 FW Weekly Best of 2004 in Architecture, Choices in the built environment |
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 Sep 24 2004, 03:43 PM
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Administrator  Group: Admin Posts: 7,111 Joined: 4-April 04 From: South Fort Worth Member No.: 1  |
The Fort Worth Weekly has its annual "Best of" List and there are some categories for architecture. They placed those items under Best of Faces and Places.
The categories include: Urban Redevelopment Urban Digs Example of Urban Sprawl Example of New Architecture Example of Public Architecture Re-Use of Old Architecture Eyesore (Other than the Bank One Tower) Rebirth/Relocation/Re-opening For the full list and the selections of the Best of Fort Worth: http://www.fwweekly.com/issues/2004-09-22/bestoffaces.asp |
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Sep 24 2004, 07:45 PM
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 Skyscraper Member Group: Members Posts: 1,908 Joined: 5-April 04 From: FW/Cincy Member No.: 14 |
Most of them were great picks, but I have some beef with a few choices:
They obviously never venture into suburbia, because first of all, it's Columbus Trail, and second of all, it's NOT Wedgwood. Most of Wedgwood has actually aged pretty well, and looks just as cookie-cutter as all those neigborhoods filled with millions of variations of tudor cottages or craftsmans. At least in the neigborhood I live in, which is in the exact location they're talking about, which is 10 years old, it looks pretty good, with a lot of mature trees and a decent amount of variation between housing styles. I would pick North Fort Worth for best example of Urban Sprawl (exploding developments, bland/similar designs, etc.)
Do we need to look up the word "urban"? I agree with the readers, but the MW project SUCKS (in terms of urbanity). Give me a break, there were way better things that could have been done with that site, whether the downtown residents need a grocery store or not. Not really beef:
I drove by the gym the other day and all I could say to myself was "WOW." You would have to know the gym was just built to be able to tell the difference between it and the rest of the building. I congradulate Gideon Toal for an outstanding historically accurate new gym, I mean, there is no way anyone could have done a better job. |
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Sep 24 2004, 09:02 PM
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Elite Member Group: Members Posts: 713 Joined: 3-May 04 From: Cultural District Member No.: 71 |
Urban Digs
Readers’ choice: Cassidy Corner, E 1st and Pecan sts, FW Staff choice: Pecan Place, E 1st and Pecan sts, FW If local architect Ken Schaumburg’s condos were people, they’d be the cheesy guys at the end of the bar, sporting satin shirts, styling gel, and gold chains. But by erecting Pecan Place at the edge of town -- and the readers’ choice, Cassidy Corner, just opposite -- the Viceroy of Velveeta has scored. The most winning attribute of this four-story condo isn’t exactly the look -- Ottoman Empire by way of HUD by way of Queen Victoria by way of Miami Beach. It’s a combination of unique look, great location -- within walking distance of bustling Sundance Square but far enough away to create the illusion of seclusion -- and spacious interiors, airy and full of natural light. Let’s just hope that Pecan Place marks the beginning of a new era of not necessarily great but fun-loving and well-planned building design. The heck with he architect---this project was conceived and paid for by someone else. He was just the hired gun and not worthy of mention since it was neither his vision nor his risk. Let's talk about the real mavericks in downtown redevelopment, the ones who took real risk to prove that there was indeed a market. That was not the aforementioned architect. Indeed! |
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| ghughes |
Sep 25 2004, 07:55 PM
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Guests |
The Carlson gym is indeed a well-done piece of work,and I admire it almost daily.
The part of the story that wasn't mentioned was how people within the neighborhood (University West) enlisted the state historic preservation office to force the ISD to follow appropriate guidelines. Because if it had been left to the ISD, that building would have been one of the concrete bunkers that have been erected at all the other elementary schools. For an example of how one of those tilt-wall monstronsities look next to a beautiful building, check out what was done at "Sweet Lilly B." Clayton in Berkely (north side of the campus). |
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