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COMPLETE: The Old Public Safety Surface Lot

Cotuit

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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http://www.boston.com/business/articles/20..._mega_makeover/

how about something like this building, but shorter because of the scale in that area. the silver reflections and night time lighting would look unreal from many places in the city and would act as an anchor for the western edge of downtown

I was going to point to this building as an example last night.

southstationtower-1.jpg

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DaveRPI Whistle-Stop

DaveRPI

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Personally, I find this building just plain offensive in it's unoriginality. Oooh, a glass rectangle. Every other city has one of those, lame. This is Providence, not Dallas, Houston, Stamford, blah, etc., etc.. Am I alone on this?

every other city also has crappy brick buildings, whose to say whats better?

sometimes i feel like downtown is becoming an amusement park of replica historic buildings

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DaveRPI Whistle-Stop

DaveRPI

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I was going to point to this building as an example last night.

southstationtower-1.jpg

it almost seems as if the color of the glass/reflection is more important the design itself

i am not for another "royal blue" partial reflection off the glass

i'd rather have the silver "sleek" look or something maybe even dark reddish in its reflected tone of color

but for some reason the silver and greys [carbon colors] just look sharp to me

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glassandsteel Whistle-Stop

glassandsteel

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every other city also has crappy brick buildings, whose to say whats better?

sometimes i feel like downtown is becoming an amusement park of replica historic buildings

I'm not saying it has to be brick or anything. I actually wouldn't mind if it stayed predominantly glass but you have to admit that there is an all-glass rectangle in almost every city and there's nothing distinct about the design. It's just a building with no character that could be anywhere. I AM optimistic about the statement in the projo article that stated that somehow they'd do some sort of tribute to the old station in the design. If that's the case then I can't wait to see what turns out.

Listen, I'm sorry if I just sound negative about the design but my civic pride is based on the fact that Providence stands out from the crowd and I'd like the skyline to reflect that.

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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I'm not saying it has to be brick or anything. I actually wouldn't mind if it stayed predominantly glass but you have to admit that there is an all-glass rectangle in almost every city and there's nothing distinct about the design. It's just a building with no character that could be anywhere. I AM optimistic about the statement in the projo article that stated that somehow they'd do some sort of tribute to the old station in the design. If that's the case then I can't wait to see what turns out.

Listen, I'm sorry if I just sound negative about the design but my civic pride is based on the fact that Providence stands out from the crowd and I'd like the skyline to reflect that.

glass boxes don't have to be the same as everything else. i'd like to see a building similar in looks to the ESB or chrysler building. i love that art deco look. the superman building has it, but it's not steel like those.

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Lone Ranger Burg

Lone Ranger

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http://www.boston.com/business/articles/20..._mega_makeover/

how about something like this building, but shorter because of the scale in that area. the silver reflections and night time lighting would look unreal from many places in the city and would act as an anchor for the western edge of downtown

I would love that.

And take another look at that building. The silver glass is what makes it shine, no pun intended, and gives the building a light, attractive feel, despite its size. But look again: it's not a box, but really the shape isn't all that complicated.

It's just not a box.

Why can't BCBS do something like that? Simple, yet elegant. Why must they terrify me with that nightmare of an uninspired crate, an unimaginative slab, leering and looming over my beautiful city? :cry:

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Griswald Whistle-Stop

Griswald

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Yeah I think the idea is to have a nice juxtaposition of old and new: restore the facade of the public saftey complex, and build something new and interesting above - the renaissance of the city rising above the memory of the past. Decades from now, people will be able to look at the building and see the history of Providence.

I have to agree with what others have said though, there's no need for a plain glass box. The world hasn't run out of good design ideas yet...

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MikeR Hamlet

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Your intrepid contributor has found a building on Emporis that is vaugely similar to the one in the original render - and its' roughly the same height, too. It 750 East Pratt Street in Baltimore:

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=100488

This building's got two different facades to it, split down the sides in a fashion like the 1st render unveiled this week. It's not bad all things considered. If some of the facade of the old complex can be somehow incorporated into the new structure, it could work here I think. Providence has never had a building with 2 different facades...

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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Your intrepid contributor has found a building on Emporis that is vaugely similar to the one in the original render - and its' roughly the same height, too. It 750 East Pratt Street in Baltimore:

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=100488

This building's got two different facades to it, split down the sides in a fashion like the 1st render unveiled this week. It's not bad all things considered. If some of the facade of the old complex can be somehow incorporated into the new structure, it could work here I think. Providence has never had a building with 2 different facades...

i actually like that building.

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Statesman Unincorporated Area

Statesman

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The building won't be an ugly glass box.

I know quite a few politicians that are STILL spouting dragonfire over Everyone's Favorite Local Big Glass Cube across from Providence Place Mall. There is no way we're getting another characterless box in the capital. We'd see legislative action stopping it, lol.

GTECH has actually grown on me lately (That curving wall facing Waterplace is what did it for me, I think), but I still wish it wasn't squat and stubby.

Havn't heard much about the Empire @ Broadway yet, but I'm pretty sure Narragansett Bay would be swimmable before another shapeless ugly glass building went up in Providence. (That could take awhile.../glances at Bay) :silly:

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damus Burg

damus

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The building won't be an ugly glass box.

I know quite a few politicians that are STILL spouting dragonfire over Everyone's Favorite Local Big Glass Cube across from Providence Place Mall. There is no way we're getting another characterless box in the capital. We'd see legislative action stopping it, lol.

GTECH has actually grown on me lately (That curving wall facing Waterplace is what did it for me, I think), but I still wish it wasn't squat and stubby.

I'd rather see it taller, given that it's right in the middle of a redevelopment district. Having said that, we'll never see Providence fill in the gaps created by parking lots, Waterplace, and the highway relocation if all they allow are high rises. Stuff like GTech is wonderful for the city. I'd rather see Providence get 3 or 4 GTechs than one 110.

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