Clarus building updates

Oh ****. This old chestnut again.

http://villagegreennj.com/towns/government/maplewood-officials-meet-famed-architect-re-post-office-project/

Eisenman never formally offered his services.

http://villagegreennj.com/towns/government/maplewood-officials-meet-famed-architect-re-post-office-project/

Meier stated: "I’d be happy to design something for the site" - and would work with JMF. So this has nothing to do with designing the whole project - he was be open to design "something" for the site.

The guy, with local connections, agreed to a short meeting. That is hardly him offering to design the building.

And have you seen his work? You would be the among the first to say that what he would design were he to design a building there is our of character for Maplewood.

Still ugly

Exactly as ugly as everything else JMF has done, so no surprises there.

I suppose one could argue that except for the town hall, most of the schools, and some churches, perhaps the Maplewood Trust building -- a pretty good list, but all built in another era -- none of the buildings in Maplewood are particularly distinctive. What's the answer, to stop building anything? Meier, Eisenman, Stern, et al., they simply don't do work in towns like ours, what's the point of even bringing them up.

it is possible to build something hat doesn't look like a facade on Disney's Main Street. It doesn't have to be Frank Gehry to be designed.

I don't disagree. I like 3rd & Valley in S.O. The Avenue there is ok. But I also know people who dislike those buildings. Not sure what the solution is.

Disney's Main Street? Huh? I don't get it. Now that we can actually see the height with our own eyes, the doomsayers have been officially and completely debunked. Nobody will ever agree on issues of taste and style, so that debate seems fairly pointless. But at least we can all now agree that Maplewood will not be "ruined," right? Good.

orzabelle said:

it is possible to build something hat doesn't look like a facade on Disney's Main Street. It doesn't have to be Frank Gehry to be designed.

imonlysleeping said:

Nobody will ever agree on issues of taste and style, so that debate seems fairly pointless.

Yup. I've been saying that since the day the first design rendering was shared.

.

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

The services he offered were accepted.

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

.

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

Anyone could have put a bid on the site and hired Richard Meier to serve as the project's architect.

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

That's correct. He offered exactly one hour of his services, which we got. Joe Forgione of JMF Properties, project architect David Minno, Township Director of Community Relations Annette DePalma and Mayor Vic DeLuca were all there.

No one turned down anything.

I believe FLW designed and sold his vision for Falling Water to his client in less time

mtierney said:

I believe FLW designed and sold his vision for Falling Water to his client in less time

he didn't have to deal with an ohnoWaterfall group trying to thwart him.

Not long ago the outcry was over the project supposedly moving too fast. You all need to get your stories straight.

mtierney said:

I believe FLW designed and sold his vision for Falling Water to his client in less time

jamie said:

Eisenman never formally offered his services.

http://villagegreennj.com/towns/government/maplewood-officials-meet-famed-architect-re-post-office-project/

Meier stated: "I’d be happy to design something for the site" - and would work with JMF. So this has nothing to do with designing the whole project - he was be open to design "something" for the site.

What Tau 2?

ml1 said:

mtierney said:

I believe FLW designed and sold his vision for Falling Water to his client in less time

he didn't have to deal with an ohnoWaterfall group trying to thwart him.

A fountain with a cafe and a few benches would have been nice. At least the people of the Township could have benefited. But then again there is a screaming need for possibly the most expensive apartments..............another

bank , restaurant, dry cleaner and most embarrassing of all a Starbucks

ridski said:

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

That's correct. He offered exactly one hour of his services, which we got. Joe Forgione of JMF Properties, project architect David Minno, Township Director of Community Relations Annette DePalma and Mayor Vic DeLuca were all there.

No one turned down anything.

Don't we have a Town Engineer and someone who knows something about architecture..............The Director of

Community Relations..............and the Mayor as an observer.................I can draw and duck and chickens

author said:

ridski said:

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

That's correct. He offered exactly one hour of his services, which we got. Joe Forgione of JMF Properties, project architect David Minno, Township Director of Community Relations Annette DePalma and Mayor Vic DeLuca were all there.

No one turned down anything.

Don't we have a Town Engineer and someone who knows something about architecture..............The Director of

Community Relations..............and the Mayor as an observer.................I can draw and duck and chickens

Don't ask me, I didn't set it up.

ridski said:

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

That's correct. He offered exactly one hour of his services, which we got. Joe Forgione of JMF Properties, project architect David Minno, Township Director of Community Relations Annette DePalma and Mayor Vic DeLuca were all there.

No one turned down anything.

The article quotes that after that he went on vacation. It is awful easy not to follow up on something you would

rather go away

Stoughton said:

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

Anyone could have put a bid on the site and hired Richard Meier to serve as the project's architect.

orzabelle said:

Still ugly

Exactly as ugly as everything else JMF has done, so no surprises there.

Unlike another MOL poster who made a career out of calling the old Post Office Building Ugly

I feel different about this one

It screams Mediocre

It could be here or in Ames Iowa and it still would be impossible to give it an identity

Since so few people in Maplewood Twp care for the name Clarus, I predict in the future it will be known simply

as the "Big Building."

I predict that in the near future no one will give a damn one way or the other.

Every single structure in Maplewood Village would be right at home in Ames, Iowa.

author said:

ridski said:

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

That's correct. He offered exactly one hour of his services, which we got. Joe Forgione of JMF Properties, project architect David Minno, Township Director of Community Relations Annette DePalma and Mayor Vic DeLuca were all there.

No one turned down anything.

The article quotes that after that he went on vacation. It is awful easy not to follow up on something you would

rather go away

Stoughton said:

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

Anyone could have put a bid on the site and hired Richard Meier to serve as the project's architect.

orzabelle said:

Still ugly

Exactly as ugly as everything else JMF has done, so no surprises there.

Unlike another MOL poster who made a career out of calling the old Post Office Building Ugly

I feel different about this one

It screams Mediocre

It could be here or in Ames Iowa and it still would be impossible to give it an identity

Since so few people in Maplewood Twp care for the name Clarus, I predict in the future it will be known simply

as the "Big Building."

Their post office is MUUUUCH nicer!

author said:

ridski said:

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

That's correct. He offered exactly one hour of his services, which we got. Joe Forgione of JMF Properties, project architect David Minno, Township Director of Community Relations Annette DePalma and Mayor Vic DeLuca were all there.

No one turned down anything.

The article quotes that after that he went on vacation. It is awful easy not to follow up on something you would

rather go away

Stoughton said:

mtierney said:

Richard Maier, CHS grad and internationally renown architect who I recall offered his services

Anyone could have put a bid on the site and hired Richard Meier to serve as the project's architect.

orzabelle said:

Still ugly

Exactly as ugly as everything else JMF has done, so no surprises there.

Unlike another MOL poster who made a career out of calling the old Post Office Building Ugly

I feel different about this one

It screams Mediocre

It could be here or in Ames Iowa and it still would be impossible to give it an identity

Since so few people in Maplewood Twp care for the name Clarus, I predict in the future it will be known simply

as the "Big Building."

why hating on Ames? It looks nice.

That looks a lot like Maplewood.

For anyone who might be keeping score, Google says Ames has 5 Starbuckses. (Is that the correct plural for Starbucks?)

Four of them are on the same street.