55 West

[bqknight]

I like it. The former colors didn't look right. 

[FLClarkKent]

The colors are "slimming."

 

[JFW657]

31 minutes ago, FLClarkKent said:

The colors are "slimming."

That along with the vertical stripes...

Edited February 21, 2018 by JFW657

[jrs2]

You sure is purdy, fifty five wests

[Camillo Sitte]

4 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Back during the Frederick administration, when Mayor Bill was all about the ambience of downtown (emphasizing the swan motif, for example, and trying to get "water features" at new buildings to mimic Kansas City), there was an "Orlando Palette" which grew out of an architectural charrette, I think, which tended to lean toward lighter colors as the look for Orlando. Architects and designers seemed to follow its recommendations for quite a while, although I have no idea if it's still a thing but this color scheme is much closer to that ideal than the original paint job.

When Frederick was mayor, this was before he was trading shots with a shoplifter in the Ronnie's parking lot, there was a XXX theater just across the street from First Baptist Church Orlando. Today that place is just another bar.  Is that progress, or a push?  

Design in Orlando in the 80's always struck me as the result of someone taking an entourage pattern book from their first-year design studio and using it as a design guide. So awful. Of course today it really isn't any better.

When the best space in the metro area built in the last ~40 years is Isozaki's off-limits to the public sundial, things really haven't changed for the better.

Edited February 22, 2018 by Camillo Sitte

[dcluley98]

[AndyPok1]

1 hour ago, Camillo Sitte said:

[...] there was a XXX theater just across the street from First Baptist Church Orlando. Today that place is just another bar.  Is that progress, or a push?  

Ignoring the fact that I don't know what bar you're talking about because Modera is across from Downtown Baptist and First Baptist is on John Young...

In what world is that not considered progress?

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, dcluley98 said:

Does that mean that 55W is both fat and PHAT?

[Camillo Sitte]

34 minutes ago, AndyPok1 said:

Ignoring the fact that I don't know what bar you're talking about because Modera is across from Downtown Baptist and First Baptist is on John Young...

In what world is that not considered progress?

The world where [1] the six floor orange brick building on the corner of Pine and Magnolia used to be part of "First Baptist Church of Orlando" before they moved , even though it is no longer owned by "Downtown Baptist Church" [there is  an objective reality that existed before 1985]  and across from which to the west on Pine said XXX theater was located and where [2] humor is a respected and appreciated human quality.

Edited February 22, 2018 by Camillo Sitte

[JFW657]

7 minutes ago, Camillo Sitte said:

The world where [1] the six floor orange brick building on the corner of Church and Magnolia used to be part of "First Baptist Church of Orlando", even though it is no longer owned by "Downtown Baptist Church",  and across from which [and also on Church] said XXX theater was located and where [2] humor is a respected and appreciated human quality.

Are you sure the six story building you're talking about isn't on Pine and Magnolia?

Also, I've lived in Orlando since 1981 and I gotta say I don't remember there ever having been an X rated theater anywhere near there.

The only X rated theater I remember in downtown Orlando, was in or near the building where Sir Speedy is up in Orange and Robinson next to the old gas station.

[Camillo Sitte]

23 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Are you sure the six story building you're talking about isn't on Pine and Magnolia?

Yes, of course. I had "churches" on my mind and wrote Church Street. Now corrected, thanks.

Quote

Also, I've lived in Orlando since 1981 and I gotta say I don't remember there ever having been an X rated theater anywhere near there.

The only X rated theater I remember in downtown Orlando, was in or near the building where Sir Speedy is up in Orange and Robinson next to the old gas station.

Oh it was there, though it might have closed as early as '79.  As I recall being told, at the time, it was illegal in the city of Orlando then to publicly show movies depicting penetration so "XXX" was likely more hopeful advertising than real.  As I was in Junior High in the early 80's I was unable to verify this for myself.

But all those great places are gone now. The Fairvilla XXX Twin up by Orlando Country Club, the Fox Hunter Lounge on Orange next to "Orange Memorial hospital" which promised a "Classier Gentleman's Experience", and the strip joint on Michigan and  Ferncreek in the same building as central Orlando's only [at that time] Domino's Pizza, which had a big sign encouraging their patrons to "Bring your camera for a private glamour session".

All gone. But not forgotten.

Edited February 22, 2018 by Camillo Sitte

[JFW657]

2 minutes ago, Camillo Sitte said:

Yes, of course. I had "churches" on my mind and wrote Church Street. Now corrected, thanks.

Oh it was there, though as I recall being told, at the time, it was illegal then to publicly show movies depicting penetration so "XXX" was likely more hopeful advertising than real.  As I was in Junior High in the early 80's I was unable to verify this for myself.

You could be right, but the only thing I remember being in that building was an Arthur Murray dance studio (school). 

I recall there used to be these large metal brackets sticking off the wall along Magnolia upon which was attached some kind of "decorative" metal grid thing. 

They painted the building in the mid 80's then began to paint the brackets but must've ran out of money or something, because they left them literally half painted for I don't even know how many years. Well into the 90's.

Every time I'd see it, I'd get a barely controllable urge to get a ladder and some paint and finish painting the damned things myself!!!! 

[prahaboheme]

Is baby blue really the answer for the parking garage? 

The gray is definitely an improvement.

[HankStrong]

55W baby, that hat makes you look PHAT!

[codypet]

10 hours ago, Camillo Sitte said:

Yes, of course. I had "churches" on my mind and wrote Church Street. Now corrected, thanks.

Oh it was there, though it might have closed as early as '79.  As I recall being told, at the time, it was illegal in the city of Orlando then to publicly show movies depicting penetration so "XXX" was likely more hopeful advertising than real.  As I was in Junior High in the early 80's I was unable to verify this for myself.

But all those great places are gone now. The Fairvilla XXX Twin up by Orlando Country Club, the Fox Hunter Lounge on Orange next to "Orange Memorial hospital" which promised a "Classier Gentleman's Experience", and the strip joint on Michigan and  Ferncreek in the same building as central Orlando's only [at that time] Domino's Pizza, which had a big sign encouraging their patrons to "Bring your camera for a private glamour session".

All gone. But not forgotten.

The building next to Circle K were Domino's was until just recently?

[RedStar25]

I honestly don't like the new color. It's dull and lifeless. 

[Jernigan]

[Camillo Sitte]

3 hours ago, codypet said:

The building next to Circle K were Domino's was until just recently?

Yep. 

That corner was an odd mix back in the day. A Domino's pizza and a strip club in the same building, a shade tree BMW, Merc, and Jaguar mechanic next door, and a Maryland Fired Chicken across the street.

Now that I think about it, save for the strip club no longer being there and the old Maryland Fried Chicken building now housing a pizza joint that would shock even the good folks at Dirty Dinning , it really hasn't changed that much. I would imagine that the proximity to the juvie detention center likely keeps the property values down and limits the type of development in the immediate area.

Edited February 22, 2018 by Camillo Sitte

[jrs2]

20 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

I get...SPRUNG! 

Great Photoshopping!

[IAmFloridaBorn]

This building was good looking with its color scheme in the skyline. It looks ugly now. But I assume they are not finish yet?

[cwetteland]

42 minutes ago, IAmFloridaBorn said:

This building was good looking with its color scheme in the skyline. It looks ugly now. But I assume they are not finish yet?

I'm with you.  It had a nice warm look. Now it looks like a cold war block of flats in Moscow.

[JFW657]

I kind of agree.

Usually I like cool colors on buildings, but the colors on 55W just seemed to fit in better with the street level colors.

All that red brick and everything.

[popsiclebrandon]

I really hope its just a first coat or something because its so bland and washed out looking. Hoping Post didn't pick this same color.

[bqknight]

1 hour ago, popsiclebrandon said:

I really hope its just a first coat or something because its so bland and washed out looking. Hoping Post didn't pick this same color.

The building does look washed out. The garage isn't a baby blue, it's a pretty deep teal-blue. 

...and I disagree with everyone on liking the red and yellows. Like I've said before it screamed Daytona Beach condo to me. To each their own I guess. More glass would have helped when they built it.  

[JFW657]

37 minutes ago, bqknight said:

The building does look washed out. The garage isn't a baby blue, it's a pretty deep teal-blue. 

...and I disagree with everyone on liking the red and yellows. Like I've said before it screamed Daytona Beach condo to me. To each their own I guess. More glass would have helped when they built it.  

I just don't think that the building, either by virtue of it's own design or by virtue of it's street level surroundings, is suited for cool colors.

I think that all that red brick on the bottom two floors, the covered walkway, the south half of CS Marketplace across the street, all the other old buildings along Church St, the SunTrust building and even the brick pavers on the street itself, all call out for earth tones.

But like you said, to each his own.