Hudson's Site Building Thread

**JonWylie** · March-09-21, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Scottathew

EGrant, good find. Is it just me, or are there two different renderings? There's the first one they show in the video with a multi-height tiered building, and then one after that where the building seems to be much more of a rectangular box with no multi-height tiers?

It also has a rendering of the MLS stadium on the jail site, so a lot of this video is outdated.

**UrbanViews** · March-09-21, 12:08 PM

Here are some Hudson Mock Up images I was able to take from a different angle from what we've all seen.
https://i.imgur.com/J10Jofr.jpg

My Guess is these are the materials planned for the block portion
https://i.imgur.com/E4JLoy5.jpg

My Guess is these are the materials planned for the tower portion
https://i.imgur.com/F1o5eJZ.jpg

Sorry for the links, Thought they would embed

**UrbanViews** · March-09-21, 12:10 PM

http://

**Dexlin** · March-09-21, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Scottathew

EGrant, good find. Is it just me, or are there two different renderings? There's the first one they show in the video with a multi-height tiered building, and then one after that where the building seems to be much more of a rectangular box with no multi-height tiers?

Again, that video has been out since last summer and does not show the current design.

**Gistok** · March-09-21, 12:18 PM

I zoomed in and enlarged the facade skin of the block portion, as it is planned. There's a kind of "streamlined Art Deco" look to it [[as found in the Empire State Building). I like the design, partly because it isn't the common "random window placement" look to it that seems common to modern buildings.

**EGrant** · March-09-21, 12:56 PM

The images in the video I shared are the most updated renderings we have. I am not saying they are the final renderings, or the most accurate renderings for where the project is now, but it's the most recent official thing we've seen outside of the steel frame image from a Crain's Article. They also show some of the facade design we see in the photos above.

Also, the animation at the end of the video with the MLS stadium is very very old, but that's not what I was referencing. When the video was updated last summer, they took out an even older set of renderings and added the newer ones, but kept everything else, including the video that flies down Woodward. Sheesh!

**Satiricalivory** · March-09-21, 02:31 PM

I would not get my hopes up for any height increases. Just be happy with the 2nd tallest building in the city having f*cking terracotta!

**bust** · March-09-21, 02:51 PM

Maybe at 49 floors we can hold hope for tall ceilings. That would be nice. What a mistake it was for some developers to cut costs by keeping them uncomfortably low [[ahem, Riverfront Towers). I hope the design does not include unnecessarily many and unnecessarily tall mechanical floors instead, but it wouldn't be so bad in this case, I guess.

A reminder the current 2nd tallest building in Detroit is clad in granite and limestone. But I still kinda hate it for killing every single sidewalk that surrounds it [[the restuarant was an add-on).

I'm happy with the new Hudson's design mostly because the developer has taken the opposite approach and seeks to activate the sidewalks, invite pedestrians in, and encourage its occupants to mix out.

**Warrenite84** · March-09-21, 03:58 PM

With COVID-19 disrupting a boom period for Detroit, I'm totally ok with waiting a little on the tower. Once the pandemic is over and businesses decide what kind of future space they need, then decide on the tower height.

Who knows? Maybe a second hotel is needed and demand for condos returns. Once it is built, that is it. No additions. It like the Madison Ave. site are prominent locations that deserve the best quality and reasonable massing. Nothing like the botched Statler site. Never build less than what was torn down, IMHO.

**Scottathew** · March-09-21, 04:34 PM

UrbanViews, FANTASTIC! Thank you very much for taking those and sharing them.

**Satiricalivory** · March-09-21, 04:37 PM

When this is finally opened covid will be long gone or fully controlled. Nobody can really know what events will occur with a project that takes as long as this or when the absolute best conditions will be. Waiting makes no sense, they've already decided what they need.

**Dexlin** · March-09-21, 06:15 PM

So cool. These both look to be tower mock-ups. Whatever the ultimate specs are, it's good to see they've generally kept the same styling as on previous versions of the complex.

**Gistok** · March-09-21, 07:03 PM

From what was posted [[now long ago) on this thread was that the current configuration of the tower could not go above 912 ft. due to the limited space for elevator capacity. I wonder if the 680ft vs 912ft. utilizes the same amount of elevators? If so... then I agree that waiting a bit on building out the tower portion of the block, could be required if additional height [[of some kind) might be needed.

**Atticus** · March-09-21, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

From what was posted [[now long ago) on this thread was that the current configuration of the tower could not go above 912 ft. due to the limited space for elevator capacity. I wonder if the 680ft vs 912ft. utilizes the same amount of elevators? If so... then I agree that waiting a bit on building out the tower portion of the block, could be required if additional height [[of some kind) might be needed.

The main reason for the tower height reduction is due to 1) the absence of the observation deck [[dropping it from 912’ to ~830’ range), and 2) the inability of the developers to attract two hotel brands [[and investors in said hotels) to occupy the tower. There were supposed to be two high end hotels in the original proposal. Now there is one. Subtract one of the two hotels from the tower, and that’s why the height reduction went from ~830’ to 680’.

**Gistok** · March-09-21, 09:03 PM

^^ Atticus, actually when the increase to the 912 ft. number was bandied about, the observation deck was dropped, because there were only so many elevator shafts that could be in the tower, and an observation deck required its own express elevator.

But your other comments are likely correct.

**southen** · March-09-21, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by Dexlin

So cool. These both look to be tower mock-ups. Whatever the ultimate specs are, it's good to see they've generally kept the same styling as on previous versions of the complex.

That is an older rendering. That detail on the tower in that image is actually being used on the block now.

**Dexlin** · March-09-21, 10:18 PM

Oh, I know. If you blow it up, you can see that they've generally kept the design features, was my point.

**EGrant** · March-10-21, 10:06 AM

We need an "updated rendering ombudsman" for this thread haha.

Side note, big concrete pour yesterday; they are inching closer to the tower side of the site. Cool seeing the site buzzing with so much activity.

**stasu1213** · March-11-21, 02:05 PM

The building should be made iconic without the height

**bust** · March-11-21, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

The building should be made iconic without the height

Here here!
[[Hear hear!)?

So many buildings are famous only for their height.
So often it came at the expense of aesthetics and utility.
To make a metaphor, winning the competition to hang your tie longest never looks better, never works better, almost always looks absurd.

The Chrysler Building is the only building I know whose design probably benefited from that silly height fetish.
It was the world's tallest building-- for 11 months.
Today not in the top 100-- not even close.

None other of my favorite architecture is close to as tall.

**Scottathew** · March-13-21, 09:03 PM

Good size concrete pour on a Saturday!

**Satiricalivory** · March-13-21, 10:47 PM

Looks like they've cleaned up the core portion of the tower, seems like they're getting ready for something.

**stasu1213** · March-14-21, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by bust

Here here!
[[Hear hear!)?

So many buildings are famous only for their height.
So often it came at the expense of aesthetics and utility.
To make a metaphor, winning the competition to hang your tie longest never looks better, never works better, almost always looks absurd.

The Chrysler Building is the only building I know whose design probably benefited from that silly height fetish.
It was the world's tallest building-- for 11 months.
Today not in the top 100-- not even close.

None other of my favorite architecture is close to as tall.

The Hudson's Department Store wasn't tall be it was iconic. Creative funtional design wins all of the time. The RenCen is a Detroit face landmark to the world but had always been a sleeping giant. An island off to itself

**Gistok** · March-14-21, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

The Hudson's Department Store wasn't tall be it was iconic. Creative funtional design wins all of the time. The RenCen is a Detroit face landmark to the world but had always been a sleeping giant. An island off to itself

The tower portion of Hudson's was an impressive [[for 1920s standards) 440 ft. tall.