What do you think Albuquerque needs to make it look like a real city (Santa Fe: highrise)

[rybert]

Originally Posted by ABQSunseeker

Most of which I agree with you Abqsunport (except for a Central Ave. arena). How about also a first rate performing arts center, or a Rem Koolhaas or S. Calatrava, or Frank Gehry designed building? I'd love to see a continuous stretch of condos and buildings along a grand, landscaped ( with trees) Central Ave. full of cafes and restaurants between Old Town and Downtown.
Just dreaming....

How about our next major bridge be a Calatrava! (i.e. Seville)

Rem vs. Gehry... Rem any day!

[abqsunport]

Originally Posted by ABQSunseeker

Most of which I agree with you Abqsunport (except for a Central Ave. arena). How about also a first rate performing arts center, or a Rem Koolhaas or S. Calatrava, or Frank Gehry designed building? I'd love to see a continuous stretch of condos and buildings along a grand, landscaped ( with trees) Central Ave. full of cafes and restaurants between Old Town and Downtown.
Just dreaming....

I like all of those ideas. Hey, all I want is a Downtown Arena. I could care less if it is on Central. I see your point as to why you don't want it on Central.

[ABQSunseeker]

Calatrava has proposed a phenomenally interesting and radical building for the waterfront down by the seaport in NY, but it probably won't get built in this economic climate. Anyway we're talking big bucks and little ABQ probably would never be able to draw such architects here, but it's fun to think about the possibilities....

[rybert]

Originally Posted by ABQSunseeker

Calatrava has proposed a phenomenally interesting and radical building for the waterfront down by the seaport in NY, but it probably won't get built in this economic climate. Anyway we're talking big bucks and little ABQ probably would never be able to draw such architects here, but it's fun to think about the possibilities....

You have to hope Predock isn't reading this thread...

He's a famous architect too

[ABQSunseeker]

You're right, Rybert. Where is his imprint downtown, though?. Downtown has been sorely neglected through the years, so it's time to rethink it. People with a vision to the forefront.

[bradly]

Originally Posted by abqsunport

The Peak of Sandia is at the far north east end of albuquerque. Downtown is on the far south side, west of I-25. The mountains would not ever be blocked, even by a building 1000ft tall, because they would never be in the line of sight of the mountains. Look at this picture on wikipedia, and see how the building's interfere with the mountains. They don't.

Ya not even the chicago spire 150 floor building could block the view of the sandias hahahah.. honestly were talking 10,000-12,000 feet in elevation there.

[mortimer]

bradly pointed out:

> ... not even the chicago spire 150 floor building could block the view ...

The tallest building in the picture is the 22-story Albuquerque Plaza Office Tower -- (351 ft). Picture a building located there about 4x that height and you have what is currently the range of the tallest buildings in the world.

Might make a good excuse for me to do some Photoshopping.

> ... honestly were talking 10,000-12,000 feet in elevation there.

Actually, buildings downtown sit at just a hair over 5,000 ft.
The top of Sandia Crest is 10,678 ft, so we have about 5,700 feet in elevation there.

[rybert]

I don't know about Photoshop... how about Photochop?

[vegaspilgrim]

Downtown Albuquerque doesn't necessarily need taller buildings... it just needs more buildings to fill in vacant spaces-- especially more residential buildings, adding to the population who lives downtown. I agree with the poster who said that a central park/plaza would be an excellent addition. I agree with the posters who said that just having tall glass skyscrapers means nothing in itself; it's what's on the ground level that counts. If you look at downtown Denver (which is a real success story of how a downtown that was completely dead 20 years ago turned itself into a happening place and continues to improve), you'll notice that hardly any office tower skyscrapers have been built since the '70s and '80s. What has happened though is a whole slew of mid and high-rise condo towers have been constructed, and the creation of new sports and entertainment districts that didn't exist before. People (especially young people with a lot of cash and older "empty nesters") are moving into downtown Denver as a place to live. But you don't really see any major employers moving into downtown that haven't already been there for years... most employers still prefer to have their space in large office and industrial parks in the suburbs (ie-- Denver Tech Center). From what I've seen of Albuquerque so far, it appears that the north I-25 corridor (Journal Center?) is an emerging business center, with ABQ Uptown as another major center. Even in a city the size of Albuquerque, a multiplicity of city centers exist.

In my eyes, Albuquerque already is a respectable, "real" city. I don't see what Albuquerque residents have to apologize about. I see it as an already cool city that can get even better.

[abqsunport]

Great post Vegas Pilgrim. Believe me, I have no apologies for Albuquerque. I would like a slightly more respectable downtown, which I explained what my dream was a bit earlier. I do think you need office buidlings to warrant people to live there. Who wants to live downtown if you work in uptown?