Hudson's Site Building Thread

[stasu1213]

You really need to get out more.

I do. That's the reason why I know that a pedestrian scaffold can't protect a pedestrian from even a 5 pound object accidentally dropped from top of a structure the is currently 500 ft tall

[stasu1213]

Below is a picture I took today [9/12/2023].

There are 29 temporary elevator door entrances. There are probably another 5-6 floors above that, and another 3-4 floors of core-only [not visible in my picture]. According to my amateur estimate, the top of the core form is around floor 38.


Attachment 42798


Also, take a look at this drone video from 9/9/2023 from Motor City Aerial

It's ironic that 22 years ago that date, 2 days before 9/11, the Compuware Building was being constructed next door. The whole block was just a pit then

[401don]

I do. That's the reason why I know that a pedestrian scaffold can't protect a pedestrian from even a 5 pound object accidentally dropped from top of a structure the is currently 500 ft tall

As was mentioned scaffolding is constructed over sidewalks adjacent high rise construction everywhere. Go to downtown Toronto or just look on street view.

[Detroit Stylin]

Hudson's tower is looking really impressive from Belle Isle right now. Ill grab my camera and get some shots from near Sunset Point tommorrow.

[stasu1213]

As was mentioned scaffolding is constructed over sidewalks adjacent high rise construction everywhere. Go to downtown Toronto or just look on street view.

As I had commented the sidewalk in front of the Hudson's site is under construction as well. That's why the whole sidewalk is closed off. Once the streetscape in front of the project is completed the sidewalk will reopen

[Gistok]

Oh Lordy, not another insipid discussion... over why there is no walkable sidewalk on the Hudson's site? The space is in use. For those who like "walkability"... walk across the street... go down a block... and walk back across the street. There you have it... more walkability.

Here's what the sidewalk space is being used for... to store construction crap. And also room to truck in more construction crap...

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3338...!1e3?entry=ttu

[Amznblue]

I'm not a fan of the window selection on the Woodward/Farmer St Gratiot side of the building. They look like a NY/Chicago 1970's era skyscraper. When they reduced the height of the building, they should have made the building uniformed. JMO

[Scottathew]

I'm not a fan of the window selection on the Woodward/Farmer St Gratiot side of the building. They look like a NY/Chicago 1970's era skyscraper. When they reduced the height of the building, they should have made the building uniformed. JMO

Hard agree. I don't like the Woodward\Farmer side, but I do like the Gratiot\Grand River side.

It still looks fine, but not as good as it could have looked.

[ShadowSoarer]

Update as of 9/15 with skyline:

[Lowell]

Awesome pix Shadowsoarer and Scottathew. Hudson is certainly taking center stage. It is fun watching it grow on successive Tiger games.

From Sept. 15. File under Detroit who’d a thunk it. That’s where Hudson’s was? And DSR is back?

[1953]

I'm not a fan of the window selection on the Woodward/Farmer St Gratiot side of the building. They look like a NY/Chicago 1970's era skyscraper. When they reduced the height of the building, they should have made the building uniformed. JMO

I was going to save my criticisms for after it opened, but, since its on the floor, aesthetically, this building is pretty bad.

As stated above, it looks like they went back to 1970's New York, picked out an ugly office building, and brought it back to 2020's Detroit.

And then they covered all of the windows in dust and debris!

1953

[K-slice]

I like the design, and I like that it's not like any other high rise or skyscraper that we have in Detroit.

It's not some groundbreaking design, but it's also not bland. The simple vertical lines are reminiscent of Yamasaki designs and timeless IMO. I would have liked to see the base integrate with the rest of the design rather than just being a solid glass brick that the res of the buildings sits on.

[stasu1213]

Had this project would had been constructed in New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, or even Los Angeles, the original design would had been used as well as the original 900 plus feet height. However, the project, just as other massive projects in Detroit, was forced to scale back from its original design. Scaling back caused a change in the design to meet completion deadlines

[DetroitSoldier]

I think it's a bit unfair to judge the building until it is completed. Let's wait and see how things like exterior illumination, retail frontage, and public spaces all interact with the façade.

[Gistok]

I created this "potential" Photoshop image when the building was supposed to be 912 ft. tall.

Some folks complained that 912 ft. was way too tall. Now from the water or Windsor, when it is finished the 685ft building may not rise above the Ally Tower's 621 ft. from this angle, since Ally is closer to the water.

[DetBill]

I'm not a fan of the window selection on the Woodward/Farmer St Gratiot side of the building. They look like a NY/Chicago 1970's era skyscraper. When they reduced the height of the building, they should have made the building uniformed. JMO

So interesting you said that, from our 19th floor high-rise in Lafayette Park which looks directly into downtown on the corner and this building right from our living and dining room, that is exactly what we said to each other here, that it looks exactly like something Chicago built in the 1970s, sorry to say that, but it just isn’t that impressive, uninspiring, and looks rather dated, when all the architects/ executives on the original designs came out about this building , it was just supposed to be so much more interesting and memorable from an architectural perspective, a “ a symbol of Detroit of the future” , Gilbert and Company constantly stressed that, and the end result is unfortunately not overly exciting, at least not right now,… as to the lower portion annex next-door, we really like the look of that portion, that is a very nice looking building, just a personal opinion, we’re still lamenting it isn't taller as was the big bragging point for three years, but oh well. We just feel it’s a major missed opportunity that we will never see in our lifetimes again. However ,it’s nice to see a large facility being added to the downtown skyline either way. It fills in a huge tooth hole and overall it’s a great addition. We just wish the architects would’ve come up with something more unique, you go to so many other cities now and there’s such interesting architecture going up.

[stasu1213]

I created this "potential" Photoshop image when the building was supposed to be 912 ft. tall.

Some folks complained that 912 ft. was way too tall. Now from the water or Windsor, when it is finished the 685ft building may not rise above the Ally Tower's 621 ft. from this angle, since Ally is closer to the water.

I had commented then that the building won't surpass the RenCen. Some had commented that Gilbert had purposely push the narrative of a 912ft skyscraper to get more funding and then scale back. I think that he really wanted to build a 912ft skyscraper but soon discovered wrong city wrong timing.
Some had commented how this building's design resemble Chicago's skyscrapers from the 1970s. Many of Chicago's 1970s architecture look more modern than some of the building's design in Detroit that were built in the 80s through the early 2000s. The Ally building, formerly Comerica Tower, look Gothic with a 1930s design. The Compuware Building have a design from the early 80s. Detroit was more on the cutting edge during the late 50s to mid 60s when it came to modern design. Mies Van Der Rhoe and Minoru Yamasaki left their marks on a few Detroit developments then went on to design icon structures in Chicago and New York

[401don]

We just wish the architects would’ve come up with something more unique, you go to so many other cities now and there’s such interesting architecture going up.

Remember the Guggenheim rendering? That was a little too out there but it's hard to believe it went from that to this. You're right. It certainly doesn't make a statement. I don't like how they didn't integrate the two buildings better.

[stasu1213]

Remember the Guggenheim rendering? That was a little too out there but it's hard to believe it went from that to this. You're right. It certainly doesn't make a statement. I don't like how they didn't integrate the two buildings better.

The abrupt scaled back design for this building remind me of the downsizing of the 62 Chryslers. Faulty intel from one of Chrysler Execs he had received at a gathering caused Virgil Exner to immediately downsize and redesign his full size Plymouths and Dodges. The results were less appealing to consumers causing Exner his joband Chrysler to fall in third place. The Hudson Tower design being used, even though better looking than Ally, caused the skyscraper to look less unique or unique.

[1953]

I had commented then that the building won't surpass the RenCen. Some had commented that Gilbert had purposely push the narrative of a 912ft skyscraper to get more funding and then scale back. I think that he really wanted to build a 912ft skyscraper but soon discovered wrong city wrong timing.
Some had commented how this building's design resemble Chicago's skyscrapers from the 1970s. Many of Chicago's 1970s architecture look more modern than some of the building's design in Detroit that were built in the 80s through the early 2000s. The Ally building, formerly Comerica Tower, look Gothic with a 1930s design. The Compuware Building have a design from the early 80s. Detroit was more on the cutting edge during the late 50s to mid 60s when it came to modern design. Mies Van Der Rhoe and Minoru Yamasaki left their marks on a few Detroit developments then went on to design icon structures in Chicago and New York

We should be so lucky to have more buildings from the 1930s! "Futuristic" often means alien, uninviting, and unsustainable.

1953

[gratiotfaced]

Hard agree. I don't like the Woodward\Farmer side, but I do like the Gratiot\Grand River side.

It still looks fine, but not as good as it could have looked.

Can someone post some comparison pics here? I'm not sure I follow what the difference is.

[401don]

The abrupt scaled back design for this building remind me of the downsizing of the 62 Chryslers. Faulty intel from one of Chrysler Execs he had received at a gathering caused Virgil Exner to immediately downsize and redesign his full size Plymouths and Dodges. The results were less appealing to consumers causing Exner his joband Chrysler to fall in third place. The Hudson Tower design being used, even though better looking than Ally, caused the skyscraper to look less unique or unique.

I still prefer the classics. Love the Ally building. Far superior to any style glass tower.

[Gistok]

I still prefer the classics. Love the Ally building. Far superior to any style glass tower.

I gotta agree completely. The Ally Tower is Post Modern. Some Post Modern buildings look silly, so Detroit was lucky in getting among the nicest of that design in the Ally Tower. It has a skin made mostly of granite with glass. Just glass alone makes for a poor substitute for architecture.

The Brutalist building era pretty much passed Detroit by, although we do have the McNamara Federal Building.

Even Minuru Yamasaki's buildings have hits and misses. His office towers just don't have the classy details of his smaller works. Some of his WSU designs are beautiful.

[canuck]

I still prefer the classics. Love the Ally building. Far superior to any style glass tower.

I gotta agree completely. The Ally Tower is Post Modern. Some Post Modern buildings look silly, so Detroit was lucky in getting among the nicest of that design in the Ally Tower. It has a skin made mostly of granite with glass. Just glass alone makes for a poor substitute for architecture.

The Brutalist building era pretty much passed Detroit by, although we do have the McNamara Federal Building.

Even Minuru Yamasaki's buildings have hits and misses. His office towers just don't have the classy details of his smaller works. Some of his WSU designs are beautiful.

I agree with both of youse.

[Scottathew]

Can someone post some comparison pics here? I'm not sure I follow what the difference is.

Look at the left vs right [preferred]