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Please, someone stop Robert Stern.

droog

Please stop the court jester of American architecture before he demolishes everything that good taste stands for. Poor, poor Philadelphia! First the urban decay, now this.

Oh, the humanity!

 
Jan 4, 05 12:24 pm
jbirl

As a philly boy, I can't stand to think about it.

At least it is not as bad as the Stern-designed building going up on Rittenhouse square, now let's talk about taste...

At least it will be taller than Jahn's Liberty 1 and 2.....

Jan 4, 05 1:07 pm  · 
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andrew04

Add that building to the list in this Phil. Inquirer article, titled "The Bland New Face of Philadelphia"

link

Jan 4, 05 1:10 pm  · 
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fakeid

funny i just read about the article on philly.com at noon and here is the discussion.. on one hand i'm glad to see a new skycraper in philly, on the other i just don't see the building fit in.. good for the economy though looking at the bright side..

Jan 4, 05 3:29 pm  · 
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(IN) Theory

where's Louis Kahn when you really need him. Somebody call Nathalie Kahn and tell him he should have interviewed another architect for his movie because I'm sure AM got into the PM with that camo...

Jan 4, 05 3:52 pm  · 
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There seems to be something wrong with that rendering. The Comcast building is designed at only 30 higher than One Liberty Place, thus the above rendered design is much exaggerated in height.

I long for the day when skyscrapers become a part of Northeast Philadelphia's landsacpe.

Jan 4, 05 3:59 pm  · 
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Kahn is currently busy collaboration with St. Catherine de Ricci co-authoring "Reenactionary Bilocating Architecturism"

Jan 4, 05 4:08 pm  · 
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droog

If that is the kind of perfunctory monstrosity that Philly seems intent on erecting, why can't they get a local firm to do it?

That and I'm still confused as to why Robert Stern has any fame at all. I have yet to see any proof that his work adds anything to the architectural dialogue. Does his art lie in simply getting things built while sucking the asses of those more talented than himself?

Did he have something to do with inventing the McMansion?

Jan 4, 05 5:24 pm  · 
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Mission St.

what's all the fuss?
stumbling upon this thread, and looking at the picture/rendering posted by Droog... i can't even tell what building has been added to the "philly" skyline so... i guess this means that (to me, at least) whatever stern is proposing will fit right in. not saying that's good, but it isn't automatically bad either.
no, i'm not sure why i'm defending robert stern...
as for the sample "mcMansion"... shit, i've seen much worse than this! i'd give this one a 6 on the "1-10: Homage to Ed Lutyens" scale. Lutyens? Fuck, i dunno if i've got the name right... late 18th, early 19th century english architect, did a lot of "country homes".
anyway, is it the tallest building in the first picture that we're talking about? looks rather derivative of the building immediately adjacent... the whole skyline looks pretty dull. gotta wonder what it would look like if louis kahn had gotten his way.

Jan 5, 05 6:00 am  · 
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chow

I've got to agree with mission st. What's the fuss? it's not a bad "looking" building, if that's even what we're discussing here. All the skyscrapers in that image look to be about the same level of design, and the sky line is in my opinion like someone above said...boring. My questions/concerns are more about how the building interacts with the street, fits within the urban fabric, communicates within the public space and it's larger impact on the downtown business district.

Jan 5, 05 8:40 am  · 
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rayray

speaking of ugly additions to the skyline - what's going up by the trainstation?
It was looking very daring about a month ago (under construction) but it was
also looking very clumsy and highly reflective. anyone know what/who?

Jan 5, 05 9:17 am  · 
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Arcadia - Architectural Cad Services (my first legal fictitious name/business and owner of legal fititious name Quondam - A Virtual Museum of Architecture) was employed (1987-1989) by Dan Peter Kopple & Associates to construct and render many 3d CAD models of design schemes of the development of JFK Boulevard and the air-rights of 30th Street Street Station track-land. Skyscrapers galore. Perhaps DPK&A is now finally seeing some reality come out what has long (since 1984) been virtual.

Lutyens' closest State-side design contemporary is Horace Trumbauer.

Edwin Lutyens, born 29 March 1869, died 1 January 1944
Horace Trumbauer, born 28 December 1868, died 18 September 1938

designed by Trumbauer
destined for destruction

Jan 5, 05 10:15 am  · 
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e

rayray, buildings always look their best while under construction.

Jan 5, 05 11:34 am  · 
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liberty bell

e, I totally agree - buildings under construction always look better than the finished project.

raryray, that thing by 30th Street Station is the Cire Center by Pelli - can't find a rendering of it right now before my meeting, anyone else?

Rita, you are right - the rendering looks off. I think the Inquirer yesterday had a graphic elevation comparing the Comcast tower to City Hall and Liberty Place.

I think the tower as shown looks - chunky.

Jan 5, 05 12:17 pm  · 
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newstreamlinedmodel

I’ve got a friend who lives a couple blocks from his office. You can even see the little office lackeys running around up there at night. Somebody set me up with a fifth of bourbon and a couple of them RPG’s the kids are into these days and I’ll totally do it.

Jan 5, 05 2:26 pm  · 
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