[COM] The Switch - 203 North Terrace | 119m | 35 levels | Student Accom

[Mpol02]

There are plenty of examples of glass on north terrace. Granted it’s closer to west terrace.

I feel this may crap but blend in. Better than Dwell.
To get a striking sandstone design that’s tall I could imagine would be expansive. Ornate and gothic aren’t in vogue either and would cost quite a bit.

I wonder if gold glass much like the casino expansion would have looked great? You can carry through the lines of the heritage building into a modern design.

[Patrick_27]

Everyone would have been frothing 5 years ago. Relax

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Yep, exactly. A few levels in and peeps getting all in a tizz! At least the developers are trying, for better or worse, to keep within the North Terrace memo... sandstone colour, without much glass. A case of damned if you do, damned if you don't. Just my

Precisely this. Funny that people have chosen this building to express their complete and utter disgust at the standard of design and materials despite how many other prominent shockers having gone up in the past few years? This building is cheap and somewhat nasty, but like you've said, at-least they've tried to stick within the North Terrace design rubric meanwhile giving some variance to break it up a little. More than could be said for the concrete slab on Synagogue Place... That building sticks out more than a dogs balls and yet we've all fallen silent on how badly the developers fucked up there.

[Jaymz]

There are plenty of examples of glass on north terrace. Granted it’s closer to west terrace.

I feel this may crap but blend in. Better than Dwell.
To get a striking sandstone design that’s tall I could imagine would be expansive. Ornate and gothic aren’t in vogue either and would cost quite a bit.

I wonder if gold glass much like the casino expansion would have looked great? You can carry through the lines of the heritage building into a modern design.

You keep harping on about Dwell, but it's not even on North Terrace for starters ...and neither is the casino.

[Mpol02]

You’ve taken two parts of my comment out of context dolt. You may like mediocrity like Dwell but others don’t have to. This will have the same poor impact on our skyline. I’m glad I’ve made such an impression you can recall my previous posts. Who are you?

And we havent just chose this one to dump our hate on. Look at all the other monstrosities. People have made their disdain loud and clear. This is just currently the worst of it.

[Jaymz]

I do agree with above comments, Dwell is hands down the worst building built in our CBD in the past 20 years.

I don't think this student accom building could even come close to being as bad. Hope I'm not proven wrong.

[citywatcher]

You’ve taken two parts of my comment out of context dolt. You may like mediocrity like Dwell but others don’t have to. This will have the same poor impact on our skyline. I’m glad I’ve made such an impression you can recall my previous posts. Who are you?

And we havent just chose this one to dump our hate on. Look at all the other monstrosities. People have made their disdain loud and clear. This is just currently the worst of it.

No he hasn't.
You harped on about Dwell.
This thread is not about Dwell. That has it's own thread in which people have stated how horrible it is. Also, it is a building long since finished. Talking about 203 does not mean you need to reference Dwell. Your comments were reactionary and unnecessary.

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[Algernon]

I do agree with above comments, Dwell is hands down the worst building built in our CBD in the past 20 years.

I don't think this student accom building could even come close to being as bad. Hope I'm not proven wrong.

Why 20 years? If you're just going for a number, fair play, but wondering if you have an actual building in mind that is passing on the baton? I think unisa city west would be a candidate, but that's a bit more than 20 years. City Central tower one would also be up there.

[citywatcher]

No need to Dwell on the subject

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[Jaymz]

I do agree with above comments, Dwell is hands down the worst building built in our CBD in the past 20 years.

I don't think this student accom building could even come close to being as bad. Hope I'm not proven wrong.

Why 20 years? If you're just going for a number, fair play, but wondering if you have an actual building in mind that is passing on the baton? I think unisa city west would be a candidate, but that's a bit more than 20 years. City Central tower one would also be up there.

Mostly because there's been LOTS of buildings built in the past 20 years. If you go before that in the 90's there was stuff all built... I can only think of the Myer Centre and the former EDS building. There's the Westpac tower too but that holds a special place due to it (unfortunately) being our tallest building for almost 30 years.

If you go prior to that then there's lots of buildings that look dated due to their age. The 50's, 60,'s and 70's, my personal most hated is the red and white monument to S.A's economic malaise, just off Hindley Street.

[Jaymz]

To add, the 80's saw a bit of a building boom. The 100m+ building with the stepped roof on Grenfell is one of my faves. A highlight on our skyline IMO.

[Llessur2002]

Mostly because there's been LOTS of buildings built in the past 20 years. If you go before that in the 90's there was stuff all built... I can only think of the Myer Centre and the former EDS building. There's the Westpac tower too but that holds a special place due to it (unfortunately) being our tallest building for almost 30 years.

If you go prior to that then there's lots of buildings that look dated due to their age. The 50's, 60,'s and 70's, my personal most hated is the red and white monument to S.A's economic malaise, just off Hindley Street.

I have no problem with the Westpac building - it's an inoffensive design with a half-interesting shape. I could think of a lot of much worse designs from the era which would have been far more of a blight on the skyline than Westpac has.

The Myer Centre is an interesting one as, whilst I wasn't in SA when it was built my experience of seeing other similar buildings rise in the 90s was that they were actually perceived as quite fashionable at the time. Unfortunately a lot of 90s buildings have aged really badly from an aesthetic perspective - the Myer Centre is definitely one of them.

[gnrc_louis]

Mostly because there's been LOTS of buildings built in the past 20 years. If you go before that in the 90's there was stuff all built... I can only think of the Myer Centre and the former EDS building. There's the Westpac tower too but that holds a special place due to it (unfortunately) being our tallest building for almost 30 years.

If you go prior to that then there's lots of buildings that look dated due to their age. The 50's, 60,'s and 70's, my personal most hated is the red and white monument to S.A's economic malaise, just off Hindley Street.

I have no problem with the Westpac building - it's an inoffensive design with a half-interesting shape. I could think of a lot of much worse designs from the era which would have been far more of a blight on the skyline than Westpac has.

The Myer Centre is an interesting one as, whilst I wasn't in SA when it was built my experience of seeing other similar buildings rise in the 90s was that they were actually perceived as quite fashionable at the time. Unfortunately a lot of 90s buildings have aged really badly from an aesthetic perspective - the Myer Centre is definitely one of them.

Post-modernism was definitely big in this period. Not a fan myself, but I think 77 Grenfell is great.

[Patrick_27]

Mostly because there's been LOTS of buildings built in the past 20 years. If you go before that in the 90's there was stuff all built... I can only think of the Myer Centre and the former EDS building. There's the Westpac tower too but that holds a special place due to it (unfortunately) being our tallest building for almost 30 years.

If you go prior to that then there's lots of buildings that look dated due to their age. The 50's, 60,'s and 70's, my personal most hated is the red and white monument to S.A's economic malaise, just off Hindley Street.

I have no problem with the Westpac building - it's an inoffensive design with a half-interesting shape. I could think of a lot of much worse designs from the era which would have been far more of a blight on the skyline than Westpac has.

The Myer Centre is an interesting one as, whilst I wasn't in SA when it was built my experience of seeing other similar buildings rise in the 90s was that they were actually perceived as quite fashionable at the time. Unfortunately a lot of 90s buildings have aged really badly from an aesthetic perspective - the Myer Centre is definitely one of them.

Post-modernism was definitely big in this period. Not a fan myself, but I think 77 Grenfell is great.

I would argue that the majority of the high-rises buildings built in the 70s/80s, all these years later, surpass the quality of those built ever since. The black stump for instance is timeless in it's design, as is the Westpac House. The Telstra building is probably the only once I would say has aged all that well. Whether or not it's still Adelaide's tallest, I don't think we'll look back on Adelaidean favourably in 30-years time. As for the Myer Centre, the worst part of that building, is how little any can actually do to modernise what is showing to be a poorly aged the facade that is without bulldozing it and start allover again, there is so much clad on that building.

[Algernon]

I have no problem with the Westpac building - it's an inoffensive design with a half-interesting shape. I could think of a lot of much worse designs from the era which would have been far more of a blight on the skyline than Westpac has.

The Myer Centre is an interesting one as, whilst I wasn't in SA when it was built my experience of seeing other similar buildings rise in the 90s was that they were actually perceived as quite fashionable at the time. Unfortunately a lot of 90s buildings have aged really badly from an aesthetic perspective - the Myer Centre is definitely one of them.

Post-modernism was definitely big in this period. Not a fan myself, but I think 77 Grenfell is great.

I would argue that the majority of the high-rises buildings built in the 70s/80s, all these years later, surpass the quality of those built ever since. The black stump for instance is timeless in it's design, as is the Westpac House. The Telstra building is probably the only once I would say has aged all that well. Whether or not it's still Adelaide's tallest, I don't think we'll look back on Adelaidean favourably in 30-years time. As for the Myer Centre, the worst part of that building, is how little any can actually do to modernise what is showing to be a poorly aged the facade that is without bulldozing it and start allover again, there is so much clad on that building.

The thing running in favour of demolition of the Myer Centre is that it is such an uneconomical design that there's great incentive to do so. The shopping mall portion can't be remodeled and has failed (hence why most of it is closed off now). The department store portion fares better, but only as well as the department store model can allow. With competition from online retailing putting further pressure on a business model that survives on handouts from landlords to 'anchor' shopping malls in exchange for little to no rent, they're sailing pretty close to the wind.

I saw the Myer Cenre built when I was a kid. I can't really speak to whether people found it fashionable or not. What I do remember though is that it was the biggest damn excavation I ever saw. Would I be sad to see it go? Not really. To me it looks tacky as shit. But the funny thing is how my wife reacted to it. She's from central Europe and very traditional. We always clash on some things because of some of my tastes being "western" to her. When I took her to Adelaide she was sometimes in tears at the modernity of things. She also equates anything that is highrise to communism (the commie blocks referred to here as panelak, or 'panel home'). Doesn't matter if it's a concrete house block or glass tower, high rise is communism to her (as judged by someone who grew up under communism). So it really stood out which things she seemed to like. For instance, she loved Garden East because it "felt European". I was expecting her to vom when she saw the Myer Centre.... she didn't mind it at all? I still can't figure that out

[rev]

As for the Myer Centre, the worst part of that building, is how little any can actually do to modernise what is showing to be a poorly aged the facade that is without bulldozing it and start allover again, there is so much clad on that building.

What about pulling down the facade/exterior walls, and working from there? Would it be possible to change the footprint of the floors as well? Surely it could be reduced or increased here or there.
What would the cost be to demolish it? Wouldn't be cheap.

Or how about SA developers go to short cut, just paint it


And I don't think Adelaidean is that bad, nothing special by a long shot more a generic tower then anything else.
Unless the economy really picks up in the nest decade or two I doubt we're going to see anything really remarkable and iconic getting built.