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.


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