Come on Louisville, You Can Do It!

[justa bill]

ok, i've had that as a sig for a long time and before i change it...

this is "Current Event-ish" so i thought i'd start a thread here even though it's also "Art-related". anyway. the link i had was to BrooklynFoundary's website, and it showed a video they did for a new design for the proposed arts tower in Louisville.

http://www.brooklynfoundry.com/OMA/FINAL_OMALOUIS_MED_060209.MOV

the video is breeliant for how it shows a design process and its future integration into a city. but what makes this a "CE/P" post is that on the 'architecture message boards' i've seen a lot of haters cutting on the design, the architect, the city and the region.

now some of that is to do with OMA (a famous Dutch architecture firm started by the famous Dutch architect Rem Koolhaus--OMA did the crazy new Seattle Public Library (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/local/library/photogalleries/spl1.html)). The firm's NYC office has recently officially separated from the Rem and kinda been taken over by a younger designer. whatever, that's interoffice, and i don't think it's fair to bring that drama onto the Louisville.

but a lot of hate has also been directed at a fascinating project being located somewhere other than the 'coasts'. a lot of hate has been directed at Louisville and how "they won't be able to pull it off." and hate has been directed at the whole region. again, whatever... Louisville can get it done i'm sure, and i think this will be a great addition to that city and this part of the world.

cheers. :]

[markalot]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/news/local/seattlepubliclibrary/12.jpg

Why do we want to make buildings that look like that?

No hate, I just think it's ugly. It looks like a cardboard box turned upside down with one flap folded back.

I can't watch MOV files here at work so I haven't seen the Louisville designs, but if it's anything like the library then I won't like it.

[Jumpman]

I'd love to see Louisville become a center for arts. I'm not sure how I feel about the design, but for something like that to come to the 'ville would be pretty phenomenal. I haven't followed the debate so I can't add to it. I do think Louisville needs more tall buildings for its skyline though, and for housing to be continually developed downtown.

I miss Louisville. :(

[Slar]

Louisville has been able to pull off a lot of dramatic improvements over the last few years, much of which is similar to what Cincinnati likes to talk about, but can't seem to make happen.

When I was growing up they put in a mall in the downtown area to bring in people. Obviously, a big draw back is you have a mall and no mall parking lot. The mall always did okay, but not outstanding. In the last five years the mall has disappeared and has been replace with '4th Street Live'. They have brought a nice night life scene to the downtown area. Doing so they have prevented a drain of entertainment to souther Indiana, the way Cincinnati exported theirs to northern Kentucky.

A large, unsightly scarp yard has been replaced by a minor league baseball stadium. They brought the Louisville slugger back to Louisville and opened a museum. The list goes on, but I'm at work.

Summing it up, Louisville cares about it's appearance. They have shown that they are dedicated to this and can make it happen. Good luck Louisville!

[aqualou]

yup, the building is pretty wac, but it is better then a parking lot or vacant buildings. architecturally, cincinnati and louisville are fairly similar. our newest building, Contemporary Arts Center, is pretty wild too, but you'd be amazed the amount of attention and visitors are attracted to the downtown building.
http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/cac-cincinnati/cac6.jpg
really that's one of the main reasons for combining modern architecture and downtown areas: to bring people downtown and away from your crappy suburban malls. it's an ongoing fight that many cities constintly work on. how do you attract and retain attention, people, dollars to the downtown/town center area? if you've ever been to springfield, ohio, you'd find malls surrounding the outside of the town with you typical suburbs and a burned out downtown with government buildings, abandon factories and not much else. worst case scenerio of some of the most beautiful architecture that we just can't build anymore, like these on west main street in louisville.
http://www.chtky.org/images/West%20Main%20Street/01.jpg

[mike]

an interesting side-note about Louisville that's music related....

For the opening week sales for the Raconteurs record, featuring two guys from Cincinnati, Louisville outsold Cincinnati by a 2-1 margin, as an example. If you want to know, in a nutshell, why some touring bands play there (or Indy, or Columbus) instead of the largest city of the bunch: THAT'S why.

Back on topic: it looks cool! I love modern art. I hope they build it.

MST

[aqualou]

i don't think it's a hidden fact that cincinnati is musically retarded.
http://www.bearvalleymusic.org/images/artists/papa_doo_run.jpg

[Unrequited]

I was in downtown Louisville for the first time a couple of weekends ago. Lots of good architecture down there. Walking around on Saturday night and Sunday morning, I noticed a lot more foot traffic in Louisville than I do in downtown Cincinnati. The 4th Street Live district is a bit garish, but at least they kept it small and manageable. They also seem to have a better selection of restaurants.

The Seelbach is a treasure and it has a nice bar too. Great looking city hall.

[Jumpman]

They also seem to have a better selection of restaurants.



No doubt about this. They even have Skyline and Greaters. I grew up in and around the Louisville restaurant (Frankfort Avenue) scene, and I can attest that it is very good. My stepfather works down at Primo, a newer one downtown, but I haven't eaten there yet.

Anyway, if I had a shitload of money, I would rehab the buildings on Washington St. right underneath the 2nd street bridge. It would make a phenomenal bar/music area.

[drougan]

ok, i've had that as a sig for a long time and before i change it...
the video is breeliant for how it shows a design process and its future integration into a city.


That video is probably one of the most brilliantly executed examples of architectural representation I've seen! Bloody brilliant.

That notwithstanding the architecture of the project seems to be just about right with mix of High Modernism and sleek technology, without being too exceedingly flashy ala Eisenman, Zaha, Gehry.

I'm not terribly wild about the scale of the plaza level, if that indeed was what I was seeing...Lets not forget about the lessons of Modernism and Inhuman Scale. I also don't really like how divorced it is from the main body of the skyline, but I can be consoled by its relationship to the highway as a driving site factor/opportunity.

I wish the city of Louisville the best. Overall i think it would be a pretty awesome project to have. I dont know about Louisville's ability socially to support a project like that, but if the most serious detractors are from costal elitists, then f**k the naysayers. If Cincinnati can sucker in Gehry, Eisenman, Graves, Zaha, Mayne, and a host of other, lesser known folks and firms, then Louisville should be able to get it done, should it have the support on the local level.

[weeone]

I was in downtown Louisville for the first time a couple of weekends ago. Lots of good architecture down there. Walking around on Saturday night and Sunday morning, I noticed a lot more foot traffic in Louisville than I do in downtown Cincinnati. The 4th Street Live district is a bit garish, but at least they kept it small and manageable. They also seem to have a better selection of restaurants.

The Seelbach is a treasure and it has a nice bar too. Great looking city hall.
Fourth Street Live is good for the city economically, certainly, but I wouldn't recommend any one with interests, hobbies or a personality to expect to find their surroundings interesting down there. Next time you come to louisville, try and contact me and I can point you to places that are way more rad than where horny med reps hang out.

Has anyone seen 8664.org yet ?

[euro60]

an interesting side-note about Louisville that's music related....

For the opening week sales for the Raconteurs record, featuring two guys from Cincinnati, Louisville outsold Cincinnati by a 2-1 margin, as an example. If you want to know, in a nutshell, why some touring bands play there (or Indy, or Columbus) instead of the largest city of the bunch: THAT'S why.

Mike, that's terrible and puts me (and all of us in Cincinnati who are on the fence about buying the alvum but haven't yet) to shame.

Just out of curiousity, how do you know this to be the case? Does a Billboard-like service provide this type of information on a city-by-city comparison basis?

[Unrequited]

Fourth Street Live is good for the city economically, certainly, but I wouldn't recommend any one with interests, hobbies or a personality to expect to find their surroundings interesting down there. Next time you come to louisville, try and contact me and I can point you to places that are way more rad than where horny med reps hang out.

Will do. We only walked through 4th Street for about 10 minues, had a quick drink at the Maker's Mark bar. It's similar to Rush Street in Chicago. If you live there, you never go out there. We were staying downtown so we wanted to remain on foot Saturday night so we could over imbibe a little.

:D

[weeone]

Will do. We only walked through 4th Street for about 10 minues, had a quick drink at the Maker's Mark bar. It's similar to Rush Street in Chicago. If you live there, you never go out there. We were staying downtown so we wanted to remain on foot Saturday night so we could over imbibe a little.

:D
You found the Seelbach, so good for you ;) That's a pretty rad place - Jeremy Sisto's dad heads a jazz trio/quartet there Thurs - Sat ... maybe more often. It's cool to sit there and wax pretentious and sip bourbon :) A really awesome new place is the 21 C hotel on Main and 7th. Downstairs there is a 4 star restaurant and a bar called Proof on Main - an absolute must go. In my opinion, it's one of the most thrilling recent additions to our city.

[justa bill]

see, already there's these more-or-less cut throat comparisions between two cities that are basically next door neighbors. that doesn't help either city and just goes to weaken perceptions of the region... :rolleyes:

Louisville isn't going to become the next international uber arts mecca. even if they build it... Cincinnati won't become the next international uber arts mecca even if it builds 20 new CAC's... (a building that the NYTimes called the most important structure since the end of the Cold War, btw. ;-)

Hell, New York has lots of competition for it's place in the Arts world. Miami is a fast rising star many would say...

But both cities are interesting places, and this whole part of the world would be better off if they both can continue to strengthen their cultural assests. :]

[weeone]

see, already there's these more-or-less cut throat comparisions between two cities that are basically next door neighbors. that doesn't help either city and just goes to weaken perceptions of the region... :rolleyes:

Louisville isn't going to become the next international uber arts mecca. even if they build it... Cincinnati won't become the next international uber arts mecca even if it builds 20 new CAC's... (a building that the NYTimes called the most important structure since the end of the Cold War, btw. ;-)

Hell, New York has lots of competition for it's place in the Arts world. Miami is a fast rising star many would say...

But both cities are interesting places, and this whole part of the world would be better off if they both can continue to strengthen their cultural assests. :]


Let there be competition ! It would totally fuel the economy for both cities. Even though Louisville is totally better :p (jk :D )

[mike]

Mike, that's terrible and puts me (and all of us in Cincinnati who are on the fence about buying the alvum but haven't yet) to shame.

Just out of curiousity, how do you know this to be the case? Does a Billboard-like service provide this type of information on a city-by-city comparison basis?

Virtually all the labels get sales figures which breaks them down by sales per metro area. Occasikonally, they share those figures....

MST

[euro60]

Virtually all the labels get sales figures which breaks them down by sales per metro area. Occasikonally, they share those figures....

MST
v.interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[justa bill]

Let there be competition ! It would totally fuel the economy for both cities. Even though Louisville is totally better :p (jk :D )

i don't mind competition. that's a good thing. but stupid "the grass is browner on this/that side of the fence" comments aren't doing anyone any good.

i know a lot of people here in Cincy who are from Louisville and there all good people. i have a friend in NYC who's from Louisville and he's good people too. :]

but i totally disagree that it helps either city's economy to have people visit, say, Charleston and Savana versus Cincinnati and Louisville. it kills me how close the two cities are... (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Louisville,+KY&om=1&ll=39.078908,-84.325562&spn=2.259989,5.537109)

i stopped following the project probably a month ago, and for all i know it may be dead already. but i hope it happens. :]

[aqualou]

it kills me how close the two cities are... (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Louisville,+KY&om=1&ll=39.078908,-84.325562&spn=2.259989,5.537109)
better then columbus being in cleveland's limelight or indianapolis in chicago's. :D

[justa bill]

better then columbus being in cleveland's limelight or indianapolis in chicago's. :D

i don't follow... :confused: :]

--

by "close" i meant the're only about 80 miles apart or so. but it's funny that even on the Cincy weather maps Louisville doesn't show up a lot of times, but Indy will. Louisville is closer though. I still think of it as being a hike to get there...