“The proposed high-rise is nothing new in its design or use of materials. The building is clearly a developer-driven project that proposes open floor plates with leasable space and does not strive for innovation. The design is based on the Miesian skyscrapers that was further articulated with the Mies/Johnson Seagram’s Building – pancake floor slabs with a glass curtain wall. It’s a blunt, three-dimensional extrusion that lacks any particular characteristics that would discern it from other buildings (55 Public Square, Diamond Building, Penton Media Building).

And, just as so many other high rises in Cleveland, the proposed Jacobs-Hines tower lacks any relationship to its site and context. It is blatantly impersonal in a part of town – Public Square – which requires buildings to be personal (ie. Terminal Tower, BP Tower, KeyBank). The site of the proposed project requires a better response than ‘pancake architecture’…” (go to article)

“Cameron Sinclair Lecture. Blog On the City provided a review of the Sinclair (Architecture for Humanity) lecture that was spot on. Frankly every damn architect and designer in the city should have been there, but we only saw the usual suspects. For those who did attend and heard Mr. Sinclair’s speech, please visit the AFH Cleveland website and become involved with the group…” (go to article)

“Le Corbusier dreamt up Ville Contemporaine.

Frank Lloyd Wright envisioned Broadacre City. Now, add into the mix Rem Koolhaas‘ design for the Waterfront City in Dubai – some 1.5 billion (yes, with a ‘b’ people) square feet of development.

Yet again, one of the notorious Starchitects proposes an urban development plan that is suspended in hypotheticals in lieu of considerations for practicality. While the New York Times gushes over the prospect of the project, here are shortcomings that we see…” (go to article)

Read more from the newest addition to the Cleveland Design City community! Cleveland architecture and design blog Improvising Schema has been added to the Cleveland Design City feeds at right: “Likewise, the CUDC (Cleveland Urban Design Center) did a great job of kick-starting this year’s Pop-Up temporary installation with a workshop earlier today. Berlin-based landscape architect and planner Klaus Overmeyer provided an insight into his firm’s studies which comprise the book Urban Pioneers. Frankly, Mr. Overmeyer gave IS a lot to think about in terms of repurposing existing spaces and buildings. Given that we at IS are an architect, we consume ourselves with a final, built product – not repurposing for an event or use (renovations aside).

Tore Dobberstein and Andreas Haase from Sportification (Berlin-based planners) also gave us something to think about – temporal use of a space with athletic events that varied from BMX bikes (we suspect Tore is an avid BMX rider) to Frisbee golf. Once again, it gave us something to think about…” (go to article)