TOIstudio 2007 Year in review - noticeable milestones:
-I don't want to call them 'awards' persay, as I have nothing to really give anyone. Regardless, the overarching plan was for BOTC, Design Rag and TOIstudio to collaborate on some notifications and appreciations for a job well done. If only we would have planned to actually get this done more then a week ago. Anyway, here are the results for the city as Dru from TOIstudio sees it.
Best Building completed in NEO in 2007:
Cleveland Institute of Music Expansion - Mixon Hall:
Architect: Charles Young
Cost: $32 million
Particulars: Total of 34,000 sf of new space including a 250 seat venue with 43' high glass backdrop, new entry from Wade Oval and practice rooms.
A particularly fine example of meshing programmatic restraints with the reimagining of what the concert experience can be. By creating a glass backdrop to the performers overlooking a small park (and the soft sculptural form of the east addition) the experience of listening to fine music can only be punctuated by the spectacle that nature can present. Whether winter concerts with a snowy background, soft diffuse light and the chance to shiver at both the weather and the captivating melody of a fine quartet to a hot summer night filled with dramatic lighting, the excitement of University Circle and the blood boiling crescendo of a full orchestra. Even without the amazing program the form and materiality of the structure is finely detailed, clean and exact and only improves with the many layers of acoustic and environmental control added to make the structure function. There is little addition of superfluous form as there is little room for it. A fine example of solving the given problem first and solving it well.
Worst Building Proposed in 2007 (I think this category was changed to something less insulting):
Cleveland State University's new student center by Gwathmey Seigle and Associates
Cuyahoga Community College/Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Rock Archive by Robert P. Madison International
Best Urban Design Strategy Proposed in 2007:
Wolfstein's Flats development:
Whether you can state that this proposal was made in 2007 (it wasn't, it has been on the books for a while) is true, however the ball is moving and I find this one of the best hopes for the city to be close to achieving reality. A massive influx of people and entertainment mixed with the types of 'regular day' infrastructure (grocery markets, drugstores, etc) could jump start a 24 hour culture downtown recalibrating the city to accept a rank as a convention city. If only there could be a way to improve the school system to move families back downtown...
Medical Mart:
When was this one first mentioned? Mid 90's? Regardless, another project that is 'on the horizon' that could work in conjunction to some other proposals to activate the city.
Worst Urban Design Strategy Proposed in 2007:
E120th RTA station being relocated off from Euclid to Mayfield Road which manages to complete a number of dubious tasks. The current plan relocates a major public transportation nexus away from the Euclid Corridor instead of creating a multi use transit node that could service pedestrian, rail, bus and bike traffic in a centralized and safe location. It moves the station away from a major corridor and away from the front of what would be the Cleveland Institute of Art, MOCA and the 'front' of the northern complex of University Circle including CASE, CIM and CMA which could be used to consolidate the station traffic as a grand entrance and enforce the pedestrian urban model along a main artery instead of shunting it to the rear. Overall the location decision smacks of more public transit systems being designed by people who don't use it for people who wouldn't use it anyway (see practicing what you preach comments for a theme this year).
Best Lecture that Pissed People Off:
Robert Breugmann:
Granted the topic of sprawl is hotly contested, hard to define and difficult to argue without falling back to discussions of semantic purity, however when there appears to be a promise of a well thought out and lively discussion on how to deal with sprawl one expects, well, a well thought out lively discussion dealing with sprawl.
I think I made most of my points regarding this already right here: Earlier post on TOIstudio
Best Lecture that Inspired:
Bruce Mau:
It could be my kinship towards other "men of gravity" that are bearded, or my belief that architects have an inherent responsibility to increase the well being of the world that I found his lecture inspiring, captivating and informative. There is something about informing the public and going out and actually accomplishing things (research or practical application) that I find extremely more enjoyable than all the eye candy computer renderings in the world. Something about practicing what you preach.
Steve Badanes:
Same reasoning as above minus the beard and "men of gravity" comment.
Best Advocates for Design (Large Institution):
University Circle Inc.:
Just for being receptive and positive to the many groups and institutions wanting/willing to experiment with architecture and form within the enclave. It is University Circle that will set the benchmark for design for the rest of the city. Again.
Best Advocates for Design (Small Institution):
Cleveland Artist's Foundation - Jim and Nina Gibans for Cleveland Goes Modern
Green City Blue Lake - Susan Miller and Marc Lefkowitz for Greening the Modern Preservationist Movement - Ameritrust Tower Preservation Movement
Both groups did a bang up job of getting the general public interested and involved in Cleveland's architectural past and for that I personally thank them.
Best Net-roots Activity for Design:
Ingenuity Fest - What Would YOU Do with the Breuer Tower :garnering international attention to our historic tower.
Cleveland Design Competition -2007 Annual Competition :more international attention for Cleveland as a place wanting to harvest ideas (even though they never did get around to posting all the entries that were received *cough cough*)
Emerging Architecture and Urban Design to eagerly anticipate in 2008:
FOA - new MOCA building
MVRDV - new CIA addition
Euclid Corridor Project Completion
Cleveland State University Urban Affairs Lecture series (typically pretty dang good)
Kent State University Spring and Fall Design Lecture series (always a good excuse to go down to Kent)
Case Wester Reserve University Baker Nord Lecture series (even if they did bring Breugmann...)
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