Quote:
Originally Posted by jsbrook
A lot of people disagree with you. And I do as well in part. Yes, I think architectural diversity makes great cities as a general matter and we can have it in most areas. And we do. The juxtaposition of old and new on East Market, for example, with the two new towers, City Hall, and the Loews looks terrific.
That said, there are designated historic districts in amazing cities throughout the world, and those areas are about creating a sense of place and cohesiveness. New buildings are supposed to blend into that and there are regulations ensuring they do. Old City is and should be such a place. It's a small slice of the city. Modern style buildings have a place most everywhere else. I'd say maintenance of historic districts in Philadelphia particularly important since I find most of our modern buildings mediocre, certainly most of our residential buildings, because of budgets and value engineering while Philly was a top city creating superior architecture in ages past. We have some superior buildings like the Bridge, but we rarely knock it out of the park, so small slices of the city where we did should be protected and preserved.
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When you say "...most of our modern buildings" are mediocre, do you mean buildings constructed today or buildings constructed in the modern style?
If you mean most buildings constructed today, then I agree. Most are mediocre, regardless of whether they were designed to in the traditional or contemporary style. The Bridge and the Alexander are two standout examples. But I still think we've seen more successes with modern styles (FMC, Comcast 1, Cira, St. James) than with traditional styles (1100 Chestnut, any others?). Of course, there have been countless misses in both styles...
I think that shortcuts (e.g., cheaper materials) on traditional-style buildings tend to be easier to identify because we have such an amazing stock of beautiful old buildings. Personally, I'd rather have an uninspired glass box than a cheaply constructed traditional building but you're right, I'm probably in the minority.