PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Muckk

I don't see any reason to be overly disappointed with the playhouse.

I wouldn't say I am disappointed since I expected it to be bad. But I would note that from a land utilization perspective, this does appear to be even worse than we were led to believe by the previously released floor plans.

While there is already plenty of open space in close proximity to this site, I wouldn't refer to this courtyard as "gaping" but rather as quaint.

Use whatever word you like, from a land utilization perspective a large chunk of this project has zero floors, and another large chunk has one floor, and another large chunk has two floors. Looking down from above, it will be obvious there is a big gap in Downtown there.

The building itself certainly works in an urban setting

I honestly don't understand why you are saying this. Again, to me it looks like something ripped out of a suburban or rural university campus. It violates multiple best practices for street interaction, and it lacks the sort of scale appropriate for new modern construction in the heart of Downtown.

It looks pretty nice for what it is. But "urban"? I'm not seeing anything to support that claim.

Admittedly, I am swayed a bit by the catwalk. I freaking love catwalks.

I like the aesthetic of catwalks too, but note this is a completely pointless catwalk. It doesn't actually lead anywhere on the one side, it just serves as a hyper-extended stairway landing.

With a new beauty going up across the street, another 20 or so story building nearby and the possibility (albeit fleeting) of another 30 or so story tower going up on the adjacent block, I see no reason to gripe about under-utilized space in this instance.

This is a PERFECT spot for another tower. It is spaced right between PNC Tower and the planned Oxford Tower, so they could all get good spacing.

I honestly don't know what to say about people who are OK with permanently underutilizing this much Downtown land--this building doesn't even meet the minimum height requirements for the Lower Hill site. It is a horrible idea to do even worse in such a prime location.

That part of town is rising plenty and unique street-level open space is a welcomed sight in my opinion.

Open spaces Downtown should be public parks which are part of a well-thought plan for exactly how much park space we need, and where. It is bad enough when office towers are allowed to build entry plazas. Allowing the same sort of thing for a diminutive academic building is far, far worse.

[photoLith]

Well I was expecting much worse for point park, just depends on what materials they use. Why they can't keep the fucking facades in place is beyond me though, seems like it would cost more to move them and reinstall them to become stupid art pieces.

[Muckk]

In re: BrianTH

I was so geeked by the catwalk I didn't even notice it's pointless. You are correct. It goes nowhere. I suppose the renderings and the POVs featured in them are a bit misleading. It seems bigger than that. Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit 'not tall enough' but tall isn't always what I'm after, although what I'm after is in no way what's good for the city as a whole.

I have no explanation for declaring it urban. I'm probably just talking out of some other orifice.

I will say this. Being that I am not currently attending any college, I view a college campus as someplace I have to business being, but I doubt anyone would say "papers please" if I took a stroll through once this is built.

Of course, if people aren't buzzing around this space then it's a total waste. Time will tell in that regard I suppose.

I guess it's merely the fact that I expected far worse that makes me accepting of the design, which indeed, is not a good thing. I suppose I've grown accustomed to accepting what we get around here.

[JVC]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Isn't that a corner entrance for the first floor retail? The residential space is all on upper floors. A separate residential-only entrance makes sense in such cases.

Specifically where they located that second residential entrance may just be a function of how they wanted to lay out the floors--for example, being back in what would become a courtyard (currently a public alley) off Highland may preserve maximum flexibility and marketability of the retail spaces.

However, it is probably worth noting that the same developer (Walnut) also owns the Highland Building on the other side of the current public alley. So, perhaps they also see value to closing the public alley and converting it to private space between their buildings, and perhaps they like this design at least in part because it provides a justification for doing that.

clearly a separate entrance for residents with a lobby is necessary but it seems odd that it's not in the front on penn or on highland, a prominent corner - and antler way that they intend to close off to make a courtyard is going to be in shadow all day, sandwiched between two tall buildings, which is not exactly what a courtyard is supposed to be

and how is the developer able to privatize another public right-of-way? for the new parking garage it was necessary to build on antler way but if the proposed building had a normal entrance in the front then the alley could remain public

alleys add charm to an urban environment like strawberry way downtown for instance

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Muckk

Being that I am not currently attending any college, I view a college campus as someplace I have to business being, but I doubt anyone would say "papers please" if I took a stroll through once this is built.

That's undoubtedly true. But the psychological effect of such "campuses" is powerful. Most people won't treat them like public parks if they aren't part of the relevant community (college, hospital, business, etc.). In that sense the arched catwalk, although kind of cool in an abstract, Escher's Relativity, sort of way, is also a huge psychological fence.

I suppose I've grown accustomed to accepting what we get around here.

I should really do that. It would save me a lot of grief.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by JVC

clearly a separate entrance for residents with a lobby is necessary but it seems odd that it's not in the front on penn or on highland, a prominent corner - and antler way that they intend to close off to make a courtyard is going to be in shadow all day, sandwiched between two tall buildings, which is not exactly what a courtyard is supposed to be

and how is the developer able to privatize another public right-of-way? for the new parking garage it was necessary to build on antler way but if the proposed building had a normal entrance in the front then the alley could remain public

alleys add charm to an urban environment like strawberry way downtown for instance

I guess what I am saying is your second question may answer your first question. Maybe there is an innocent reason related to retail marketability that makes a side entrance more suitable. But maybe that is a convenient rationalization for asking the City to privatize the alley and hand it over to Walnut.

Note I am not saying I am gung ho about all that. My ideal version of this project would preserve the historic facades on Penn, in which case maybe one of them would be an ideal entrance to the residential floors. But to the extent you are asking why Walnut might prefer this approach, I am speculating as to possible reasons, whether I personally like them or not.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Muckk

I suppose the renderings and the POVs featured in them are a bit misleading.

I've been thinking about this. I do think they are playing games with perspective to make it seem grander than it really is. But they are also just doing that with the design.

Using their handy lettering scheme, consider the walls marked "A" and "C". Neither of those is actually the wall of a new building. Rather, one is just adding a new surface layer to the side of the CVS building ("A"), and the other to back of the Engineer's building ("C"). And of course we have discussed the catwalk being pure ornament:



So what is REALLY being added there? Just a long one-story building, and a short two-story building with a big blank space in front of it. So basically, they are converting that whole big surface parking lot to an average of about one story:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pittsb...!1s0x8834f16f48068503:0x8df915a15aa21b34

But by layering the sides of the adjoining buildings and doing the catwalk-to-nowhere, they are trying to make it look like they are doing much more.

[BrianTH]

Oh, and by the way--what exactly is happening in the big surface parking lot on the Fourth Avenue side? Views of that seem to be missing in the renderings released so far. I note that at one point that was supposed to be their 10-story dorm, but that plan was scrapped.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/ne...k-unveils-design-for-new-pittsburgh.html

I must say, it is a rare thing that I disagree with you on anything Evergrey but I love this one. This building is gorgeous from a pedestrian level.

[BrianTH]

Speaking of rendering tricks, I just noticed this. Look how tall the "A" facade looks in the real life picture. Then look how tall it looks plastered on the wall in the rendering. Apparently it not only moves, it also stretches!

[WillyC]

I walk past that little corner park all the time during my lunch break and it is packed with students... of course that is only in the warmer months. This time of year it is usually pretty dead.

[Urbana]

So this is going to be a thing...

http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/2014/12/0...on-CBS-reality-show/stories/201412040316

By Rob Owen / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto will star in the Dec. 21 episode of CBS’s “Undercover Boss” (8 p.m. Sunday, KDKA-TV) when he goes undercover for a stint as a municipal employee.

According to CBS, “During his shifts, [Mr.] Peduto works as a refuse worker from Environmental Services collecting garbage, a carpenter with the Housing Authority installing doors, a self-sufficiency coordinator helping community members who are breaking out of the chain of poverty and an employee of the Forestry Division of the Department of Public Works operating a chain saw to cut down dead trees.”

The CBS reality show, now in its sixth season, typically follows corporate executives as they go undercover to work alongside the rank-and-file of their organizations, where they often end up helping one or more of their employees out of a jam and sometimes discipline others who aren’t pulling their weight.

The mayor’s “Undercover Boss” episode was filmed this fall in a little less than a week.

[AaronPGH]

Hahahahaahahaha amaaaazing.

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by Muckk

I was so geeked by the catwalk I didn't even notice it's pointless. You are correct. It goes nowhere.

The catwalk you are referring to is the outdoor second floor walkway that descends to the courtyard via the staircase? If so, it does go somewhere. That catwalk and the wider terrace to which it connects are not dead ends. The terrace connects directly to the cafe, to the second floor lobby---where the second black box theatre is located---and to two separate interior catwalks that provide access to the balcony level of the 540-seat theatre. I suspect that they will be used by many patrons coming and going to performances, students coming and going during the day and people going to the cafe or to simply sit and relax on the terrace.

[Private Dick]

In the Burgh this week... passing thoughts:

Good to see the PNC "Tower" taking shape and providing its angular mark on the skyline.

Those facades bolted onto the playhouse look fucking ridiculous. Why not at least just keep them intact as the streetwall instead of those silly arches. I don't get it.

Went to the Pens game Tues night... walked around drunk in the rain after... good to see the Hotel Monaco taking shape. The sign is okay... kinda reminds me of the Mario's sign on the south side.

What the hell is going on with that Oakland Portal project? Anything? Really seems like this building could have been preserved as residential conversion in the new development.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

The catwalk you are referring to is the outdoor second floor walkway that descends to the courtyard via the staircase?

A "catwalk" that only leads to a staircase down is just a long stairway landing. And there is no particular purpose being served by taking the stairs down all the way over on that side except that it provides an excuse for creating the arcade.

And since, again, the arcade doesn't actually lead anywhere, the only purpose it serves in turn is to try to create the illusion of additional substance to this plan, and to erect a psychological barrier between the courtyard and the street.

Edit: By the way, I suppose it is ironically appropriate that so much of this proposal is really more set design than architecture. We're creating the illusion of new buildings, the illusion of historic preservation, the illusion of urban development! All the world's a stage, of course, so no need to do more than create the illusion of substance and the politicians will follow our script.

[BrianTH]

Quick work, but removing all the illusory elements and correcting the vertical distortion, something like this is what you are left with:

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

Hahahahaahahaha amaaaazing.

Bob Shitlet

[BrianTH]

OK, so in this one I have done a couple things:



First, I highlighted in gray major elements that are purely ornamental. Again, you have the ornamental wall they are adding to the side of the CVS, and the ornamental arcade. This time I also included the heavy arches over empty space on the corner of the main theater complex--that is another purely ornamental element they are trying to emphasize, in order to create the illusion of a grander building than they are actually planning.

Second, I also did my best to sketch in red where the historic buildings are located. The source image I used is this Google streetview:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4395794,...3m4!1e1!3m2!1sl3AG7nD_Kzua1sM7lmneBw!2e0

Again, the point here is just to emphasize that when you deduct all the purely ornamental stuff, and also deduct the buildings they are destroying, they are actually adding far less new substantial stuff than these images are trying to make you believe.

[Evergrey]

Excellent job deciphering the artifice and deception of this Point Park Playhouse, BrianTH. I now see the project as it truly is...

This development is even worse than the August Wilson Center.