New-build classical architecture (evoking old styles)

This is Robert Stern's Eleven in Minneapolis. It is really well executed.
I just posted this in my shiny new Minneapolis thread. As I stated there, I have no idea why there aren't 5 of these in Boston.
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I've been trying to figure out why I don't like these buildings, although I should. I've figured it out: the asymmetry of the upper floors. It makes a ton of sense from a pricing and value for clients standpoint, but it looks ridiculous.
 
Arenacale said:
I've been trying to figure out why I don't like these buildings, although I should. I've figured it out: the asymmetry of the upper floors. It makes a ton of sense from a pricing and value for clients standpoint, but it looks ridiculous.
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It does look ridiculous in the example above but it’s a common design element in the Rosario Candela-designed apartment buildings RAMSA is ripping off. See 740 and 778 Park Ave for example.
 
Arenacale said:
I've been trying to figure out why I don't like these buildings, although I should. I've figured it out: the asymmetry of the upper floors. It makes a ton of sense from a pricing and value for clients standpoint, but it looks ridiculous.
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It was VE’d down to this. The first proposal was more symmetrical.
Timeline-of-proposed-development-at-14-16-Fifth-Avenue-Robert-A.M.-Stern-Architects-Madison-Realty-Capital.jpg


Pretty cool roof treatment imo. I really would like to see copper roofs come back.
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I think I like the setbacks of the current iteration more though. Im not really a fan of the bump outs that most stern designs have, if I have to critique something. That being said theyre still better than most of the glass crap going up in every single city, copied and pasted across the world.
 
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Heres a modern take on an old school style in greenwich village. I wish more architects tried experimenting with masonry buildings like this vs always just either copying old designs, building something in shitty cheap precast, or all glass. As weve seen in Boston lately too theres some very good options for masonry precast to choose from now. Cities all over the world and throughout time have shown that what people enjoy most is the scale and materials of buildings built like this, so we should build more imo.
Updated-design-for-540-Hudson-Street-design-by-Morris-Adjmi-Architects.jpg

https://newyorkyimby.com/2022/11/54...ompletion-in-greenwich-village-manhattan.html
 
stick n move said:
I wish more architects developers banks tried experimenting with masonry buildings like this vs always just either copying old designs, building something in shitty cheap precast, or all glass.
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Fixed that for you... It's the developer making the decision, and the developer is trying to appease a lender. A lender only sees dollar signs, not brick, precast or glass. Architects love brick.
 
Great addition to Minneapolis. That building looks so odd though against an adjacent surface parking lot and a series of modern mid-rise apartment buildings.
 
The mansard roof doesn't work at all on that yea. The architect needs to be slapped.
 
How did that mansard roof make it through review? A cornice roof would have been appropriate - the building works just fine until the roof.
 
stick n move said:
The Rockwell’s Brick Façade Takes Shape At 2688 Broadway On Manhattan’s Upper West Side
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The lower 2/3 of it is very plain, but then all of a sudden the upper 1/3 becomes very busy. The busyness and plainness need to be balanced out more.
 
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