Classic Salt Lake City.

[Urban_logic]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

This has to be one of the most ugliest buildings we have here in downtown. What kind of nut job thought it would be a good idea to built a parking garage with office space ontop of it?
If the parking was underground or behind the building that would of been a different story.

What's wrong with it? I think it's a rather cool looking building!

[WASDEN]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

This has to be one of the most ugliest buildings we have here in downtown. What kind of nut job thought it would be a good idea to built a parking garage with office space ontop of it?
If the parking was underground or behind the building that would of been a different story.

Although I don't think this is a particulaly beautiful building (especially when considering what it replaced) I have seen far worse. At least the parking structure remains on its own footprint and makes good use of the space. I could do without more parking structures taking up valuable space and killing the street sceen (ie: the Wells Fargo parking terrace on 300 South) At least the Parking terrace for 222 S Main will be burried in the center of the block, not facing the street. Probably the US Bank building has the most street friendly parking terrace (you can actually see it in the above photo East of the Capitol theater). Recessed at each consecutive level, you hardly know there is a parking terrace above those Street level resturants on 200 S.

[i-215]

They always could've revered it. Put the parking on top of the office, ala ZCMI Center.

[i-215]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

That whole block was a gem.

Ugh.

I've been thinking about urban prarie lately.

As awful as it is, I do wonder how safe those buildings really are. I mean, what if we'd had a major earthquake in the 1980's and those buildings were still there, collapsed, and killed hundreds of people.

How do we (cost-effectively, since that's the demand that drives development) preserve old buildings while still keeping them safe?

Cause I'll tell you what - I'd rather be trying to escape a fire in that ugly parking-garage-bottom building than the old buildings that used to be there.

But I'd rather go downtown and see those old buildings, than the ugly (in a likable way) building that's there now.

[TANGELD_SLC]

I personally don't have a problem with the parking space underneath the office space. It saves space for one thing and it's better than making an adjacent parking lot

[T-Mac]

I've decided to start taking photos from where Harry Shipler did. His are the photos on the state historical website from the early 1900's. I am going to try and take the photos from the same vantage points to show the differences over 80-100 years. Here are a couple of them. Once I get more, I think I will start a thread that I can edit and update with the photos. What do you guys think?

Exchange Place
1917

2009



Templeton Building
1911

2009



The Emery Holmes Building (Bransford Apartments)
1904

2009

[DMTower]

I think that's a great idea T-mac. Those are some awesome before and after shots!

[TANGELD_SLC]

T-mac, you da bomb.

[Boiseguy]

that is sad to see some of those old buildings fade into time...
the templeton building looks amazing.. imagine that filled with restaurants and retail... too bad

[T-Mac]

Here's a few more.

Bamburger Building
1911


2009



McIntyre Property south of Kearns Building
1918


2009



Constitution Building
1910


2009



Walker Bank Building Details
1913


2009



Simon Building
1914


2009

[SLC Projects]

Those are some cool pics T-Mac of areas of downtown of the past and present.

[Wasatch_One]

I love the original entrance of the walker bank building... i wonder why they changed it...?

[T-Mac]

It's amazing the amount of detail on the old buildings and the lack thereof on the new ones. Over time we have even taken the old detail off of these beautiful old buildings.

[Comrade]

[Wasatch_One]

I know that it has been explained earlier in the thread that the Hotel Newhouse was falling apart and unsafe to occupy and whatever...

But looking at that gem all I can say is... damn.

[TANGELD_SLC]

Where did you find that Demo pic, Comrade? That's awesome!

[Comrade]

From the site on the image.

Here is another, looks like 1960s?

[Comrade]

You can see that campus next to the Temple here.



Also notice how dirty the LDS Temple is from the the smoke, since many buildings downtown had chimneys during this time.

The loss of the campus kind of makes me sick. It looks pretty awesome.

[Skyscrapers4Me]

My folks told me that everyone used coal-burning stoves in the 1940's ( not just business...EVERYONE ). Also, the ASARCO smelter in Murray on 5300 South and State; smelters in West Jordan and Midvale, South Salt Lake, and Kennecott in Garfield ( by the Lake ) and Bingham Canyon were also pumping out pollution.

The "outdoor solar-powered clothes dryers" that everyone used (clotheslines) resulted in coal-stained clothing. Dad says that everyone's bedsheets showed the coaldust.

I remember in the late 60's and throughout the '70's that the Garfield smelter ALWAYS left a pall of ugly greenish-grey smoke over the west side of the valley, mostly around Magna. After several weeks of no storms, the gunk would fill up the whole valley. Utah Valley was even worse with Geneva running. The situation in the Salt Lake Valley got a little better when the tall stack was built and running, but better technology drastically cleaned up all these sites ( along with the smelters being shut down ).

The Salt Lake Temple had the exterior cleaned up several years ago, because it was getting dark gray from the pollution. Several of the old gems in Salt Lake that have been torn down were darker colored from the years of pollution. For example, the Hotel Newhouse was originally a bright red almost fire-engine-red brick color. But I remember it as being a dull red from all the years of smoke and pollution.

I don't remember the campus by the temple.

Anyhow, my 2 cents worth... heh heh..

[shakman]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

What has taken its place?