I don't like driving downtown, but the architecture sure is interesting 

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 01/20/2018 at 18:25 • Filed to: None

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fintail > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 18:29

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Ah Rainier Tower, gotta love the 70s.

LongbowMkII > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 18:30

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this makes me wildly uncomfortable.

CB > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 18:31

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Downtown architecture is even better when you’re just walking around.

AestheticsInMotion > CB 01/20/2018 at 18:34

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Oh completely. This was taken on foot, when I went back to the city this morning to grab my car that had been locked in a garage for the night. Unexpectedly.

AestheticsInMotion > fintail 01/20/2018 at 18:36

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Super interesting. I need some contracts with high rises to see more of this stuff

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 18:45

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Rainier Tower is a modern classic, I need to see it someday

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > LongbowMkII 01/20/2018 at 18:46

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The fact that an awful lot of buildings are actually built this way and you just never see it is the funny part.

Spaceball-Two > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 19:09

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Supposedly the most quake safe building downtown

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Spaceball-Two 01/20/2018 at 19:11

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Inverted pendulum FTW.

fintail > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 19:13

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You’d go out on a rope to clean those windows?

I assume Seattle has the foresight to preserve this material. On the east side, there’s not much sense of historic preservation.

Urambo Tauro > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 19:35

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I dunno if I’d want to park underneath that.

AestheticsInMotion > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 01/20/2018 at 19:39

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There are quite a few interesting buildings nearby as well. I’ve always loved the Seattle library

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 19:50

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Rem Koolhaas/OMA at their best.

ranwhenparked > fintail 01/20/2018 at 19:51

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Is it just me, or does it seem like Yamasaki always did all of his unique flourishes down low toward the base, and left the whole upper parts of his towers plain - sort of the opposite of the usual skyscraper, especially in the prewar and postmodern periods.

Ash78, voting early and often > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 20:16

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I’m always impressed with anything that is intentionally wasteful in the name of aesthetics. All that lost floor space!

Best of both worlds is something like Tapei 101. You lose some space, but gain so much more natural light. Saves on power and good for morale.

wafflesnfalafel > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 20:32

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We are in the old Seafirst tower right across the street, (another interesting piece of architecture.) You can really feel the wind on floors above 25 or so. Downtown Seattle really is pretty cool to work in, (lots of neat buildings, waterfront, Pike Place, etc.) There are downsides, (getting down here is a pain in the a$$, mentally ill/homeless all over, pollution, noise) but it’s still cool.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 20:36

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Reminds me of the PLA Central Barracks, formerly the Prince of Wales bldg in Hong Kong.

fintail > ranwhenparked 01/20/2018 at 20:50

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In a reverse way, this kind of reminds me of the somewhat baroque lower sections of skyscrapers (I am thinking WTC in particular) of the era. This is the antithesis. I am not really familiar with the architect, but this building definitely reflects the aesthetic of the era. I used to really not enjoy this type of material, but now I do.

ranwhenparked > fintail 01/20/2018 at 20:53

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The World Trade Center was by the exact same guy, Minoru Yamasaki. Similar deal - interesting Gothic modern arches at street level, plain boxes above. Also, he was afraid of heights, so he always did small, narrow windows to make people inside feel safer and more secure, at some detriment to the views.

fintail > ranwhenparked 01/20/2018 at 21:04

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Very cool I wasn’t aware of that. I really see it with the vertical pattern of the windows.

I’ve always been more interested in residential architecture, but I can appreciate commercial buildings of this era. Not as much into brutalist architecture yet though.

ranwhenparked > fintail 01/20/2018 at 21:11

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Yeah, I have trouble warming up to that. I think part of the problem is that raw concrete just doesn’t age well after 40-50 years, especially in damp climates.

not for canada - australian in disguise > AestheticsInMotion 01/20/2018 at 21:17

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- Seattle (aka earthquakes)

- Build a skyscraper that is literally shaped like a corn dog (aka it will fall over)

Sounds like a solid plan.

I’m sure nothing would go wrong.

fintail > ranwhenparked 01/20/2018 at 21:21

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Exactly, it just looks neglected and a little somber. But on the positive side, I guess they don’t look as dated as older styles.

RPM esq. > not for canada - australian in disguise 01/21/2018 at 13:58

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It’s more earthquake safe because it’s built that way, not less.

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion 01/21/2018 at 14:00

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My dad worked in that building for a while when I was a kid...I only remember visiting him once but that building freaked me out.

Also, this is the perfect time to see it since they just demolished the 4-story building that used to surround two sides of the base, and are going to build a skyscraper next to it.

AestheticsInMotion > RPM esq. 01/21/2018 at 23:00

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Is that the new HQ Amazon is building? Huh... Yeah I guess I timed things just right.

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion 01/21/2018 at 23:23

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That’s right. I’ve really been enjoying walking by there as they cleared the space around the base.