10 posts were merged into an existing topic: Raleigh Elections and Council Overall
City Councilors received a packet today concerning the new central campus tower . It is schedule to start in the spring of 2022 .
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We’re going to get concept art!!!
“The October 6th meeting of City Council marks the next of many touchpoints
with City Council. The Design Team will present the Conceptual Design for the
East Civic Tower prepared by Ratio and its design architect, Henning Larsen.
The Conceptual Design is part of the programming phase of the design process
where the broad outlines of function and form are articulated. It tests
assumptions of previous studies. It includes the design of interactions,
experiences, processes, and strategies. Elements of the design at this phase
are illustrative and may be indicative of a final design concept.”
“The Conceptual Design presented at the October 6th meeting of the City Council will reflect an East
Civic Tower that will:1) create an iconic experience for all, 2) create a public realm that celebrates
democracy, places it on display and connects it with Nash Square; 3) integrate daylighting
throughout the building – a natural and sustainable resource; and 4) focus on human comfort with a
street-level entrance and accessible public spaces. The Conceptual Design will offer the seat of City
government an architectural identity.”
“Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Conceptual Design for the East Civic Tower
project and approve demolition of the former Raleigh Police Headquarters. In addition, Staff
requests City Council’s authorization to complete the design and bid the project in order to develop a
Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the City Council’s future approval.”
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100% sure you-know-who already leaked the concept photos to his astroturfers.
Unrelated note: Cox only one that voted against all measures related to the east civic tower.
Was that Mount Airy Granite they were showing on the “Materials” slide? If so, my home town will be well represented here 
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Yes, he was inspired by it.
I am sorry fellow DTRaleighites, but we paid one of THE BEST architecturial firms to give us a box (a nice box) but a box with brick facade. I am sorry but the NC State School of Design could have come up with this at a fraction of the cost… 
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$190 million for a 20 story office tower with 1 underground parking floor and two floors of public/civic space is a modest budget.
Anyone free to donate an extra $100 million for something nicer?
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I think it looks pretty good. The first three floors are open and inviting and appear to have some architectural interest.
The top floors look modern and interesting with the different size windows, and the material is a change of pace from the blue glass of most of the recent high rises in the city.
Maybe not quite as interesting as their Minneapolis building, but maybe that was budgetary.
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I’m somewhere between underwhelmed and whelmed.
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Yeah I kind of agree. I’m happy for whatever replaces that ugly police station currently there, and some elements of it are kind of cool. But from the pictures, it does just look like a regular box building. I know everyone in Raleigh loves bricks instead of glass, but this is supposed to be for a growing city looking to the future, not a throwback to the past when the area was so poor that bricks were the default.
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Very sensibly whelmed here.
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Please understand that I am not complaining at all about the budget or cost.
(Did the $190 actually include the architect fee?)
I also really like what they seem to have done on the inside and to a very lesser degree of the windows, but come on…a BOX! 
I am so freaking tired of a box on every corner…at least 301 has a little flare. 
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It’s hard to tell from renderings but to me none of it looks like brick. Looks more like poured concrete.
Of course, these are just early conceptional renders. The final design will probably look similar but is subject to change.
I’m of course tired of Nordic/Scandi School of Design myself but it’s clean and this won’t look too dated in 30 years.
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I think the city/county can go ham on the Convention Center expansion so hopefully the design is more weird and exciting than the civic tower. Maybe incorporate elements of the shimmer wall into the final design.
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Raleigh hasn’t had any real Flair since Rick stopped coming to town.
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C’mon now y’all… We all know that if the city spent taxpayer money on high design, that we’d get shouted down to no end for the audacity…Our begrudged-let’s-not-grow-so-fast little hamlet will go kicking and screaming into its future urbanism one ever-so-slightly-tweaked box with over-stated materialism at a time… 
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