Well at least they're using white glazed brick. That's one of the best ways to dress up a blank wall, since the brick adds a fine texture. Mounting it flush with the exposed concrete is pretty sensual, and sorta reminds me of the early modernist stuff at Michael Reese or Oakbrook/Old Orchard. The fact that the pour lines in the concrete coincide with the control joints in the brick make me hopeful that the concrete will remain raw.
Still, the huge wall is pretty disappointing, but the overall design seems simple and understated. It's probably an indictment of my own standards after a decade of terrible retail podium design, but I actually like it. It's fresh.
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la forme d'une ville change plus vite, hélas! que le coeur d'un mortel...
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