[Andrew|W]

I think I've gotten to the point were I think that style is mostly irrelevant. The building can "be" whatever the architect/client/developer wants as long as it is of quality design/construction and interfaces well with the community and occupants. That's mostly what really matters.

I think the architectural community is losing sight of what people actually want to live/work in by completely writing off anything but whatever is the accepted contemporary style (I've talked to enough non-architects and read enough boards to know that there really is a sector of the population that want new traditional buildings; they aren't just some misinformed, uneducated minority). Maybe its because I am someone who started studying architecture long before I had professors or read critics who told me what I was and wasn't supposed to like.

So I have no problem with being this building being neo-historic (it really isn't postmodern as defined by people like Michael Graves, early Frank Gehry, and VSB). My biggest beef is that it is a 2-dimensional cartoon that only looks decent from two sides viewed mostly from the south on Michigan. And maybe that isn't a big deal either since it's fairly short and can't be seen from very far in any other direction. As a professional I can't stand much of the detailing either, but I'm aware that the general populous won't even notice.