cross posted from the Great City blog…
That seems to be the underlying question that Lawrence Cheek is asking in his article in today’s PI. In looking at South Lake Union, Cheek praises a few developments like the South Lake Union Discovery Center by Miller|Hull (and the epicenter of our Great City Block Party on July 17th), the REI Headquarters by Mithun and the new Terry-Thomas Building by Weber Thompson, but largely dismisses the architecture of the area (though it is odd that he doesn’t mention a project he previously praised, the NBBJ project, Alley 24, which is just across the street from REI).
While Cheek does acknowledge some of the strong pedestrian amenities (I love heading down to Feierabend for some German food on their little streetside patio), anyone who has been to Portland’s Pearl District or just about anywhere in Vanouver’s downtown peninsula can understand where he’s writing from. In comparison to SLU, there is simply a glut of compelling urbanism–and the best of it even speaks to a regional connection to the world beyond. The city invites you to stay longer than you intended.
So how did they do it? And why aren’t we? We have Design Review Boards and ostensibly the same economic drivers, so where is our compelling, market-driven architecture?
