actually the idea of turning these ruins into follies is a good one. i could see this building covered in ivy or morning glories. like somebody said further up, archiruins are popular to visit.
The pictures in LiG's link are very evocative. Eastern State Penitentiary in Philly is a tourist attraction: it's described by the guides as a "maintained ruin"; maybe the station could have a similar life. Of course, because ESP was a uniquely designed prison, the past haunts it in a very particular way: it has Al Capone's cell:
"i have to disagree with you jafidler, i don't like the idea of taking down the tower, the building imo should remain as a whole, i feel it would look oddly misproportioned without the tower"
Indeed, it's a case where the more certain critics condemn the tower, the more I'm tempted to embrace it. Something about the tower's unyielding brutishness truly *makes* the station. Abandoned or not, it gives the place its necessary "edge". To do it away in the name of selective architectural pruning is misguidedly insipid.
it's not so much the architecture of the tower (though i can't say i think it's that great); it's that it's completely dysfunctional in this city. you would be hard pressed to find a tenant of 500,000sf of office space in this city even in the downtown (for that matter even in the suburbs these days).
but embrace away; you are not alone in your fascination with it.
that's actually not the detroit amtrak station, but it looks a lot like it.
the old depot is 1.5 miles from the downtown, but it's not on the right arterial. the dumpy little amtrak station similar to the one holz posted is actually in exactly the right spot in the city, but was unfortunately built 50 years later after the city's decline and its architecture reflects that.
given its location, from a planning standpoint, the dumpy amtrak station is in many ways a much more intelligent building, but far from great architecture.
ooh yeah...i think i actually miss the new amtrak station. i've got some nice memories of that place. and unlike the old station, the new one has a white castle conveniently located across the street.
i read the reason the old station was built out of downtown was because people were intended to get on street cars or interurban trolleys. not as pedestrians... but these systems were phased out by the 50's making the location inconvenient.
they bring up many good points including why the depot cannot be torn down with federal stimulus money because the building is on the national register of historic places and also why a legal battle with maroun would not be beneficial to city taxpayers.
im kinda skeptical... i see the homeland security deal going sour as did the police station deal.. although homeland security does have a cushy budget...
1. Sell Coleman Young Building City Hall to Quicken Loans for its new headquarters and convert the Michigan Central Station into a new City Hall / government center. The McNamara Federal Building is also overcrowded. The MCS could have a light rail link to Metro Airport and Ann Arbor.
2. Sell Cadillac Place to Quicken Loans for its headquarters and State of Michigan could move office center to Michigan Central Station and have rail link to Metro Airport and Ann Arbor.
3. Give Cadillac Place to Wayne State University and State of Michigan could move offices to Michigan Central Station.
4. The USDOT could offer to buy the Ambassador Bridge and its twin span project from owner conditioned that the funds be used to transform the Michigan Central Station possiblly into a Trade Processing Center.
5. Riverfront Conservancy could help raise money for redevelopment and make Michigan Avenue into a parkway.
6. Build a new Red Wings Hockey Venue with mixed use Hotel / Condos Retail at Michigan Central Station.
7. Build new convention center attachned to hotel at Michigan Central Station and convert Cobo Center into an upscale shopping mall with a winter garden atrium.
8. Invite Wal-Mart or Meijers as a regional warehouse headquarters.
9. Invite Marriott International to move headquarters to Detroit.
10. Invite Macy's / Federated to move headquarters to Detroit.
11. Invite anybody to move headquarters to Detroit.
neither the state of michigan nor the city of detroit has any money for expensive renovations of decrepit buildings (even if they were to sell existing buildings). putting government offices in a building directly above rail link is probably considered too much of a security risk these days. ambassador bridge is a cash cow for billionaire matty maroun and billionaires tend not to sell cash cows. and invitations, really? then why not invite toyota, apple & prada to move hq to detroit too?
Sep 19, 09 12:04 pm ·
·
Don't you get it?!?
TPaine = "Common Sense" = fuck you too = Nazi Mailman = ICU
The latest in satire wanna-a-be.
A: One of Quondam's consistant monthly high ranking visitors.
Q: Who is cpe-24-166-18-115.indy.res.rr.com?
In the interest of merging threads (ideas) lets make Michigan Central Station the Archinect headquarters proposed in the "Lets buy a house in Detroit" thread. Obviously cost becomes an issue, but there is so much potential...
How can we save Michigan Central Station?
actually the idea of turning these ruins into follies is a good one. i could see this building covered in ivy or morning glories. like somebody said further up, archiruins are popular to visit.
The pictures in LiG's link are very evocative. Eastern State Penitentiary in Philly is a tourist attraction: it's described by the guides as a "maintained ruin"; maybe the station could have a similar life. Of course, because ESP was a uniquely designed prison, the past haunts it in a very particular way: it has Al Capone's cell:
but most of the cells look like this:
and it's been featured in a few movies, including the wonderfully bizzare Twelve Monkeys
"i have to disagree with you jafidler, i don't like the idea of taking down the tower, the building imo should remain as a whole, i feel it would look oddly misproportioned without the tower"
Indeed, it's a case where the more certain critics condemn the tower, the more I'm tempted to embrace it. Something about the tower's unyielding brutishness truly *makes* the station. Abandoned or not, it gives the place its necessary "edge". To do it away in the name of selective architectural pruning is misguidedly insipid.
According to this classic opus of outlandish metaphor, I suppose the station would be Britney, the tower Xtina.
it's not so much the architecture of the tower (though i can't say i think it's that great); it's that it's completely dysfunctional in this city. you would be hard pressed to find a tenant of 500,000sf of office space in this city even in the downtown (for that matter even in the suburbs these days).
but embrace away; you are not alone in your fascination with it.
i like the new station
Just how far is it from downtown? Is it even viable to be a comuter rail terminus?
its about 1.5 miles from the downtown core
that's actually not the detroit amtrak station, but it looks a lot like it.
the old depot is 1.5 miles from the downtown, but it's not on the right arterial. the dumpy little amtrak station similar to the one holz posted is actually in exactly the right spot in the city, but was unfortunately built 50 years later after the city's decline and its architecture reflects that.
given its location, from a planning standpoint, the dumpy amtrak station is in many ways a much more intelligent building, but far from great architecture.
an interesting comparison.
hahaha. those are the same building... i mean, there probably different, but the same plans, different site..
story of my life... "can we put the amherstburg building on the welland aite??" - boss
ok ok sorry, that might both be detroit station, i just go caught up as they are so simular (or exacly the same).. i dont know
... ive had a few pops tonight
ooh yeah...i think i actually miss the new amtrak station. i've got some nice memories of that place. and unlike the old station, the new one has a white castle conveniently located across the street.
i read the reason the old station was built out of downtown was because people were intended to get on street cars or interurban trolleys. not as pedestrians... but these systems were phased out by the 50's making the location inconvenient.
they bring up many good points including why the depot cannot be torn down with federal stimulus money because the building is on the national register of historic places and also why a legal battle with maroun would not be beneficial to city taxpayers.
see how long that process actually lasts......i give it 2 years before there's more scare tactics....
im kinda skeptical... i see the homeland security deal going sour as did the police station deal.. although homeland security does have a cushy budget...
my first (and subsequent last) visit to the mcs will forever be remembered...
Have a design contest!
...or have a party...
...with ufo
ha...thanks for the link, puddles...might just make it...definitely not going to try to have lunch at slow's this weekend...
Suggestions:
1. Sell Coleman Young Building City Hall to Quicken Loans for its new headquarters and convert the Michigan Central Station into a new City Hall / government center. The McNamara Federal Building is also overcrowded. The MCS could have a light rail link to Metro Airport and Ann Arbor.
2. Sell Cadillac Place to Quicken Loans for its headquarters and State of Michigan could move office center to Michigan Central Station and have rail link to Metro Airport and Ann Arbor.
3. Give Cadillac Place to Wayne State University and State of Michigan could move offices to Michigan Central Station.
4. The USDOT could offer to buy the Ambassador Bridge and its twin span project from owner conditioned that the funds be used to transform the Michigan Central Station possiblly into a Trade Processing Center.
5. Riverfront Conservancy could help raise money for redevelopment and make Michigan Avenue into a parkway.
6. Build a new Red Wings Hockey Venue with mixed use Hotel / Condos Retail at Michigan Central Station.
7. Build new convention center attachned to hotel at Michigan Central Station and convert Cobo Center into an upscale shopping mall with a winter garden atrium.
8. Invite Wal-Mart or Meijers as a regional warehouse headquarters.
9. Invite Marriott International to move headquarters to Detroit.
10. Invite Macy's / Federated to move headquarters to Detroit.
11. Invite anybody to move headquarters to Detroit.
neither the state of michigan nor the city of detroit has any money for expensive renovations of decrepit buildings (even if they were to sell existing buildings). putting government offices in a building directly above rail link is probably considered too much of a security risk these days. ambassador bridge is a cash cow for billionaire matty maroun and billionaires tend not to sell cash cows. and invitations, really? then why not invite toyota, apple & prada to move hq to detroit too?
Don't you get it?!?
TPaine = "Common Sense" = fuck you too = Nazi Mailman = ICU
The latest in satire wanna-a-be.
A: One of Quondam's consistant monthly high ranking visitors.
Q: Who is cpe-24-166-18-115.indy.res.rr.com?
In the interest of merging threads (ideas) lets make Michigan Central Station the Archinect headquarters proposed in the "Lets buy a house in Detroit" thread. Obviously cost becomes an issue, but there is so much potential...
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