Cleveland Plaza is a level of architectural intervention unusual for an older building. The canopy on steel and reinforced concrete armature gives a neat hat atop this structure. I was fortunate to get a peek into St. Michaels church down the block. The stained glass, while narrow and compact, had themes and coloration that made them stand out. Religious statuary
We drove from New Jersey for a chance to see one of the three Great American Main Street Award winners for that year. My colleague Hannah Davis joined me to give a tour of Florence to me and my two kids who were travelling with me. Right away we were struck by the presence of large institutions like this one,
Pavement to plaza is a global movement to reclaim parking lots and repurpose them for use by people. William “Holly” Whyte famously said people are most likely to sit where there are places to sit. Food is among the best tools to attract people. Put these together then you have a formula for active, loved, and well used places. Related
Northshire Bookstore is one of the best merchandized book stores I’ve seen. The store is arranged as a series of rooms to conform with the irregular floor plan of the building. Still it manages to have ample open spaces for displays. Makes it very easy to bump into the perfect book or gift item. Merchandizing with clear product groupings and
Museum of the American Revolution Crucial moments in the American Revolution are told through artifacts and interpretive text. Of particular interest to us as people living in New Jersey was the section documenting Washington’s retreat from November 1776. Washington wrote that he had “not above 3,000 men, and they very much broken and dispirted.” The numbers continued to dwindly with
When visiting this Panda Express while traveling through Baltimore, we were quite impressed by the landscape design, furnishings, and amenities at Yard 56. It started with this tiered garden with landscaping. The furnishing took on an industrial character. Many places have suspended garden lights or cafe lights to enliven public spaces. Here there was a distinctive light with a tubular
The street was closed with temporary barriers to allow for tents and outdoor dining while the COVID-19 pandemic was still going on. The New Brunswick Performing Arts Center is a multi-story building that rose near the State Theater. The different scales of buildings is clearly on display with the two story terra cotta building looking minuscule compared to the base
History photos enliven an otherwise blank wall. The Bijou is one of several theaters providing for the entertainment needs of the city and region. Water feature through the downtown steps from where the Farmers Market is held each week. Some of the public art commissioned, including a descriptive plaque with price tag. Water feature in Market Square, steps from shops,
The BOB – which stands for “Big Old Building” – is a go to social and entertainment venue in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have creatively repurposed the space with dining, indoor and outdoor entertainment, and the new 20 Monroe Live space for up to 2580 people. The outdoor beer garden is more open than others we’ve seen and feels
The 30th Street Station in Philadelphia became a place for some excitin innovation in November 2011. This is when a drive for vehicle pick-up and drop-off was converted to a people-friendly plaza. This was achieved through the addition of food trucks, a beer garden, plantings, and plenty of space for people to spread out.