Renaissance Center at a Crossroads?

[kuuma]

Facing the river is nice in theory, but it hasn't brought that much traffic into the complex from the Riverwalk. If it were facing downtown, then folks from other office towers could either walking over to the Wintergarten to shop or have lunch/dinner, and it wouldn't require walking thru a labyrinth first. Especially if folks took the People Mover, and when they got off they were right in the Wintergarten.

It does feel like there's a disconnect of use between the folks coming through the plaza via the Riverwalk and those entering the atrium. They're not really connected, just side by side. In fact when I moved here I didn't realize you could publicly walk into the Wintergarden from the RW until I was at the RenCen for a con! There isn't much drawing you in from the outside, no signage or signs of life on the outside [[and the street, which is questionably necessary, doesn't help).

Not to harp on about Brookfield Place as a comparison, but there are some noticeable ways it's inviting people to go in and out, really integrating with the outdoor space. RenCen maintains that fortress-like ambiance.