This will go up near the river and Constitution Plaza, katty corner to the new science center, and across the street from the iconic Phoenix "boat." The curved part of the new building is designed to compliment the curved sided of the Phoenix building. The scale fits the neighborhood pretty well.

It will be a platinum LEEDS building which is the highest rating for green buildings.


http://www.courant.com/media/photo/2008-12/43693140.jpg

http://www.courant.com/media/photo/2008-12/43693252.jpg

http://www.courant.com/media/photo/2008-12/43693094.jpg

Looks great hope it gets built!

If the renders are accurate ... that is one handsome structure! Very modern!

It's a beauty!

It's very nice indeed but what's up with the scaffolding? Are they attracting mosquitoes off the Connecticut River?

So this is what will replace the current space. Love the design, although it would be cooler if was taller.

Still, very nice. :cool:

damn, that IS a good looking 12-story!

Hard to tell with that photo, but it looks only slightly less pedestrian-unfriendly than the other buildings in that area.

i wonder how much the tall building to the east will effect those PV's on the roof

BTW, this new high rise would replace what is currently there. It's the squat building on the lower right of this pic.

http://www.lighthousecleaning.com/images/constitution%20plaza.jpg

The building is LEED Platinum, so the design takes everything into concideration.

The project manager who works for the owner/operator/anchortenant is a member on Urbanplanet.org, and he has shared info with us along the way. One thing is that on his companies web site there is a PDF file with all the detail of the project. Its 47 pages long and covers shadowing and the angle of the sun in summer and winter months. The HSB building, (the tall building to the East) in not a concern. The South is almost entirely free of obstructions even in the morning and evening.

The building will be able to fully sustain itself by PV and other technologies.

I suggest you guys check out the thread in the Hartford forums at Urban planet. there is just a ton of info over there about this project.

Also I should note that the scaffolding is an design feature that reflects on the area. the South of the building mirrors the Phoenix insurance building, the NW has concrete elements that reflect on the construction styles of the Plaza, and the West mirrirs the XL insurance building.

The other key thing about this building is that it brings another company HQ to the city.

As far as pedestrian friendliness.. Well it is much improved. The current building just has a small entrance on the corner, and the rest is loading docks, stark concrete walls, or plantings.

If you look at the third render Beerbeer posted:

AI Tech Center will have much more interaction with the street.
If you look at the third render Beerbeer posted there is a large dividable retail space on the corner (3 bays bottom right). This retail has a mezzanine level inside that connects to the building common area and the Auditorium and other public spaces. Also there is retail space underneath the auditorium on the left side of the render image.

So the plan seems to take into concideration the need to soften the corner, and make the building aproachable from State Street and Columbus and mainly from the convention center/science center viewpoint down Columbus. But it also still strongly uses the plaza, and should help connect the plaza and the street.

Should be a great project and I can not wait to see what will be done with the vacant hotel next door once the city seizes it.

BTW, this new high rise would replace what is currently there. It's the squat building on the lower right of this pic.

http://www.lighthousecleaning.com/images/constitution%20plaza.jpg

Unless I'm very much mistaken, doesn't WFSB-TV (Ch. 3) have their studios in that squat building? Or have they moved?

Moved to Rocky Hill
the squat building has been vacant for 8+ months I think.