Slog - Comments on Towering Building; Empowering Building http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building Two proposed developments are up for design recommendations tonight. The meetings are open to the public. Filling in Fifth Avenue For the first time in decades, the College Club didn’t hold its Easter brunch in the brown 1960s building on 5th and Madison. Both the club building (at the end of the block) and the adjacent offices are slated for demolition. This is Schnitzer Northwest's vision for the site. NBBJ Architects; here's a different view, from the other side (pop-up). This rendering – the result of design guidance from the city and revisions by the architects – is neither awesome... Copyright 2008 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:00:15 -0800 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:45:32 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Truth I'm sure I speak for a considerable segment of the readership when I say this architecture shit is boring.

]]> Truth http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978555 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978555 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:17:22 -0800 Comment by Mr. Spider I disagree completely. Seattle's frenzied development is impossible to keep up with. Holden's posts are a boon for the laypeople who live and work among the fences and cranes.

]]> Mr. Spider http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978574 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978574 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:28:49 -0800 Comment by MoTown That 505 Madison building looks a lot like the WaMu Center.

]]> MoTown http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978592 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978592 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:36:47 -0800 Comment by poppy I love these posts. I like to see what's being built in Seattle. Awesome job to the Archdiocesan Housing Authority too.

]]> poppy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978598 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978598 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:38:56 -0800 Comment by NapoleonXIV Anything that replaces the College Club building can't be a bad thing.

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978607 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978607 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:43:06 -0800 Comment by Big Sven Architecture posts rock!

]]> Big Sven http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978633 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978633 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:50:29 -0800 Comment by Polka Party I'll take a design that's a good neighbor (i.e., "neither awesome nor offensive") any day over the crap that constantly gets built in this town. Sure wish our design review boards had even more teeth.

]]> Polka Party http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978637 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978637 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:51:43 -0800 Comment by Ari Spool I live on 3rd and Bell, and let me just tell you--the more the merrier. I would love to see more people like me (single women) living in that neighborhood, as opposed to just never-emerging condo-dwellers and the patrons of Kelly's. The streets are kind of sketchy at night, but I love the idea of more low to mid-income housing there. I live in an HRG building and I want to have some friends around!

]]> Ari Spool http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978638 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978638 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:51:45 -0800 Comment by NapoleonXIV The Design Review Board should have the power to order summary executions.

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978654 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978654 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:57:56 -0800 Comment by infrequent rooftop decks rule. so do architectural posts.

]]> infrequent http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978670 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978670 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:04:38 -0800 Comment by Andrew Not all stories are equal. forty stories of office might be 550 feet tall, compared to forty stories of apartments being about 420 and forty stories of hotel being more like 390.

]]> Andrew http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978672 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978672 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:06:18 -0800 Comment by dpa i join the chorus of holden fans. nicely done, sir.

]]> dpa http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978674 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978674 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:06:41 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Andrew has a point, and there are many of us who love these architecture posts, even if we disagree on buildings.

I like the 40 story version we're seeing now, but the devils in the details. For example, the mix of uses, does it have daycare and small retail, what price ranges for apartments or are they condos - are we still building giant buildings for the ultra-rich to upper middle class or are these oriented to at least 50 percent median income for say 20-40 percent of the mix - and are they interleaved so we don't get "ghettos" ...

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978699 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978699 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:23:45 -0800 Comment by Dominic Holden That's true, Andrew. But at 40 stories, it's unlikely to break 500 feet and thus stand out much. The building across the street, 901 Fifth Ave, is 536 feet with 42 stories, and it's only the 11th tallest building downtown. The design is still good enough, it's just not much of a statement in one of the few zones where developers are allowed to build as tall as they can.

]]> Dominic Holden http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978710 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978710 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:33:45 -0800 Comment by Westside forever Boring, but not hideous. I'd say a net win.

]]> Westside forever http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978722 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978722 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:45:18 -0800 Comment by SeanD Looks like HalfLife's Citadel


]]> SeanD http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978730 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978730 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:55:37 -0800 Comment by SeanD Dang, I was trying to be slick.
Og well, here's the image:

http://www.ambientperformance.com/connection/archives/HalfLife2_Citadel-thumb.jpg

]]> SeanD http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978733 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978733 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:58:59 -0800 Comment by NaFun I love these posts, they really give a flavor of what's happening in Seattle and what our city is gonna look like in 2, 5, 10 years down the road, and as far as I can tell this is the only place in town to get this information. Several times Dom has scooped the big dailies and architecture mags on new development around the city.

As for both of these projects, yay!

]]> NaFun http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978737 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978737 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:03:11 -0800 Comment by twee "...watchful eyes of up to 90 full-time residents to a historically sketchy intersection."

Watchful eyes? It's transitional housing and a day shelter. Not sure how watchful those eyes will be.

]]> twee http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978746 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978746 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:12:55 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Have to agree with @18 - if it wasn't for The Stranger, we'd get no local news at all about what our city is changing into.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978766 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978766 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:46:10 -0800 Comment by Fitz I appreciate the posts, Dominique. Keep it up! ...While not striking, the tower is definitely an improvement over the current building.

]]> Fitz http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978790 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978790 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:27:07 -0800 Comment by jm The idea for this housing rocks, but I hope Wasabi bistro doesn't get knocked out of their space for this. The Beast rocks!

]]> jm http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978834 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978834 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:39:10 -0800 Comment by greg Man that's hideous.

]]> greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978839 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978839 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:58:41 -0800 Comment by Zander The Archdiocese has been a good neighbor in Belltown and a lot Belltowners would welcome them expanding their efforts.
My question is why do so many of Seattle's other neighborhoods suck so completely at welcoming social services into their neighborhoods?

]]> Zander http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978879 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978879 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:19:01 -0800 Comment by gnossos Nimbyism run amok is most of it.

]]> gnossos http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978883 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978883 Boom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:32:39 -0800 Comment by js

architecture posts rule.

]]> js http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978999 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/towering_building_empowering_building#c978999 Boom Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:45:32 -0800