05 February 2011

The Senate's Vestibule

I noticed that The Senate has installed a vestibule on the sidewalk. They got a "revocable encroachment" permit from the city to construct this in the right-of-way. (In this part of the city, the property lines are right at the front of the building, and the sidewalk is usually about 11-12' wide and in part of the city ROW). We should encourage more overlap of encroachment between the public sidewalk and the private storefront. Retail stores have long tried to blur this edge and to make it easy to walk into their store while window shopping. Zaha Hadid made a whole building built on the theme of the "urban carpet", and you can walk down to Sixth and Walnut and experience her plain interpretation of this sometimes complicated dance that buildings make with the sidewalk. Anyway, IMO more of this would be ok, as long as the building owners don't just impose on the the public realm, but also open up and let the public space flow inside...  


Other storefronts

6 comments:

Jeffrey Jakucyk said...

That's a pretty awful wart on the front of the building. It's one thing to have awnings, balconies, or even a colonnade over the sidewalk, but that air lock is just horrible. It doesn't benefit anyone on the sidewalk and actually impedes crowds of pedestrians, nor does it fit architecturally with the building.

Eric said...

I agree with Jeffrey, the design is quite ugly and out of place. Maybe because it was a revocable permit, they didnt want to put any money into it. I'm fine with encroachment on the sidewalk - the Senate's "deck" this past summer I think was perfect - but not a fan of this.

Jim Uber said...

Maybe we are forgetting the "function" part. It is intended to provide a more pleasant experience for patrons inside, especially during the winter.

Anyway, I like it just fine. I prefer that sidewalks are somewhat cluttered in a way that befits a bustling city life (which we do not have, not yet). I'd like more and bigger signs, more protrusions onto the sidewalk, more parked bicycles and scooters.

I also think that Jeffrey's complaint mostly indicates exactly how far we still need to go. In a successful urban area, you won't even notice these things, or whether it "fits in architecturally with the building," cause there's too much else going on.

I say, let's go for messier sidewalks.

Quimbob said...

Will they keep it in the summer?

Jon said...

^ I doubt it. They added it because of complaints from the draft (very small restaurant, tables start right next to the door. During the summer, they open the whole thing and have outdoor seating- I'm sure it will be gone come march.

Neil said...

"I also think that Jeffrey's complaint mostly indicates exactly how far we still need to go. In a successful urban area, you won't even notice these things, or whether it "fits in architecturally with the building," cause there's too much else going on."

I'd like to add that they have these all over Chicago. They are normal and just part of the urban fabric that makes Chicago's neighborhoods so great. Cincinnatians shouldn't be afraid of something that is normal in another densely built big city :P.