DETROIT | Little Caesars Arena & The District Detroit

[animatedmartian]

An unfortunate construction accident occurred this morning. Work ended early today after an electrical worker fell 75 feet from a catwalk inside the arena. Be safe out there.

http://www.wxyz.com/news/police-work...-caesars-arena

[animatedmartian]

July 1st, 2017.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

An unfortunate construction accident occurred this morning. Work ended early today after an electrical worker fell 75 feet from a catwalk inside the arena. Be safe out there.

http://www.wxyz.com/news/police-work...-caesars-arena

I thought Police were saying it is an apparent suicide. Although how they know that, I can't say. MIOSHA's investigation is still underway.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by deja vu

I thought Police were saying it is an apparent suicide. Although how they know that, I can't say. MIOSHA's investigation is still underway.

Yea, there's conflicting reports right now. Supposedly the guy was in an area that wasn't a work area and coworkers were saying he seemed distressed. Either way, it's a tragic situation.

[Detroit1995]

Has anyone else noticed that construction has halted on the two apartment complexes?

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by Detroit1995

Has anyone else noticed that construction has halted on the two apartment complexes?

They've been like that for a while. However, it is expected that work will resume on them by the end of this year.

They probably stopped just mainly due to timing. The arena is on schedule to be finished by September and if they kept going on the apartment buildings, they'd probably be finished soon after. But my guess is they want to start selling units in the spring when there's no snow (and the units look more attractive to sell) and when the initial wave of concerts and sporting events evens out.

Currently, September through December is already booked with at least a dozen musicians and about 3 or 4 sporting events at the LCA. The Red Wings 2018 season starts October 5th with a home game and the Pistons will also start their season around the same time though I haven't seen which specific date.

It'll be busy and it probably wouldn't help if there were hundreds of residents all trying to move in at the same time.

[Detroit1995]

^ Ah that's a good point. But I'm still surprised that they're not covering the single floor they put up for the arena lofts. It's been collecting puddles of water for weeks and just sitting there.

[Rizzo]

Now that I see the exterior in more detail, my opinion has changed a bit. It's a little clumsy with all the different facades

I understand they are trying to continue the rigor of urbanity of varied facades down Woodward but I think an alternative design solution should have been explored.

You have the "Kahn style" factory facades on the interior, so why not run with the idea throughout?

Think about how automotive complexes are not one big monolithic facade along streets but are cut by alleys, craneways, bridges and alcoves? Also consider how the fronts had more ornate brickwork and vary just slightly over years of additions

So why not translate that into the arena design? I think the northeast corner facade is most promising. You could wrap that around and vary it slightly. Break up sections with glass or have alcoves. Because you aren't using a bunch of different materials and construction methods you could pour more money into ornate embellishments and labor because your facade design is consistent.

Think of it simply, you recreate the massing and cladding style of the packard plant and drop a big round glass and steel arena in the center of it, rather than create this fussy collection of facades.

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Now that I see the exterior in more detail, my opinion has changed a bit. It's a little clumsy with all the different facades

I understand they are trying to continue the rigor of urbanity of varied facades down Woodward but I think an alternative design solution should have been explored.

You have the "Kahn style" factory facades on the interior, so why not run with the idea throughout?

Think about how automotive complexes are not one big monolithic facade along streets but are cut by alleys, craneways, bridges and alcoves? Also consider how the fronts had more ornate brickwork and vary just slightly over years of additions

So why not translate that into the arena design? I think the northeast corner facade is most promising. You could wrap that around and vary it slightly. Break up sections with glass or have alcoves. Because you aren't using a bunch of different materials and construction methods you could pour more money into ornate embellishments and labor because your facade design is consistent.

Think of it simply, you recreate the massing and cladding style of the packard plant and drop a big round glass and steel arena in the center of it, rather than create this fussy collection of facades.

I can see what you're saying, but I'm going to reserve judgment until I see the completed project. I want to see how the street level/sidewalk adjacent areas turn out.

[LMich]

See, I think the varied facades saves the design. I've already seen it called safe and boring. I like that it's not a monolithic facade, and yet the designs are not so different that it's distracting.

I'm really just happy that this is a truly integrated development. There doesn't need to be some architectural grab until you get into the bowl, in my opinion. I've been really impressed with how the design turned out, and it looks even better in person.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by LMich

See, I think the varied facades saves the design. I've already seen it called safe and boring. I like that it's not a monolithic facade, and yet the designs are not so different that it's distracting.

I'm really just happy that this is a truly integrated development. There doesn't need to be some architectural grab until you get into the bowl, in my opinion. I've been really impressed with how the design turned out, and it looks even better in person.

It's better than an architectural grab. But the concession is better detailing and materials. The reality is they used a lot of precast, brick veneer and ACM.

[LMich]

The reality is that just about any design giving a nod to the surrounding historical architecture would have used precast concrete, brick veneer and ACM. They did well with the materials, which isn't something you were seemingly complaining about in the other post. Your initial critique was talking about massing and form (i.e. lack of uniformity of the facades); how'd we get to the materials?

[animatedmartian]

I can see what Hayward is saying if you just look at the Woodward side of the building. The rest of it is less varied and mainly just has different shades of brick and subtle brickwork. But then again... if you do kind of stare at it for a while, it does kind of all just come at you at once.






https://www.instagram.com/p/BWN-gU8F-FF/




http://www.districtdetroit.com/live-web-cam

[The North One]

I think you guys are being nit-picky, it looks fine, this is probably the most urban-friendly stadium in the US and without a doubt, a massive improvement compared to the Joe.

Nobody was expecting authentic Haussmannian facades.

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by The North One

Nobody was expecting authentic Haussmannian facades.

Mouais... These are authentic Haussmannian facades.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulevard_Haussmann

Beware. Although apparently kind of pretty, this is pretty much all the same, all along the boulevards. So much of it that it ends up looking bland.
It was a fascist rule where minorities were oppressed.

I guess they could've tried some innovative contemporary designs to this whole thing, like those you see in some bad ass European cities. Namely the Dutch, some German, British and French... Even some Italian spots nowadays.

Whatever, this doesn't look bad. It's "post-modern", I guess. It's much less risky than anything eccentric.

[Detroit1995]

Call me crazy, but it looks as if the exterior facing Woodward is intended to look like three different buildings. Almost like they're disguising the fact that all three are part of the same structure.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by LMich

The reality is that just about any design giving a nod to the surrounding historical architecture would have used precast concrete, brick veneer and ACM. They did well with the materials, which isn't something you were seemingly complaining about in the other post. Your initial critique was talking about massing and form (i.e. lack of uniformity of the facades); how'd we get to the materials?

I said in a previous post a uniform pallete would lend better materials.

[richb]

Way better then most stadiums. Most are just blank flat featureless concrete.

[bobjgumby]

Originally Posted by Detroit1995

Call me crazy, but it looks as if the exterior facing Woodward is intended to look like three different buildings. Almost like they're disguising the fact that all three are part of the same structure.

Yeah there is a reason for that. That is what they designed it to look like.

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by Detroit1995

Call me crazy, but it looks as if the exterior facing Woodward is intended to look like three different buildings. Almost like they're disguising the fact that all three are part of the same structure.

You nailed it. And you're not crazy at all. The basic idea from the planning/architecture world is that big, hulking monofacades (I just made that word up?) are bad for street life and sometimes for aesthetics, and designing it like this is an attempt to be a continuation of the old school lines of buildings you see in traditional downtowns. There was lot of thought put into this stadium.