Comment Archives: Stories: Art: Architecture
Re: “We offer a Top 10 list for structures no longer with us.”
What happened to the Kaufmann murals? Were they moved to storage or some other location or simply destroyed or painted over?
Re: “A pedestrian span in Shadyside bridges the gap between form and function.”
I remember as a child walking across the pedestrian bridge that used to be there. On Ellsworth Ave, you could see what used to be Sacred Heart High School; (my mom went there) and the Tom Tucker bottling plant. Going across the bridge was Huffstadter Cadillac (what is now Motor Square Gardens) and one of the many White Tower restaurants that used to dot the area. Sadly, the Ellsworth Ave bridge to South Highland was never re-opened.
Re: “Two student shows celebrate the possibilities in overlooked materials.”
fresh heirlooms in lawrenceville offers creative reuse classes and workshops. plus, they sell a ton of artistic green gifts made from recycled materials. awesome stuff. www.freshheirlooms.com
Re: “We offer a Top 10 list for structures no longer with us.”
Mellon building #2, the Union Trust Building, is the real travesty here. That place was a beautiful mall with an open area in the middle which is almost completely filled in with office space floors now.
Re: “Modern Revival”
You've done a great job and left me wistful about Pittsburgh's potential. This house is a true gem and I applaud the artist(s) for creating and restoring it. I am familiar with Walsh's work and it's great to see it appreciated.
Re: “How do you renovate a 16,000-year-old shelter?”
Breathe slowly and feel the space between this and the next breath...Proof again!!! No wonder western Pennsylvania has always felt like the safest place on the planet to nest at and enjoy the best the earth has to offer!!! sincerely, drfrancisbmarion@gmail.com
Re: “Enter Stage Wright”
I was an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright in 1951-2-&3. Recently I learned about his home "Taliesin," in Spring Green, Wi. was one of 11 buildings on the Most Endangered Places at: National Trust for Historical Preservation; so I wrote "Taliesin Reflectios." I am donating 100% of the proceeds to Taliesin Preservation, Inc. (non-profit) for the upkeep of FLLW's Masterpiece. Earl Nisbet - Aptos.
Re: “New hockey arena or no, is knocking down historic buildings really the path to revitalization?”
Charles is right in that, technically, there is a master plan on file, and it's the plan for the Isle of Capri, which includes an arena, casino, hotel & parking structure to support all 3. That plan died on Dec. 20 when Don Barden won the slots license. [Or did it?] There is no plan submitted by the Pens, the SEA, URA, or any other entity for the arena itself. You can call City Planning and ask yourself. A requirement for using state funds is a study of the historical significance of not just buildings being demolished, but any structures that can potentially be effected. In fact, it's called the Area of Potential Effect [APE]. The APE is, at a minimum, the entire development area, along with properties contiguous with it & opposite from it. So the APE would reasonable include all or part of Chatham Center, the buildings on the south side of 5th Avenue, Washington Plaza, and so on. Even the Mellon Arena site! But, the APE studied for the SEA included only the actual footprint of the new arena. It didn't even include the Epiphany Church, which has 3 of its 4 buildings being demolished as I type. Here's the point: There are decisions to be made in the next 12 months for the Lower Hill and Uptown we will all be living with for the next 25-50 years. There is an opportunity [ne', imperative] to thoughtfully plan out what it CAN be for all stakeholders [preservationists among them] and create a wonderful, sustainable plan that serves everyone well. And, it can be done in time for the first puck to drop in the fall of 09. Unfortunately, there is no process like that currently under way. The broader question is, "Why not?"
Re: “Novel Tease”
The colourful Junior Achievement Experiential Learning Center is a very pretty building...it not only deserves the prize but also needs to be build sooon.
Re: “Amidst gloomy news about libraries, the North Side's new Carnegie Library is a bright spot.”
The neighborhood process had a significant impact on this design. The original L & K concept exaggerated the horizontal aspects of the building and the site, completely out of context with the vertical rectangles that mark the surrounding historic buidings. Community asked that the facade convey a greater verticality in keeping with the rhythm of the existing built environment. While most certainly a contemporary structure, the revised design does "harmonize subtly" with its surroundings. Community input helped take this from discordance to harmony.