Well, I think Philadelphia has some beautiful architectural elements. Apparently the AIA members think so as well as they commented when they convened here a couple of years ago.
As for the expanding economy, we'll have to wait a bit on that. I'm already down some 21,000 in my portfolio and the current quarter does not bode well. Also, that "Radon" Building on Walnut St. is a monstrosity! On 10/24/08 10:58 PM, "Anthony West" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > If I had chosen to settle in University City solely for the brilliance > of the architecture that Penn might someday build for my amusement ... > I'd have moved out of town a long, long time ago. Maybe to Barcelona, or > Sydney, or back to sweet home Chicago, where ordinary folks truly > respect a nice new public building. > > Such enthusiasm is wasted in Philadelphia, whose classic architectural > tradition is based on predictable, pompous mediocrity from previous > epochs-- the sort of boring stuff our "historic districts" are based on. > Not that I'm against them; in fact, I settled here precisely because I > preferred this mediocre old-timey style to Chicago's jumpy ambitions. > Philadelphia Dull is pleasing to the eye and it works as a lifestyle > too. Sacred, however, it is not. > > Back to Penn. It owns some buildings erected in the 19th c. that are > beautiful and important. It owns many buildings erected in the 20th c. > that are garishly functional. Such is life in a rapidly-expanding > 21st-c. university district. The latest architecture of Houston and Baku > and Bangalore probably isn't much prettier. But having an expanding > economy beats having a contracting economy. > > -- Tony West > >> That story about Irvine's history is an urban legend. It was actually >> designed by prominent architect Horace Trumbauer >> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Trumbauer), who was also >> responsible for the Keswick Theatre, the Public Ledger Building, and >> campus buildings for Hahnemann, Jefferson, Duke, Harvard, and the >> Tyler School of Art. >> >> Dave >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Wilma de Soto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> I went there on Sept. 26th for GI because it¹s moved to the 4th floor >> in the Perelman Center. >> >> They have built and named new streets in order to enter the Free >> Parking Garage for Patients. (try to find it!) >> >> It was quiet, not crowded and easy to get through because it¹s not >> quite finished. >> >> Still, it is ugly, forbidding and most certainly not pedestrian >> friendly as most of Penn¹s modern buildings. >> >> Gee, everyone thought Irvine Auditorium was poorly designed, but he >> forced them to construct it because he became rich and donated money >> despite not making it at Penn¹s School of Architecture. >> >> I also hate that Lego building at 40th & Chestnut Sts. >> >> >> On 10/24/08 4:21 PM, "[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>" >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> wrote: >> >> Beloved friends and neighbors: >> >> Inga Saffron wrote an article in the Inquirer berating the >> architectural design of Penn's new Perelman Cancer Center across >> from CHOP. >> >> One of the reader comments -- as follows -- could well have been >> written about our own monstrous consequence of Penn's lack of >> architectural sensitivity. >> >> >> Inga Saffron is an architecture critic, and what she has done >> is appropriately critiqued the style of this building, not its >> internal qualifications as a treatment center. Pandering for >> sympathy is not going to change the fact that >> architecturally, this building doesn't do its job. Yes, >> hospitals have to accommodate vehicles, but in a city any >> building has a responsibility to do its part relating to its >> surroundings. This building may do its job as a hospital, but >> it completely ignores its surroundings and the city, and pays >> only attention to its insular purpose. As architecture it has >> failed. >> >> >> *Al Krigman >> *reminding you that you read it first, here, on the */popu-list/* >> > > > ---- > You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the > list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see > <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
