Ideas to Make over Cobo Center

[ghettopalmetto]

Honestly, Cobo is as good as any I have seen. FWIW, Cobo does do a decent job of providing pedestrian access from the street. Many of the other convention centers that I've been to in the country don't accomplish this as well.

There's such a thing as "being able to walk in the door from the sidewalk", and then there's "interacting with its surroundings". The two are completely different animals.

The present incarnation of Cobo doesn't recognize that anything exists on a human [[i.e. 5'-6' high) scale. It's a colossus of a building that turns blank walls to all sides. It pays no respect to any of the surrounding buildings, the street, or the riverfront. It's just a blank box that fell to the earth from space. Where's the detailing, especially at street level???

[Detroitnerd]

The present incarnation of Cobo doesn't recognize that anything exists on a human [[i.e. 5'-6' high) scale. It's a colossus of a building that turns blank walls to all sides. It pays no respect to any of the surrounding buildings, the street, or the riverfront. It's just a blank box that fell to the earth from space. Where's the detailing, especially at street level???

I see what you're getting at. Aesthetically, it sort of turns its back on the city. [[It's almost all "back" when you get right down to it.)

I guess in New York, Javits looked more appealing, with plenty of glass and an obvious entrance. But, then again, it was on the other side of a big, seven-lane expressway.

[ghettopalmetto]

By no means do I think these are perfect examples, but I think they are definitely improvements over Cobo. Since convention center buildings are massive in scale, it's difficult to not dwarf and overrun the surrounding blocks. This is also why I'm skeptical of cities who use convention centers as "revitalization" tools, because they amount to nothing but "slum clearance" projects that deaden the street by eliminating fine-grained urban fabric in favor of a single massive facade.

First, the Washington Convention Center. The center covers six city blocks. The rear [[north) is across the street from rowhouses. The front of the building faces Mount Vernon Square. Two city streets run "through" the center. The awning, while not perfect, at least suggests that people might want to enter the building. The street in front is kept at a reasonable scale for pedestrians to cross. the facade materials were chosen to complement the city's monumental core.

http://www.mcul.org/files/cucorp/744...n%20Center.jpg

Although I think it looks like a giant Greyhound bus station, the Baltimore Convention Center isn't terrific, but note the plaza in front along Light Street. The light rail [[and Camden Station) are across Howard Street to the right of the image.

http://www.bccenter.org/downloads/im.../bcc_thumb.gif


In my opinion, the absolute best-looking convention center is the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, which occupies the former Reading Railroad Terminal. The center is connected to the Market East rail station [[subway, light rail, and regional rail lines) and fits in the dense, varied fabric of Center City.

http://img175.imageshack.us/i/img2514plt7.jpg/

http://exponet.theexpogroup.com/Medi...tionCenter.jpg

[Detroitnerd]

By no means do I think these are perfect examples, but I think they are definitely improvements over Cobo.

They all remind me of railroad stations. It's funny: We haven't been able to think of a better model for a large building set down in the midst of a city.

[iheartthed]

There's such a thing as "being able to walk in the door from the sidewalk", and then there's "interacting with its surroundings". The two are completely different animals.

The present incarnation of Cobo doesn't recognize that anything exists on a human [[i.e. 5'-6' high) scale. It's a colossus of a building that turns blank walls to all sides. It pays no respect to any of the surrounding buildings, the street, or the riverfront. It's just a blank box that fell to the earth from space. Where's the detailing, especially at street level???

Well, I'm not saying that Cobo is perfect. I agree that much of the interior convention space is walled off from the surrounding area. But as far as convention centers being integrated into the surrounding area, from a pedestrian level... You could do a LOT worse than Cobo. I've been to a few convention centers around the country, and few are as accessible from the street as is Cobo.

Most centers have large setbacks from the street and/or are surrounded by large roads/highways/parking structures that make it inconvenient to access by foot. Cobo is set right up against the street. Ironically, it is nearly the complete antithesis of what its neighbor the Ren Cen used to be in terms of pedestrian accessible.

[ghettopalmetto]

Well, I'm not saying that Cobo is perfect. I agree that much of the interior convention space is walled off from the surrounding area. But as far as convention centers being integrated into the surrounding area, from a pedestrian level... You could do a LOT worse than Cobo. I've been to a few convention centers around the country, and few are as accessible from the street as is Cobo.

I don't know how you can do worse than this:

[Detroitnerd]

I don't know how you can do worse than this:

For one, Javits is worse:

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strol...its_Center.jpg

[iheartthed]

I don't know how you can do worse than this:

It's a bit unfair to judge the complex by that side... You should traverse the perimeter of the building along Washington Blvd. Very few convention centers in this country are that well scaled to the street.

[ghettopalmetto]

It's a bit unfair to judge the complex by that side... You should traverse the perimeter of the building along Washington Blvd. Very few convention centers in this country are that well scaled to the street.

Would you rather I judge Cobo by the side that backs up to Joe Louis Arena and the Lodge Freeway? Or the side that presents a blank, forboding wall to the Detroit River? Oh, you mean the side where the main entrance sits over an 8-lane freeway tunnel, right?

I think some decent examples of street-friendly convention centers have been presented here. You seem to imply that, "Oh well, nobody else has done it, so why should we even try it in Detroit?" It's almost as if you're excusing the apathy of the design.

[Detroitnerd]

Would you rather I judge Cobo by the side that backs up to Joe Louis Arena and the Lodge Freeway? Or the side that presents a blank, forboding wall to the Detroit River? Oh, you mean the side where the main entrance sits over an 8-lane freeway tunnel, right?

It's the most urban-friendly side of Cobo. 'Nuff said.

[iheartthed]

Would you rather I judge Cobo by the side that backs up to Joe Louis Arena and the Lodge Freeway? Or the side that presents a blank, forboding wall to the Detroit River? Oh, you mean the side where the main entrance sits over an 8-lane freeway tunnel, right?

I think some decent examples of street-friendly convention centers have been presented here. You seem to imply that, "Oh well, nobody else has done it, so why should we even try it in Detroit?" It's almost as if you're excusing the apathy of the design.

I don't get your point. The entrance to Cobo is on Washington Blvd. That isn't an 8 lane freeway tunnel. Who cares if the freeway goes underneath it?! The entrance to Cobo is on Washington Blvd. Which is a 4 lane boulevard.

My point isn't that Cobo couldn't be done better. In fact, I've said at the very beginning of our back and forth that it could be improved. But as far as convention centers that are scaled well into the street, Cobo is one of the best examples that exists in the U.S. It's a bit dishonest not to acknowledge that much...