Seattle Architecture: Ugly Buildings????? (Vancouver: 2009, hotels, houses)

[ness]

Originally Posted by geometricdisaster

Can't fault you for good photography. Maybe you should mess with your camera settings to make the pictures less pretty.

Actually, a few of martina's pictures, though overcast, looked good also.

I think the point was supposed to be that clear day only Seattle pictures aren't an accurate description of how it is year-round. However, it's also erroneous to say that Seattle never has nice, clear days.

My take on the whole Seattle aesthetic: beautiful parks and trees; ugly buildings.

Ugly buildings????? I've seen a lot of beautiful buildings in Seattle. Are you one of those "evil" people who thinks anything old and historic is hideaous? If you are, you won't get and sympathy from this architecture-lover. = )

[RowJimmy]

Originally Posted by ness

Ugly buildings????? I've seen a lot of beautiful buildings in Seattle. Are you one of those "evil" people who thinks anything old and historic is hideaous? If you are, you won't get and sympathy from this architecture-lover. = )

Don't you know that strip malls and Wal-marts are considered beautiful among todays urban sprawlist elite?

I can't wait to visit seattle next spring. I am planning my vacation up there to visit a friend. I bet it is great in the rain or sun.

[geometricdisaster]

Originally Posted by RowJimmy

Don't you know that strip malls and Wal-marts are considered beautiful among todays urban sprawlist elite?

I can't wait to visit seattle next spring. I am planning my vacation up there to visit a friend. I bet it is great in the rain or sun.

Elitist pretension rocks harder than sarcasm!

Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, and San Antonio, for example, have "classic, historic architecture"

Seattle has leftovers from a science fiction movie set and a couple of crumbling old courthouses -- along with cookie cutter "new" skyscrapers.

Or are you going to tell me something like this town holds up to Palladio's contributions to Venice?

Oh, because I criticize Seattle I must just sit around watching network TV, eating fast food, and admiring the Wal-mart -- yeah, right.

[toughguy]

^^^^ martyr-alert

[RowJimmy]

Originally Posted by geometricdisaster

Elitist pretension rocks harder than sarcasm!

Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, and San Antonio, for example, have "classic, historic architecture"

Seattle has leftovers from a science fiction movie set and a couple of crumbling old courthouses -- along with cookie cutter "new" skyscrapers.

Or are you going to tell me something like this town holds up to Palladio's contributions to Venice?

Oh, because I criticize Seattle I must just sit around watching network TV, eating fast food, and admiring the Wal-mart -- yeah, right.

I am not judging your opinion, and I am sorry if I come off like that. I never been to Seattle, but its my next city that I want to visit the most. I always thought it would be very cool with cool architecture.

I just said that whole urban sprawl elitist thing because there are ton of urban sprawlist on these boards. I had a argument with a "Pennsylvanian" who is from and works in Baltimore, but has to make his home 50 miles away on amish farm lands. I talked in the Denver forum with people who think Aurora and Littleton is the most coolest area of the country. (strip mall hell to me). I look forward to visiting seattle though and getting my own opinion.

[ness]

Originally Posted by geometricdisaster

Elitist pretension rocks harder than sarcasm!

Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, and San Antonio, for example, have "classic, historic architecture"

Seattle has leftovers from a science fiction movie set and a couple of crumbling old courthouses -- along with cookie cutter "new" skyscrapers.

Or are you going to tell me something like this town holds up to Palladio's contributions to Venice?

Oh, because I criticize Seattle I must just sit around watching network TV, eating fast food, and admiring the Wal-mart -- yeah, right.

I'm sorry that you don't appreciate the beautiful historic buildings your city has to offer. Believe me....you definitely have some...I do this for living.
Here's some pics of hist. buildings that I love.






More modern buildings, but still cool...in my opinion.
REI Seattle Flagship Store



And...these were all taken on a cloudy day.
To keep in the spirit of this thread...here's some more cloudy day pics....and a historic bridge....just for fun. = )

Pt. Defiance Zoo

More Pt. Defiance Zoo



Yum Yum fresh seafood.

[geometricdisaster]

Sorry, 'ness, I just don't find those structures all that original or noteworthy. Many of those pictures look like the Santana Row part of San Jose and/or buildings from a smaller town -- generally, the more rural looking remind me of a smaller CA city like Redding.

Now, maybe in your line of work, a building doesn't have to be a juggernaut of engineering to impress you (because you see the finer points, I'd venture).

You might want to take a trip to Vancouver, BC, if you haven't already, next time you're in the area and I think you'll see a lot that you like up there as well (plus more new/modern architecture in addition).

[ness]

Originally Posted by geometricdisaster

Sorry, 'ness, I just don't find those structures all that original or noteworthy. Many of those pictures look like the Santana Row part of San Jose and/or buildings from a smaller town -- generally, the more rural looking remind me of a smaller CA city like Redding.

Now, maybe in your line of work, a building doesn't have to be a juggernaut of engineering to impress you (because you see the finer points, I'd venture).

You might want to take a trip to Vancouver, BC, if you haven't already, next time you're in the area and I think you'll see a lot that you like up there as well (plus more new/modern architecture in addition).

No worries. We're all entitled to our own opinions. I just didn't want people to think that Seattle doesn't have historic buildings. Thanks for the tip on Vancouver. It has been on my list of must-visits for awhile. Here is some info taken from a walking tour of Pioneer Square in Seattle. I hope that others see the value in these structures so they don't suffer the wrecking ball.

"Show yourself around. Walk along tree-lined streets and marvel at ornate, Victorian-style brick and stone buildings. Learn more about the booming Gold Rush years, the birth of Vaudeville, and the impact of titans and tightwads on the city. Take time to relax in a sidewalk café or urban park as you explore one of the nation’s largest designated historic districts.

Each of the self-tours begin and end in Occidental Park. We would highly recommend that you pick up a copy of our booklet "Pioneer Square Journey" which includes captions about related people, events and places for over 60 sites. You can pick this up at the kiosk on Occidental, between Main St. and Jackson, or at The Pioneer Square Community Association at 202 Yesler Way in the Smith Tower.

Relive Seattle’s past by exploring former flophouses that now serve as first-class hotels. View the Sinking Ship garage that stands as a memorial to the origins of the fight to preserve Pioneer Square. Visit Seattle’s oldest restaurants and clubs while ending your tour at the nation’s smallest National Park, the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park."

[lcoasterchix]

I think Seattle is beautiful and very unique... the skyline line looks fake to me driving in, but it's beautiful. and Pioneer Square reminds me of a scenic backdrop or something out of a book by Charles Dickens. I'm amazed at the shift in architecture as you journey through dif. parts of Seattle.. but I enjoy not having the industrial buildings, and taking in the "cuteness" of seattle and it's sidewalk and tree lined cafes, etc .It's overwhelming, but once broken down quite cozy and like mult locations in one gigantic city. Space needle however is a different story. But other than that, I like the rest of the city

[geometricdisaster]

Well, Seattle is more or less compact and utilitarian in design. Not to come across as a complete city-basher or something, sprawl control is one of Seattle's good points.

Aesthetically, though, while there are nice areas, the overall impression I get is that the city is dated from the 1960's and much of it looks like a dockyard.

Now, if given a choice between aesthetics and the environment, I'd say the environment is more important. However, I wouldn't call Seattle a beautiful city based on its architecture -- its beauty is more in the natural surroundings and parks.