PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[Milksteak]

Saw this article today stating that MaST is looking to purchase the old Crown Holdings headquarters in Northeast Philly:

http://www2.philly.com/philly/education/...phia-school-district-bonds-20181126.html

Which got me wondering where they ended up...it appears that they are now located in Yardley/Lower Makefield in Bucks County according to their website and this article:

http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/n...-crown-holdings-moves-to-lower-makefield

I didn't hear anything about the move, I remember there being a lot of hoopla when they announced they were leaving the city though. The SVP specifically mentioned the city wage tax, but didn't state that as the sole reason for leaving.

[GtownFriend]

Re CDR: There is a project to build a full block of duplexes (32 in two rows) that look like CC rowhouses (4-story), only it's in Bridesburg.
https://www.phila.gov/CityPlanning/proje...son%20Street_CDR%20Submittal_reduced.pdf

[skyscraper]

Originally Posted by allovertown

It is clear your hate of her informs your criticisms rather than vice versa.

I don't hate her. I think she's a hack, and as an architect I find her reviews lacking in any useful detail. She should not be called an architectural critic, because she only touches the surface of actual architecture. She talks about issues tangentially connected to the architecture, but not the architecture itself. But no, I don't hate her.

Originally Posted by allovertown

As other have pointed out, she's obviously talking about north side vs south side of Broad St, and implying it world have done better in the theater district. Though I do like your suggestion that it could be a genuine mistake. As though someone read a blueprint wrong and somehow built the building in the wrong location. Funny.

Then her word choice is as lacking in specificity as her architectural reviews. She should have said "wrong end of Broad Street" instead of "wrong side." Again, poor word choice being the hallmark of a hack.

Originally Posted by allovertown

I do not always agree with Inga, but she is a Pulitzer Prize winning critic. She is a clearly talented writer and I always look forward to her columns. It's a shame you can't look past whatever real or imagined issue you have with her to recognize her as the asset she is to this community.

I am not impressed with prizes and trophies. Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing, so prizes mean nothing. I am impressed with substance, and she lacks the talent to call herself an architecture critic. She shrouds her architecture reviews among the tangential issues because she has a basic understanding of those issues and not the direct architectural issues. She has only kept her job because of her connections to upper management of the paper, not because of any talent. She needs to get over herself, and people need to stop being impressed with her. She is a hack.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by skyscraper

I don't hate her. I think she's a hack, and as an architect I find her reviews lacking in any useful detail. She should not be called an architectural critic, because she only touches the surface of actual architecture. She talks about issues tangentially connected to the architecture, but not the architecture itself. But no, I don't hate her.

Then her word choice is as lacking in specificity as her architectural reviews. She should have said "wrong end of Broad Street" instead of "wrong side." Again, poor word choice being the hallmark of a hack.

I am not impressed with prizes and trophies. Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing, so prizes mean nothing. I am impressed with substance, and she lacks the talent to call herself an architecture critic. She shrouds her architecture reviews among the tangential issues because she has a basic understanding of those issues and not the direct architectural issues. She has only kept her job because of her connections to upper management of the paper, not because of any talent. She needs to get over herself, and people need to stop being impressed with her. She is a hack.

People don't need to do anything you think they should. Based on your past posts and stated worldview, you probably just don't appreciate a female with a strong opinion.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by skyscraper

I am not impressed with prizes and trophies. Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing, so prizes mean nothing. I am impressed with substance, and she lacks the talent to call herself an architecture critic. She shrouds her architecture reviews among the tangential issues because she has a basic understanding of those issues and not the direct architectural issues. She has only kept her job because of her connections to upper management of the paper, not because of any talent. She needs to get over herself, and people need to stop being impressed with her. She is a hack.

I respect that you have an opinion, a strong one. It would help me possibly respect your actual opinion if you could give some examples of why you think she is a hack, like showing what you think is a 'tangential issue' that she extends into architecture. Also, who do you accept and possibly value as an architecture critic. Lastly who are you to tell me or anyone who to be impressed by. If I want to put my trust in, and vote for a ego manic orange haired fool for president you might not agree with my choice, but don't tell me I shouldn't be able to make that choice.

[skyscraper]

Originally Posted by allovertown

People don't need to do anything you think they should. Based on your past posts and stated worldview, you probably just don't appreciate a female with a strong opinion.

Yes, you're right, because when the facts are against your opinion of what they should be, play the (insert relevant identity politics here) card.
The fact is, if she actually had a strong opinion, I would respect it, even if I disagreed with it. But she doesn't. If you re-read this current article and my comments about it, you'll see that I never said that I disagree with her because she hasn't expressed any opinion. What I said was that she is a hack.
I think she realizes that her lack of a design education or background limits her in what she can report about. She talks about history, about the site and general "urban issues", but very little about design and whether it's any good. The things she does express an opinion about, such as parking garages, are softballs. I can't remember the last insightful thing she has said about anything of substance, although I don't read her every article.
If I were in charge at the inky, and I am glad that I'm not, I would want a design reviewer that can actually think and write critically about buildings - which includes building design as well as urban issues. Not just history, we can get that in many places.
It has nothing to do with the fact that she is a woman. I don't think like that, but clearly you do.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by skyscraper

Then her word choice is as lacking in specificity as her architectural reviews. She should have said "wrong end of Broad Street" instead of "wrong side." Again, poor word choice being the hallmark of a hack.

Disagree as it seems you are the only one to misinterpret that sentence. When it was made clear what she meant, you should have just said, "oh, I see what she means, my mistake" rather than starting a debate about the word "end" vs. "side".

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by skyscraper

Yes, you're right, because when the facts are against your opinion of what they should be, play the (insert relevant identity politics here) card.
The fact is, if she actually had a strong opinion, I would respect it, even if I disagreed with it. But she doesn't. If you re-read this current article and my comments about it, you'll see that I never said that I disagree with her because she hasn't expressed any opinion. What I said was that she is a hack.
I think she realizes that her lack of a design education or background limits her in what she can report about. She talks about history, about the site and general "urban issues", but very little about design and whether it's any good. The things she does express an opinion about, such as parking garages, are softballs. I can't remember the last insightful thing she has said about anything of substance, although I don't read her every article.
If I were in charge at the inky, and I am glad that I'm not, I would want a design reviewer that can actually think and write critically about buildings - which includes building design as well as urban issues. Not just history, we can get that in many places.
It has nothing to do with the fact that she is a woman. I don't think like that, but clearly you do.

Excuse me. What exactly are the FACTS that are against my opinion? What facts have you brought to the table here? As a highly educated architect, which I'm sure you are, certainly you must know the difference between facts and personal preference.

She is writing an architectural column. You don't like the way she goes about it. You don't like her background. But you haven't pointed out anything she has gotten objectively wrong, a concept for example that she failed to understand due to her limited architectural background.

You've just called her a hack because she doesn't meet your arbitrary standard of what she should be doing and what her background should be. It bears pointing out that she has chosen a career as a journalist, not an architect and she has been about as successful in the newspaper industry as one could be. I'm sure the Inquirer is perfectly happy with their award winning, widely read employee.

[skyscraper]

Originally Posted by allovertown

Excuse me. What exactly are the FACTS that are against my opinion?

the fact I was disputing was your assertion that I don't like her because she's a woman.

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by skyscraper

I think she's a hack, and as an architect [...]

Oh, cool, the "I'm an architect" card. What have you designed?

[Frontst17]

The history of the building is vital to the story of its revival and why it fell so far in the first place. She talks a lot about design specifics as well it’s a well fleshed our article. Did you skim it or just not read at all?

[Parkway]

Of all her takes I honestly thing her recent and very NIMBY, "gentrification is preferable to condos I don't like the aesthetic of" take is far more deserving of criticism. She then doubled down on Twitter with a weak and unrealistic suggestion that we should be building condos in Roxborough and Tacony instead.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by Justin7

Oh, cool, the "I'm an architect" card. What have you designed?

Have you seen the new addition to the Guggenheim?

You did that?

Yep. And it didn't take very long either.

[McBane]

^ Ha nice Seinfeld-ism!

It's worth noting that her writing goes beyond architecture - she looks at the whole package, including how a building meets the street and what it does to improve the pedestrian experience. She holds high standards and there's nothing wrong with holding builders and architects to those high standards and shaming them for taking shortcuts or building utter 🞵🞵🞵🞵. It's not as if Dranoff, BLT, etc. are reading these blogs.

[Jawnadelphia]

The Aramark sign is going up now - hopefully i can grab a pic later.

[frbrown]

Originally Posted by Jawnadelphia

The Aramark sign is going up now - hopefully i can grab a pic later.

I have a photo from Nov. 16 here. More has been added since then, the little Aramark man is up there on the West Side, and on the South side too I think.

[Urbanthusiat]

Center City’s historic Stephen Girard Building to become hotel under Hilton’s Canopy brand

http://www2.philly.com/philly/business/r...et-stephen-girard-building-20181127.html

Title says it all. Nothing else particularly interesting in the article. Just confirms what we already knew.

[Philly Fan]

New College House West will begin construction next Monday on high-rise field

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Philly Fan

New College House West will begin construction next Monday on high-rise field

There’s a separate high rise thread for this since it meets the 12 floor threshold minimum.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by summersm343

There’s a separate high rise thread for this since it meets the 12 floor threshold minimum.

Thanks--I'll post it there, also.