Quote:
Originally Posted by pacman
So many complaints about the "Smith Street Clunker" and so little praise. It's not going to win any design awards as is and sure as hell could be a lot better in an ideal world, but I cannot get over the negativity surrounding a 40+ floor building proposed for a mid-block, development that gets rid of a condemned building and parking lot amongst an ocean of crap and surface parking lots.
People don't drive Toyota Corollas instead of Teslas because they actually prefer to drive that economic shitbag (no offense corolla owners). People are doing their best to build something substantial within their means and are getting shit on here because it has an ugly podium and a tacky "fedora".
I have no dog in this fight, and would certainly prefer something a lot prettier, but I'm not going to refuse a Budweiser because I'd rather have Dom Perignon. Bottom line is it looks like there are finally private developers looking to build substantial projects downtown seemingly unsolicited and I think, even though their proposals don't measure up to other people's lofty standards, they should be applauded rather than pissed on by people who talk a big talk but rarely actually put their own money where their mouth is.
It's not my first choice design, but I'm definitely not going to be offended by it. And if I was asked I would definitely steer some constructive criticism towards the design while still being positive.
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I have to disagree because your analogies don't really speak to the significance of a city's skyline and how it affects the city's overall image and perception abroad. If this was a 20 story proposal, it would be a little bit different, but this proposal could be the second tallest structure in our city and will be front and centre to a lot of future skyline shots.
Nobody is arguing that private investment of this magnitude is a good thing for our downtown, but when the second tallest and most recent high-rise in your city looks like an oversized commie block that would better fit into the Worthington Neighborhood north of St. Vital Mall, it seemingly says a lot about the state of investment in your downtown.
Without sounding too sentimental and abstract, downtowns are the heart of a city and when most people think of a city they are only vaguely familiar with, their experiences of the downtown area often come to mind. For better or for worse, an ugly skyline can taint peoples perceptions of your city without ever stepping foot in it, and this can ultimately have an indirect and psychological effect on things like tourism and private investment.
There is something to be said about having a modern, attractive, and glassy skyline that suggests to the viewer that the city is doing "well" and growing. Unchanging and ugly skylines suggest private investment has lost interest and the city is well past its golden age, which can act as a signal to future investors and residents that they may wish to look elsewhere because why investment or move somewhere where no-one else is willing to move or invest?
Like it or not, skylines are basically an "executive summary" of what is occurring in a city. Tower cranes suggest progress and interest, glass and modern architecture suggest people are willing to invest and pay for quality, height suggests busy-ness, density, and a sense of importance.
On the contrary, ugly structures that dominate the view like in the proposal will ultimately give the perception of frugality, lack of taste, and a lack of willingness to pay for quality. Again, perfectly fine as a smaller structure, but less acceptable when it will be around the second tallest building in the city.
To get back to your car example - sure, people would love to drive better cars if they could afford them. But like it or not, humans are quick to judge based on outward appearance. There is a reason people in client and sales-driven industries tend to lease luxury vehicles - to appear successful to potential clients, which hopefully inspires confidence and trust between the potential client and sales person. Imagine you wanted to sell your house - obviously for the best price possible. If you had ten seconds to judge two different real estate agents, would you prefer to take the one driving a brand new BMW 8 series (even though it is leased) or would you prefer the agent who out-righted owned his rusty 1998 beige Corolla? Most people, if only going by their 10 second impression, would chose the one who appeared more successful thanks to the shiny car.
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