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AWFUL. Alachua County Courthouse. Implode & recycle please.
AWFUL. Truly one of Downtown Gainesville's most horrible moments. This massive ungainly lump of post-lego block design has it all. This is the Alachua County Courthouse, Family & Civil Division.
• Three elevations calculated to prevent pedestrians from approaching it? Check!
• Gigantic slabs of poured concrete that say: "Fortress - Keep Out!" ? Check!
• A massive deficit of glazing on the side facing the downtown plaza? Check!
• An entry that is hard to locate and singularly unimpressive and uninviting? Check!
• Vast slabs of pebble textured concrete, to complete that hideous 1970s ambiance? Check!
• Prominent location so you can't ignore its massive ugly bulk? CHECK AND MATE!
In short, this is the single most hideous building in the downtown. It contributes nothing to the streetscape, and exhibits all of the very worst habits of 1970s architecture. Plus, it eats up one side of the most visible public space in downtown. Of course, the downtown plaza is a horror in and of itself, but we'll deal with that one another time.
Pedestrian view from a prominent corner in the downtown. Breathtakingly awful in its composition.
This plaque fingers those responsible for this carbuncle on the face of downtown. May the shame of Craig Salley & Associates never be forgotten. Oh - and this firm still exists. Check out their website to see the kind of structure these guys are proud to occupy.
Added: Now that I've checked out their website, it seems they have graduated to public schools that look like cheap strip shopping centers.
....
Why is it that municipalities like to spend money on buildings like this? They must be very cheap to build and very expensive to maintain. When visiting a wide variety of cities across the U.S. it becomes immediately obvious that public schools and other multi purpose government buildings are the biggest eye sores. Poorly planned buildings are also a long term financial burden. I vote to implode or recycle.
ReplyDeleteThis you hate but not that God awful church? This is not a building to love but it is a building of its time. It has to be condered in context. It is build with the memory of the civil unrest of the late 60s and early 70s as well as the decline of the urban fabric. Most of the negatives you cite are the things the client required for a "safe" building. It may not be pretty but it does reflect history.
ReplyDeleteSo, do we want to burden a city with the leftover paranoia of the 1970s? Newsflash: Not only are the 1970s no longer relevant, but the 1960s haven't been since Jimmy Carter was defeated.
ReplyDeleteDo RoboCop structures have a place in a city that is becoming a vibrant lively urban place? I think not. Structures such as this are emblematic of a society in disorder - with that disorder now past us, what do fortresses contribute beyond a memory of an era that destroyed the core of our cities.
If this building was in a suburban place, bothering no one but my aesthetic sensibilities, I'd simply ignore it. But this horror occupies a critical block in the redevelopment of a downtown that was scarred by a number of hideous lumps. I do understand exactly why these structures were designed this way - and that is exactly why they need to go.
By that reasoning what do we keep? The 50s, 80s, 90s? They are no longer relevant. Afterall we are in the 21st century. Do we keep all of it. No, but history as reflected in our architecture is important. If one building is the impediment to a vibrant lively urban place there is a much larger problem with that plan. There are numerous buildings that I truly hate but I do see that some of them reflect their time, be it good or bad and should be kept.
ReplyDeleteBy the way you have to visit Cincinnati sometime. It is a treasure trove of architectural styles from 19th century to contemporary.
None of those style are an impediment to the success of an urban area. I'm a huge fan of the layers of time, and a well worn patina. The problem with these architectural dead ends is their corrosive effect on the surrounding areas.
ReplyDeleteI am a planner you know, and have a heavy New Urbanist streak in me... recognizing the weaknesses of that approach of course. Two of the AWESOME posts to come cover Brutalist structures I saw in Rio - they actually work in the urban fabric. Look for those on the next month.
You are lucky you are going to Berlin. I dont remember any concrete brutalist buildings unless you count the old bunkers. Wait! Were those bunkers?
ReplyDeleteI'm not for tearing them all down - there is another not far way that is just as ugly, but its location does not destroy a chunk of the center of downtown. Its ugly, gods its ugly - but the market will decide what to do with that one when its time is up.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to blogging from Berlin this Fall. And many other places as well.
Since we cant post pictures here I am going to post a picture of my house on your Facebook wall.
ReplyDeleteForgive me.
Oh, and keep in mind that this is a public building. We should expect and demand from our government that they construct buildings that are attractive and contribute to the environment in which they exist. Its OK to admit we made a huge error and correct it. This thing was a huge error.
ReplyDelete