What's the most shameful monstrosity ever built in your city? - Page 11

Alargule · #**201** Posted **Nov 23, 2006, 1:32 PM**

In Amsterdam: definitely the 'Maupoleum', built in the 1970's and torn down less than 10 years after its completion. A huge, concrete 'commie-block' if you will, built in the heart of the historic center:

rockyi · #**202** Posted **Nov 23, 2006, 2:18 PM**

^Wow! What was that ugly hulk used for?

Alargule · #**203** Posted **Nov 23, 2006, 3:21 PM**

Apartments and office space, mainly.

toddguy · #**204** Posted **Nov 24, 2006, 2:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmancuso

^ ooh, that's pretty bad. gives that building in toronto a run for its money. kinda like a shorter version of this masterpiece:

soon to be joined in ugliness matrimony with:

Which is the front runner soon-to-be building that will snatch the ugly crown tiara away from that ugly old soviet monstrosity in Kaliningrad.

(just my opinion of course!)

secondson · #**205** Posted **Nov 24, 2006, 10:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alargule

In Amsterdam: definitely the 'Maupoleum', built in the 1970's and torn down less than 10 years after its completion. A huge, concrete 'commie-block' if you will, built in the heart of the historic center:

Out of idle curiosity, aside from the fact that it was ugly, why did they tear it down?

Marcu · #**206** Posted **Nov 25, 2006, 1:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddguy

soon to be joined in ugliness matrimony with:

Which is the front runner soon-to-be building that will snatch the ugly crown tiara away from that ugly old soviet monstrosity in Kaliningrad.

(just my opinion of course!)

Whose idiotic idea was it to build this thing again and why are they building it?

SapphireBlueEyes · #**207** Posted **Nov 25, 2006, 4:35 AM**

Building near Paddington Station...Makes Mies Van Der Rohe buildings look like 'Wonders of the World!' [and that's not saying much, as you can tell, I'm NOT a Bloody 'Mies' fan!]

-Sapphire Blue Eyes-
Citizens for Better Planning of CHICAGO

clubbster · #**208** Posted **Nov 25, 2006, 7:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sapphireblueeyes

Building near Paddington Station...Makes Mies Van Der Rohe buildings look like 'Wonders of the World!' [and that's not saying much, as you can tell, I'm NOT a Bloody 'Mies' fan!]

That's the Trellick Tower -- that and its sister (the Balfron Tower in E London) are the best examples of Brutalist residential high-rises in London.

It was built as council housing, but most of the apartments are now privately owned, and highly sought-after. It's also the de-facto icon of Notting Hill (the area of London it's in), and now very much loved by the locals, and probably one of the most popular examples of modern architecture in the UK. Most of Erno Goldfinger's buildings received a rough reception when built, but they're actually pretty well-designed and beautifully detailed, and a couple of decades and improved maintenance have turned public opinion around.

PhillyRising · #**209** Posted **Nov 25, 2006, 4:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryson662001

Here's a contender......it's the federal courthouse in Philly. A few years ago the bricks were falling off so the GSA spent gazillions to strip the entire facade and put up new bricks....one by one....exactly the way they were before. That is also when they added the limestone trim (someone thought it might help but it only made things worse). That thing in the front that looks like a brick beach house (2nd picture) is the new visitor's center for the Independence National Park. It's pretty ugly too. Talk about fashion victims.

Yes...that is probably the most hideous building in Philadelphia with the State Building at Broad and Spring Garden as the runner up.

Distill3d · #**210** Posted **Nov 25, 2006, 8:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sapphireblueeyes

Building near Paddington Station...Makes Mies Van Der Rohe buildings look like 'Wonders of the World!' [and that's not saying much, as you can tell, I'm NOT a Bloody 'Mies' fan!]

-Sapphire Blue Eyes-
Citizens for Better Planning of CHICAGO

did they forget to finish this building? i mean seriously, that looks like the developer ran out of money and said "okay, we're done. don't worry about an outer core! it's not like it'll end up on the 'most shameful monstrosity list'!"

Exodus · #**211** Posted **Nov 26, 2006, 6:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by boden

I don't live in NY, but here is a building in the Bronx

WTF? Are those cooling towers ?

That's got to be part of a plant or something, right ?

TheMeltyMan · #**212** Posted **Nov 26, 2006, 7:28 AM**

It looks like an oversized air-conditioner. What a work of art.

Stephenapolis · #**213** Posted **Nov 26, 2006, 8:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exodus

WTF? Are those cooling towers ?

That's got to be part of a plant or something, right ?

It could be. We have something like this in dt Minneapolis. It is a steam plant that provides heat to most if not all of the buildings in dt Minneapolis. In January this thing covers a good part of dt in a shroud of water vapor.

gradvmedusa · #**214** Posted **Nov 26, 2006, 1:02 PM**

Love it or hate it? Hard to tell from the photo but in person this thing looks HUGE.

rockyi · #**215** Posted **Nov 26, 2006, 3:16 PM**

Quote:

WTF? Are those cooling towers?

It looks like a row of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups on the roof.

CGII · #**216** Posted **Nov 26, 2006, 3:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephenapolis

It could be. We have something like this in dt Minneapolis. It is a steam plant that provides heat to most if not all of the buildings in dt Minneapolis. In January this thing covers a good part of dt in a shroud of water vapor.

There's one just South of 311 Wacker in Chicago, but, granted, the design is a lot nicer.

How could I forget Kaden?

It still astounds me that the same man that brought us Kaden gave us the Robie House, the Kaufmann House, Price Tower, the Guggenheim...

The_Analyst · #**217** Posted **Nov 26, 2006, 9:06 PM**

From the Hotel Uzbekistan brochure: "Walk into our luxurious rooms with olive green shag carpet, bright yellow daisy-print bedspreads, and matching faux dark walnut formica end tables. Enjoy the 19 inch color TV featuring all 2 of Uzbekistan's channels. Your ensuite stepsaver bath features refreshing cold running water and electric light with switch. Awarded the Soviet 4 red star rating in 1967, we haven't changed a thing since then."

TheMeltyMan · #**218** Posted **Nov 26, 2006, 10:14 PM**

NEW YORK - Westin Hotel

Gotham has no room for clown buildings.

Tacoma, Washington - What the hell building

Mystery Asian building

Behind Scottish Parliament

spyguy · #**219** Posted **Nov 26, 2006, 10:31 PM**

Many probably hate Granville Tower in Chicago, however, I actually kind of like it.

LMich · #**220** Posted **Nov 27, 2006, 12:57 AM**

I must say, for me, anyway, there is a clear difference between an ugly, uninteresting building, and then one that happens to be 'ugly,' but interesting. Most that have been posted are the latter.

What I consider 'ugly' is simply a design that the architect has put little thought in effort to, and that can include both conventionally "ugly" and "beautiful" buildings new and old, alike.

For instance, there is no way I'd consider the Kaden Tower "ugly." There was just too much thought and intricate detail put into that design for it to be ugly. It's certainly unconventional, but that's not the definition of ugly in my book. Now, take your typical senior citizens tower built with subsidies from the government, or a tower built by a developer on a tight and low budget building a building too large or two high thus cutting out the detail and I'll show you an ugly building.