UGLY BUILDING IN PRETTY CITIES, PT 1

An ugly building grows on the people who see it every day. Living near ugly architecture doesn’t make anyone ugly, but it’s not wonderful reflection, either.

Imagine seeing the same eye sore every time you went to town. You’ve got one where you live?

There’s at least one for every city.

Portland has one, Paris has one, but what do they have in common?

Portland’s ugly building nominee on boomerpdx is the Wells Fargo Center, once known as the First Interstate Tower.

Big and ugly and as out of place as a tuxedo on Naked Bike Ride night, the thing is a bunch of white and black lines. Who was the gifted artist who drew that the first time. I can hear it:

“Let’s see, a black line of glass, a white rail of stone. Then a black line of glass and a white rail of stone. I’ve got it, another black line of glass and white rail of stone.”

I’m sure it was more complicated, after all we’re talking about highly skilled architects with the education and experience that goes along with the title of master builder.

Today it’s as out of place as it was when it was built, but at leas the city is growing around it. In the future it might look like an inspired design when taller towers fill in between Big Pink and Big Stripe.

I can see the genius tag rolled out in another fifty years with the words, “They knew what they didn’t know.”

Does Chicago have anything like it?

Paris has an ugly building problem

Will Paris grow up around this big black tombstone? If so, they’d better get with it.

This is the best anyone in a world art capital could come up with? No had the guts to say, “It doesn’t fit.”

Where was the zoning that asks builders to fit into the neighborhood. The city is an off white for miles, but a big black box got the green light?

We can draw inspiration from the French who seek the Eiffel Tower as a lunch stop because it’s the only place in town you can’t see it.

They know how to live best, after all.