Quote:
Originally Posted by pilsenarch
maybe, but what to do with the 12-story sliver of an alley between the two, for example?
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I was literally just thinking about this and think it makes sense as currently depicted. There is a separation, but it's a separate building so there should be, the massing still works.
Same goes for the Regatta to the East which is about as tall as as the first setback of the building on it's west side. Separate building, but it nicely mirrors the massing of the first setback creating some symmetry. Obviously there is another gap here, but that gap is essnetially the same "negative" massing as the second (middle) tier of the building. If this was one building from Regatta to Gems, then you could have filled those gaps in making it one large symmetrical building, but, given the fact that there are three buildings, not one, it only makes sense that you delete where a single building would have connected these towers together and create a negative space.
If you study sculpture one of the latest developments in the Modern era of sculpture was the idea that negative space evokes mass as well and is just as much a part of the sculpture as the medium itself. I think the symmetry of neighboring building heights here evocatively reflects that theory to a degree. Whether or not it is intentional is a different story, but I assume it is to a degree and that concept is very "Henry Moore". Fitting for a building whose most stunning feature is that it straddles an active roadway.
The base details are thin since we only have one rendering, but it looks like the most interesting details of this building will be at the base and will possibly consist of more "negative" spaces. It looks like the spaces over the roadway will be very large atrium with more transparent glass which could be an attempt at creating a negative space at the base consisting of one frustum of extra clear glass filled with hotel conference facilities or a grand lobby. It would be cool if Gang had the budget to get even more aggressive and knock one of the frustums out in the middle of the building a la the old proposal with the hole for this site.
PS: I am also starting to see the genius of those odd glass patterns. It appears those might be variations in reflectivity more than color (see Aqua where the balconies are thin) which could result in some incredible effects on this building. Given the right contrast in reflectivity (and the balcony voids) this building will be lined with vertical stripes of negative space (the balconies), positive space (i.e. the base glass color), and essentially non-space (the extra reflective portions of glass which will reflect either the sky or cityscape depending on whether you are looking at a inverted or outverted frustum). When you think about the concept from that perspective, it is very intriguing. Gangs buildings can seem pretty basic on the surface when you first see the concept, but it's usually the subtleties you don't expect where she gets you and I think I can see what is going on here more and more.
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