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monsoon

By monsoon
in Charlotte

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atlrvr Metropolitan Area

atlrvr

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cooperdawg......the one in the CBJ print edition is very sharp (is a much more computer generated look than the one of their website), and takes up a full page......none the less, they are still out there today clearing the parking lot, so soon we will see with our own eyes what it will look like.

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atlrvr Metropolitan Area

atlrvr

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Yep.....that's the one from the CBJ, though it was full page so you could really see how they addressed the 5th Street side......mighty good looking indeed.

What I don't understand is why they make IJL look so much taller. I counted 37 stories visible in this rendering....not including those hidden by Avenue's parking deck....IJL is only 32 stories. I believe that they will be very comparable in height when completed, with IJL no more than may 50 feet taller.

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dubone Megalopolis

dubone

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are we just gaga over the blue glow? i like the rendering, but i'm not sure if it tells us more about how it will look in real life... i like the brick and windows on the deck/base, though. either way, though, this will look very nice.

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graydog Hamlet

graydog

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I wish I was as thrilled as everyone else. I think this is a lost opportunity.

1. It's not human-scale friendly on Church and 5th. Look at how close it abutts the sidewalk. During heavy traffic periods, it will be worse as the cars on Church and 5th will combine with the traffic and buidings to form a canyon with a claustraphobic and unsafe feeling for pedestrians.

2. A design like this should provide a street/mid-rise presence worthy of its high-rise section. If nothing else, it deserves more in a parking garage. I can see how the brick blends with Ivey's, Latorres, IJL and Settlers, etc., but it dilutes the overall design. It looks as if the structures were designed independently and plopped together. Novare designs one type of building (modern condo tower) and had to try to make it fit in this neighborhood. The task was all the more difficult because of the small space. This approach is in step with their other ground-up designs. The street level seems an afterthought. Bottomline: this design doesn't fit with the neighborhood.

3. This building can only be enjoyed from a distance.

4. It's too close to IJL. If you're a resident on the east side of the tower, you'll start to recognize faces and cubicle pictures.

Am I wrong? In 10 or 20 years, will we think this was a good idea? Or are we so desparate we'll settle for some eye candy?

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atlrvr Metropolitan Area

atlrvr

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About the sidewalks......I've been told that this building is being designed to allow 12 foot sidewalks along both streets (this certainly will be the case on Church because it will be flush with the parking deck, and the sidewalk there is 12'.) If in fact it is not 12' on 5th, and is in fact flush with Latorre's, then this problem will be remedied in a few years, when the metered parking lane on the south side of 5th is removed, and the sidewalks on both sides of 5th are widened into the existing street.

I tend to agree that this is not much more than a dressed up parking deck low down, but I've seen a building done simarly in Boston (though the lower brick section was built 80 years earlier) and I enjoyed the effect of modern rising out of old/traditional. Of course, everyone has different opinions in what they consider to be good sound architecture.

Yes.......it is too close to IJL, and I've wondered how they will address this from a privacy standpoint....or maybe they won't.

I personally like that this building will "finish" off the block, and provide retail on all 4 sides of the block. As the city matures, projects like this "finish" off the city, and provides a constant urban streetscape.

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dubone Megalopolis

dubone

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don't forget that the uptown transport changes will convert that block of 5th... the street parking will be removed, and replace with much wider sidewalks.

with storefronts and only 6/7/8 stories for the non-tower area, should allow a reasonable amount of sun, and human scale to the building, etc.

i agree that the base building could be more consistent with the architecture of the tower, but i think it actually adds to the urban character, as it seems like it could be a separate building from a separate time. In fact, it is reminiscent of 5th/Poplar for me, and i'd bet that direction was requested by the neighborhood. (a similar treatment has been discussed for the Vue, too).

i believe this will neither be an icon or an eyesore, though. its importance lies in the numbers of people/residents it will bring to uptown, and the filling in of a gap in the skyline. The rest is debatable for sure,... but i think this thing will be alright.

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graydog Hamlet

graydog

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Great points. I hadn't heard about 5th street.

The above ground parking would seem to keep the price down which allows a broader range of people to get into a high rise. That's good. On the other hand, this building would be so much better without the wrap around deck. Retail could still be there and the overall street level feel would be greatly enhanced.

BTW, which building in Boston are you referring to. I lived there for many years.

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atlrvr Metropolitan Area

atlrvr

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Ummm....I think it is 101 Arch Street (about 2 block SE of the Common) .....it was built through/on top of a 1920's department store that had a brick facade......the tower is from the 80's and is slightly reminiscant of the O'Dell Building (525 N Tryon) here.

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atlrvr Metropolitan Area

atlrvr

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Hmmmm....after examining the website, I see that it looks much more similar to Carillon, than Odell.....how the mind does fade.

I do love the lobby area in it as well, and how some of the original facades were incorporated......that interior will certainly be missing from Avenue......anyway, the new rising from the old always reminds me of 101 Arch.

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A2 Town

A2

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If people want privacy, all they have to do is put blinds on their windows, or maybe the windows are tinted on the outside?

I think it's a nice building - it really fills a gap.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When I went to Taste of Charlotte I decided to walk by the "Avenue" site. They have already preped the site for our new skraper. They have cutdown the cedar trees by the parking deck by the IJL tower and have erected a fence. This one is officially a "go."

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dubone Megalopolis

dubone

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awesome... thanks for the high quality version, so we can finally see about how it will interact with the old buildings on fifth.

i like that it actually has the same setback, as it helps to prevent any future risk for those storefronts.

And as much as i like street parking, having 2 car lanes and the rest being wide sidewalks will really make that block very nice.

I still have a question as to whether that blue glow is just eye candy, but really makes this rendering less true to future reality than the original sketches. I still like the brick, though, as i think it makes it look like less of a monolithic building.

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