Foot Firmly In Mouth

"ranwhenparked" (ranwhenparked) 07/10/2019 at 18:59 • Filed to: None

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So, I was at a corporate training today and we were standing around at break, and one of my coworkers pointed out the window and mentioned that we were now leasing some space in the building across the street as well. And I made the mistake of questioning why the architect would have done a building with a prominent street-facing facade that’s entirely fortress-like blank concrete from top to bottom, I believe I called it ugly and anti-urban. He pointed out that the building is actually a major landmark designed by I.M. Pei, hence the name of the coffee shop on the ground floor.

Well, whatever, I know he was a great architect and I do like mos t of his work - Society Hill Towers, Miami Tower, etc., but I still question whether there shouldn’t have been some attempt to make the street level base a bit more welcoming on that side.

Discerning > ranwhenparked 07/10/2019 at 19:14

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I am not fond of his buildings that are predominately concrete. This one included

wafflesnfalafel > ranwhenparked 07/10/2019 at 19:24

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yeah - isn’t that call “brutalism” or something?  60's design trend I believe.  Our federal building here is an example...

Sovande > ranwhenparked 07/10/2019 at 20:02

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It's a phallus. 

facw > ranwhenparked 07/10/2019 at 20:14

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You really want I.M. Pei giving you more windows?

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > ranwhenparked 07/10/2019 at 20:59

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Well he can’t knock them all out of the park. 

ranwhenparked > wafflesnfalafel 07/10/2019 at 22:04

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It is. I don’t necessarily hate all brutalist buildings, but the concrete tends to not age well in colder and wetter climates, and it does seem that a lot of them were not designed to be all that inviting at street level.

Part of it was the steady rise in violent crime during the ‘60s and ‘70s - fortresslike buildings that gave an impregnable impression at ground level made people feel safer about living and working in   cities.

pip bip - choose Corrour > ranwhenparked 07/11/2019 at 05:38

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gotta love brutalism