I can't go one day without the Breuer tower shoved in my face

Thursday, October 26, 2006
5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs
Glickman-Miller Hall, Atrium
Light refreshments will be served!!!!!!*

Well, that isn't exactly true. I didn't think about it at all this weekend while I was in Columbus enjoying some fine folky music and non-smoking bars and an old pal's new feline roommate. I mostly just think about it on the way to work, when I see it from the train and then the walk into my building. Then again as I wander around my office attempting to look busy and see it ominously outside the window, it's dark portals staring unblinkingly at me.

I don't love it. I don't hate it. I have become indifferent to it mostly. Well, not indifferent, just concerned that Cleveland will lose one of it's few tall buildings (our skyline is going to look like the five fingers of Kansas City soon) rather then a piece of architectural history.

Don't get me wrong, as a designer and environmentalist I usually think that resolving existing solutions in a clever manner is far more difficult and therefore more impressive then working with a clean slate. However I suppose we must make concessions if the existing building doesn't fulfill the necessary functional requirements. Of course I am not privy to the dealings of the county with regards to programming requirements so I cannot fully judge. Nor am I a great fan of asbestos filled brutalism. I love me some brutalism but I fear the punctured skin takes the strength away from the stark form enough to almost consider this a sad attempt of heavy "international" style structures. I could be wrong. I admit that most usually that is the case.

Regardless there will be a forum at the
Maxine Goodman Levin college of Urban Affairs and sponsored heavily by the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and will no doubt be attended by Steven Litt whom is fun to both agree with and find totally baseless. Mr. Litt may or may not be against the county tearing down the Breuer building. It would be hard to tell.

*extra exclamation points added by me~ ed.