DENVER | Main Development Thread #6

[EngiNerd]

I found a pretty cool article on ArchDaily that ties into the Denver Urban Review announcement the other day that WeWork will be leasing a big chunk of of the Triangle building space.

Very similar shared workspace environment to Industry and Galvanize, but taken to an even further level. Neat that they could incorporate this into the Triangle building. Would be really curious to see what the built out workspace ends up looking like.

[RyanD]

Originally Posted by lumos

To complement Ryan's excellent brooding evening shots of the Confluence crane, here is the plan view from 400 ft above taken earlier that evening.

Excellent shots as always lumos. I cannot wait until I get my replacement gimbal controller (my other one fried when I accidentally landed in a bush, Bunt was there). I miss flying and getting some good aerials. Hopefully next week I'll be up and running for good!

[Sam Hill]

Originally Posted by EngiNerd

Here's those renderings from the Davis site for 999 17th St. That roof deck pool looks awesome!

The way that building protrudes out over 17th Street and interrupts the street-wall is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me for some reason. I just want to push it back in. (I suspect I'm the only one in the world that feels this way and everyone else probably loves it, so there's no need to reprove me.) Doesn't the airspace above a property, public or private, count as part of the property? Are they really allowed to do this?

[Brainpathology]

What does it matter? The building is ugly anyway. It looks like some stupid intern dropped the blueprints and everyone else there was too lazy to do anything but incorporate the wrinkles into the design. And how does that relate in any way to the horrible brown hued Colotecture cliche of the apartment portion.. blech.

Real cities like Austin, Portland, San Diego, Dallas uhm... Mobile maybe? wouldn't assault their innocent citizens' eyes with such a horrible claptrap of styles the way Denver would do if this is allowed. May mercy and peace fill the souls of every one who has to ever experience any part of their life accompanied by the view of this architectural massacre. - (but it's still better than a parking lot).

[Sam Hill]

Originally Posted by Brainpathology

What does it matter? The building is ugly anyway. It looks like some stupid intern dropped the blueprints and everyone else there was too lazy to do anything but incorporate the wrinkles into the design. And how does that relate in any way to the horrible brown hued Colotecture cliche of the apartment portion.. blech.

Real cities like Austin, Portland, San Diego, Dallas uhm... Mobile maybe? wouldn't assault their innocent citizens' eyes with such a horrible claptrap of styles the way Denver would do if this is allowed. May mercy and peace fill the souls of every one who has to ever experience any part of their life accompanied by the view of this architectural massacre. - (but it's still better than a parking lot).

I said there's no need to reprove me. I'm not one of those people.

[corey]

Don't worry about the wrinkled glass facade. I'm sure it will be value engineered away by the time it is built.

[corey]

How tall is that apartment building? Any word on Tabor 2?

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by corey

How tall is that apartment building? Any word on Tabor 2?

I count 28 floors, so probably 300-330 feet tall.

[BG918]

999 17th has been "ready to go" for the past 3 years. I'll believe it when they start tearing up the parking lot. I like the original rendering better though, more glass on the apartments and the office tower was taller.

[The Dirt]

Why don't they just pull the trigger on the apartment tower and leave the office site open for future development.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Brainpathology

What does it matter? The building is ugly anyway. It looks like some stupid intern dropped the blueprints and everyone else there was too lazy to do anything but incorporate the wrinkles into the design. And how does that relate in any way to the horrible brown hued Colotecture cliche of the apartment portion.. blech.

Does it need to relate to the Colotecture of the apartment building? It might be a half-block behemoth in actuality, but I actually like that they didn't try to relate to the residential is some attempt at cohesion which would end up looking half-assed and banal. Except for the signage canopies at the base, they need to have more differentiation between the sides, this works. Though let's not mention the parking entrance being off of Curtis vs. in the alley.

The crystal crinkle is jarring, but whatever. I'm not enough of a design critic to care. It either stays or the building becomes a glass cube ala 1401 Lawrence. Hell, it would pretty be mini-Lawrence.

Real cities like Austin, Portland, San Diego, Dallas uhm... Mobile maybe? wouldn't assault their innocent citizens' eyes with such a horrible claptrap of styles the way Denver would do if this is allowed. May mercy and peace fill the souls of every one who has to ever experience any part of their life accompanied by the view of this architectural massacre. - (but it's still better than a parking lot).

Is claptrap common lexicon in architectural criticism now? Have you submitted your review to Architectural Digest yet? Because I would read your column every issue.

[mr1138]

Originally Posted by Sam Hill

The way that building protrudes out over 17th Street and interrupts the street-wall is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me for some reason. I just want to push it back in. (I suspect I'm the only one in the world that feels this way and everyone else probably loves it, so there's no need to reprove me.) Doesn't the airspace above a property, public or private, count as part of the property? Are they really allowed to do this?

I've never really considered this, but you of course are welcome to your opinion on this matter. I too think that a street-wall is important, so I get what you're saying (though a little texture usually doesn't hurt a street-wall... many old-world European street-walls are full of anomalies and still work).

To answer the question about airspace though, I think maybe you're mis-seeing the rendering. It appears to me that it actually recedes from the property line as opposed to hanging out past it. Look at the vertical structural lines and how the angles interact with them. It makes it look like the zero-lot-line is the furthest out that the facade goes (in other words, it doesn't protrude into the airspace above the public ROW). Unless I'm mis-seeing the rendering myself. Sometimes these renderings can be a bit like an Escher drawing when it comes to depth.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by Sam Hill

I said there's no need to reprove me. I'm not one of those people.

I think that was sarcasm.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

I think that was sarcasm.

I can't tell with Gio. It's like that Simpson's exchange:

"Oh, here comes that cannonball guy. He's cool."
"Are you being sarcastic, dude?"
"I don't even know any more."

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

I can't tell with Gio. It's like that Simpson's exchange:

"Oh, here comes that cannonball guy. He's cool."
"Are you being sarcastic, dude?"
"I don't even know any more."

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/250x250/50456366.jpg

[comoneymaker]

Originally Posted by lumos

I went out last night to try and get a similar perspective but I struggled due to the FAA height limit of 400ft. The photo that you attached was taken with significantly higher altitude. I will see if I an start with a higher vantage point in Highlands to get an extra couple of hundred feet.

Awesome! Thanks Lumos. And I figured you couldn't get high enough.
Once 17W and Union Tower and The Confluence go up it will be some great infill. Still disappointed with the crapy matchstick buildings of the Alta House and Elan. Would have much rather seen stay empty and have better projects go in. I bet within two years they would have been sucked up with taller better projects.

Also I never noticed there was that lot right behind The Glass House. Would love to see something pop up there soon. Something at least 10 floors.

[Sam Hill]

Originally Posted by mr1138

I've never really considered this, but you of course are welcome to your opinion on this matter. I too think that a street-wall is important, so I get what you're saying (though a little texture usually doesn't hurt a street-wall... many old-world European street-walls are full of anomalies and still work).

To answer the question about airspace though, I think maybe you're mis-seeing the rendering. It appears to me that it actually recedes from the property line as opposed to hanging out past it. Look at the vertical structural lines and how the angles interact with them. It makes it look like the zero-lot-line is the furthest out that the facade goes (in other words, it doesn't protrude into the airspace above the public ROW). Unless I'm mis-seeing the rendering myself. Sometimes these renderings can be a bit like an Escher drawing when it comes to depth.

Maybe you're right and it doesn't protrude. Now I've stared at that rendering too long and I can't tell what I'm looking at any more. That thing scrambled my brain, lol.

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.businessden.com/2015/08/06/more-apartments-piggyback-on-hospital-project/

[RyanD]

Originally Posted by comoneymaker

Also I never noticed there was that lot right behind The Glass House. Would love to see something pop up there soon. Something at least 10 floors.

AMLI Riverfront Green:





Here's the lot centered:

[Sam Hill]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

I think that was sarcasm.

I know. I read it as sort of a parody of all the people that complain about every new building being ugly, and since it came right after my post, I took it as sort of a criticism of me for complaining about the building's design. Now that I read it again I realize I shouldn't have assumed it was directed at me. Anyway, whatever, doesn't matter to me anymore.