnt-out, abandoned , industrial buildings standing because to them these buildings have some sort of aesthetic appeal. Interesting really since they'd also like to see many newer buildings torn down simply because of what they replaced. Anything less than fifty years old seems to be a hideous monstrosity in their opinion. Fine , whatever.

Okay, rant over. Sorry, just had to get that out.

vid

Jan 29, 2008, 12:18 PM

As of 2007, it was possible to rent a single-occupancy unit for less than $300 per month.

To enhance that buildings shittiness, the least expensive apartments in Thunder Bay cost about 420$/month. And that is with the currencies at par!

Trantor

Jan 30, 2008, 2:35 AM