Portland, ME - New Construction Continued

I know it's not done, but the Hyatt is looking a little more bland than I envisioned based on the renderings. Maybe it'll look better at night with the proposed lighting?
 
Is that awful gray actually the final color? It looks like unprinted Tyvek.
 
It is and you will learn to love it! Beats the the parking lot it replaced by a long shot : )
 
Well.......everyone has been complaining about brick. Welcome to the new and improved grey and corrugated metal city! Seriously........bring back the freakin brick!
 
I have no problem with it not being brick, and maybe it looks better in person when the patterns in the panels stands out better. I actually like the contrasting subway tile section, and the thing on the back is like some weird-ass industrial casing; it looks more like a piece of equipment than part of a building (or maybe it's the protective case for the building), and I find that interesting. But the gray itself, at least in full daylight without the lighting effects, is just... bleak.

But you're right that it's better than the parking lot. Incidentally, in the Compare-and-contrast department, right now Google Maps has the two new hotels (Hyatt and the Courtyard) visible in it's top-down view, but in 45° view it flips to pre-construction, showing the parking lots.
 
Noticed the new bird's eye view on Google Earth last week and was checking out the expanded terminal and extended secondary runway (36-18) at PWM. Wish Bing Maps would update their 45 degree views, it's at least 5 years old.
 
I would have liked to see more glass.......I like the reflections of the old buildings......and it would be a nice modern contrast with the brick stuff from a distance. A lot of these new buildings look like county jails or cheap government buildings.
 
mainejeff said:
I would have liked to see more glass.......I like the reflections of the old buildings
Click to expand...

Yeah, but at the same time, more glass = more reflected sunlight. The primary face of this building is south-facing. That reflected sun would have cooked the buildings across Fore Street, especially during the summer.

I'm going to reserve my final judgment once the lighting is done. I have a feeling this building is going to look great at night. It's just kind of bland in the daylight right now. I don't hate it, but I don't love it (yet).
 
Dr. StrangeHat said:
Yeah, but at the same time, more glass = more reflected sunlight. The primary face of this building is south-facing. That reflected sun would have cooked the buildings across Fore Street, especially during the summer.

I'm going to reserve my final judgment once the lighting is done. I have a feeling this building is going to look great at night. It's just kind of bland in the daylight right now. I don't hate it, but I don't love it (yet).
Click to expand...

Fair enough.

I think that it probably looks better in person than it does in daylight pictures.
 
Did the Hyatt leave room for a sidewalk on Fore St? Every time I walk past it I am wondering how that is going to work. Is the street parking that's across from it now going to be removed, or is the sidewalk going to be two feet wide?
 
There will be a sidewalk and the parking spaces on the other side of the street will remain. Hard to visualize because the building footprint is flush with the sidewalk line where the Fore St Garage is set back for entry requirements. Guests at the hotel will feel like they staying at a mini version of Bourbon Street on a Friday and Saturday night which includes balconies on the 7th floor!
 
You guys see the new Westin/Eastland sign yet? It is bright as hell from 295, looks awesome
 
I saw the new sign tonight as well... I've gone intown several times hoping to see it turned on, tonight it finally was, and it looks great! I was concerned that it was too far towards High St. and would be less visible from Forest Ave. than it would have been towards the left (like on the big, blank tower piece), but now I think it'll be fine. Also, the "WESTIN" name is finally on the High St. awning, and the hotel looked open tonight... doormen, the lights on, the whole bit.
 
Portland is one of the first cities that Microsoft 3d modeled for the new Bing maps. It's still in beta form, but the cities they've done look outstanding. Better than Google's, in my opinion. Worth a look if you have a windows 8 device and can download the app. Augusta is also modeled in 3d. The only other New England city they have so far is Springfield, MA. Portland's brick looks great in 3d

http://www.bing.com/dev/en-us/maps-preview-app
 
Lrfox said:
Portland is one of the first cities that Microsoft 3d modeled for the new Bing maps. It's still in beta form, but the cities they've done look outstanding. Better than Google's, in my opinion. Worth a look if you have a windows 8 device and can download the app. Augusta is also modeled in 3d. The only other New England city they have so far is Springfield, MA. Portland's brick looks great in 3d

http://www.bing.com/dev/en-us/maps-preview-app
Click to expand...

I have a Mac at home and Windows 7 at work--any chance you can get some screenshots of Portland and Concord? From the images on the website you linked to, the city models look pretty impressive.
 
markhb said:
I have no problem with it not being brick, and maybe it looks better in person when the patterns in the panels stands out better. I actually like the contrasting subway tile section, and the thing on the back is like some weird-ass industrial casing; it looks more like a piece of equipment than part of a building (or maybe it's the protective case for the building), and I find that interesting. But the gray itself, at least in full daylight without the lighting effects, is just... bleak.

But you're right that it's better than the parking lot. Incidentally, in the Compare-and-contrast department, right now Google Maps has the two new hotels (Hyatt and the Courtyard) visible in it's top-down view, but in 45° view it flips to pre-construction, showing the parking lots.
Click to expand...

It's hard to say just from the photos, but the grey doesn't look bleak to me--a bit reminiscent of slate. If the whole city was clad in that material, then it would bleak, but I think it looks good when contrasted with the brick all around it.
 
It may not be midtown, and it's not even on the peninsula, but I thought Allagash Brewing ought to be recognized for their recently-expanded HQ in the Brewery District in Riverton. It could have been a straight, unadorned metal box.

I like the transparent signage:
DSC05830_zps584064e3.jpg

DSC05829_zpsea3c63a1.jpg


There's an interesting wooden trellis around the mid-parking-lot walkway, visible in this shot of the whole building:
DSC05834_zpsfae8f91e.jpg


The entrance and a picnic (or employee break?) area. Note the recycle/trash bin.
DSC05835_zps6391d594.jpg


Brewing vats visible through the large windows.
DSC05831_zps30fbe31f.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top