BuildingScape: A Vast Wasteland
Click to enlarge. Photo for thegazz.com by Walker DeVille
View Number 2 of the vast wasteland in front of the Clay Center. Normally, I am all for dramatic presentation and open plazas. But the Clay Center has never quite become the community locus that it could be (much less, being seen as an inviting place to those who yet believe it is beyond the reach of their pocketbooks and wallets). It would greatly help to re-conceive the entire front of the place as described below. To drive by and see a host of cars parked in front, with stands and kiosks selling lunch foods and drinks and people sitting and strolling around would go a long way toward making the center seem more inviting, more busy, more welcoming.
5 Comments:
I like your ideas, but I fear it's about a block too far from the center of downtown to attract many folks for lunch. The hospital is close but they have a good and cheap cafeteria. The complete lack of shade would make it pretty uncomfortable on warm days.
They tried to have some lunchtime events there in the past and virtually nobody came.
I agree the place is poorly sited for the kind of foot traffic that would be optimal. But canvas awnings (designed with an aesthetic flair) could easily provide shade and make for a much more humanistic experience there on the plaza. Plus, patrons INSIDE the center could come out and buy lunch (perhaps served by the kitchen staff in the center's cafeteria). The presence of diners and boulevardiers outside the center could only enhance making the place appear more inviting to we petit bourgeoise and lumpen proletariat.
I'm originally from Charleston but now live in Atlanta, where you commonly see VERY extensive and elaborate landscaping around centers like this.
They wouldn't even build a Clay Center type of facility down here without saturating the front lawn area with trees, shrubs, flowers, and brick/stone decorative walls. Some may call it expensive "eye candy", but I think studies do show that the more attractive a facility is on the outside, the more people will think about it when they see it, increasing the chances they will actually visit it.
Well worth considering. Plants some flowers and trees for crying out loud!
I like the ideas, and perhaps if food vendors were a regular sight at the Clay Center, folks might actually walk out of their way to hang out and have lunch. Provided that the over-priced nature of all things "Clay" did not extend to the vendors out front. People will pay for quality, but only what it's worth.
I'm all for trees and benches too.
But in that neighborhood, it would draw the bums like flies. Or the bums and their flies.
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