Sweet architecture, and the reason I need to go to SCIARC.
 

Morphosis in the LA area did the new CalTrans district 7 headquarters building. Check it out. I tried to post pics, but it's all locked down I think.
The second image is the courtyard area. What do you guys think the lights resimble?
http://www.morphosis.net/morph.html
I think it's a pretty cool website.

Looks very 80s-ish to me. I like some of the other designs much more.

Hmmm... alright. What makes you think that?
You didn't like the courtyard area?

I really like the U of Cinncinati Student Rec building.

Well, maybe if I had a hoverboard and was wearing cool neon rings that surounded my head. Not to mention a robot butler or something following me around who blasted New Wave music all around me.

ha I get it metal 80's. Do you get what the lights are supposed to resemble?

Thats not bad, but I don't like the random lines on the exterior.

the stripes make the building seem kind of long, but the plane changes in the windows, help segment the mass. I really dig the mass reaching up towards the sky.

The neon lights? or the funky worm looking things coming out of the ground? The neon lights kinda look like traffic from flying cars.

The streaking neon lights laced with random pieces of metal that clad the walls.
yeah, you caught it. The lights are supposed to represent traffic wizzing by.
I thought it was appropriate and creative for the buildings purpose.

Yeah, artistically its all pretty cool, but realistically, it doesn't seem functional or pratical. Its art for arts sake, which is fine and very pretty, but it also looks like a big waste of public money. I'd rather Cal Trans build a new -- functional and cost efficeint -- building, then spend the money saved on the potholes in front of my parents house.

Also, I would hate to be the maintaince guys there. Always changing random red neon and blue neon bulbs. Washing windows at wierd angles. Cleaning up all the bird shit on those random overhangs. Keeping skateboarders from destroying the benches and random worm like protrusions.

red nail, cool.


In other news: I could not get that page to work because macromedia did not let me install a plugin...lame.

I read the article where I found this building. This building only cost $145/sq. ft. that is really reasonable. That number includes the cost of the art installation. The building created a million usable sq. ft. so the overall cost was pretty high. I guess my questions are if they really needed this building, and does it function well for the people who inhabit it.

I see what you guys are saying. I really like the building, but thats the architect in me glossing over the situation. I didn't foresee this conversation going this direction, I just wanted to show you something that I thought was cool.
I shall now
http://www.clarion-call.org/yeshua/whirl/zipmouth.gif

It is cool. It just irks people when the coolness comes out of our pockets without asking us first.

I dunno it can be argued that it is of benefit to the city not to have such dreary goverment buildings. If you ask me a city with, for lack of a better term, cool looking buildings is a more enjoyable place to spend time and is more likely to attract a certain type of industry and people. I don't like the Cal-Trans building, but its better than just another monotone office building. Much better.

Another problem with buildings as stylish as these is that they will look dated in 10 years. I certainly don't want city buildings to be rebuilt every 10 years, just to keep up with fashion trends.

I mean, take a look at all the "hip" public libraries that were built in the 70s, they look ancient, where as some office buildings build in the same period look resonably ok. The interior needs to be re-done, but not the exterior.

I think the building looks sweet :D

I'm a F.L.W. kinda guy so I would have put more 30-60 degree angles in it :wink:

Agreed...I love all the FLW inspired architecture in Scottsdale, AZ, Good stuff.

I will agree with this, however government buildings with "upscale" and creative archetecture need to be *public* buildings. How many people go hang out at the Cal Trans building? That thing is an office building for people that work for the state... it's not a park, or a stadium, or a library, or a school... the general public has no real business visiting there. Let's save the public's money for stuff the public gets to use.

Hell, being from NorCal, I don't think Cal Trans even deserves it! All they do is fix the freeways in SoCal... meanwhile the Bay Area streets are crowded and rotting to hell. Plus, these are the people that took 15 years to build one freeway interchange! (680/24) The last thing they deserve is a cool building... it's like a pat on the back that they didn't earn. How about we move them all into portable trailers (like all the elementary schools in my town had to use because we couldn't afford to add on real buildings) and tell them "when the roads in SLO aren't made out of sand and glue, you get to move into a place with plumbing. And when you can drive from San Ramon to Fremont in under an hour in the morning, you can have windows."

:lol: :lol: This is the best idea ever.

Really! I'd live in a world like this.

sperry for Governor! :D