The Ugliest Buildings in America - Page 2

Mike____ · December 7th, 2010, 11:51 PM

I love that red building!

OEincorparated · December 7th, 2010, 11:56 PM

Those buildings aren't ugly find something uglier.

Hia-leah JDM · December 8th, 2010, 12:48 AM

Mark Twain and President Truman thought this was the ugliest building in America.

Eisenhower Executive Office Building - Washington DC

HipHopCanada · December 8th, 2010, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manitopiaaa

CNA Plaza, Chicago, IL
This tower has ruined Chicago's skyline for me for years

Wow I love that tower are you insane!

Manitopiaaa · December 10th, 2010, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HipHopCanada

Wow I love that tower are you insane!

Holy crap has SSC gone blind. Oh the sadness! That red building sticks out like a sore thumb which wouldn't be bad if it didn't have such a generic boxy design to go along with the atrocious rusted scarlet color. What has this world come to?!

rollsroyce309 · December 10th, 2010, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dallas boi

Dallas City Hall
image hosted on flickr

What the??

Nordeaster · December 10th, 2010, 10:09 PM

Behold.....Riverside Plaza in Minneapolis
image hosted on flickr

Ugly yes, but is about to get a multi-million dollar renovation including making the exterior like the original Ralph Rapson design. I think once the renovation is completed, more people will actually like these buildings.

Resident · December 11th, 2010, 12:48 AM

I actually kind of like the brutality in that design (riverside plaza), if nothing else at least it's unique. What are the plans? Recladding, or... something else?

Resident · December 11th, 2010, 01:07 AM

Oh, btw what neighborhood is that building in. I've been on city-data.com looking at neighborhood profiles, racial diversity, density and such. I just don't know many Minneapolis neighborhoods outside of downtown and uptown, I know it's pretty limited.

Dallas boi · December 12th, 2010, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rollsroyce309

What the??

What are you talking about?

STLgasm · December 12th, 2010, 05:20 PM

Yeah, the CNA building is awesome. I think it enhances the Chicago skyline.

Nordeaster · December 13th, 2010, 07:14 PM

The Riverside Plaza complex is in the Cedar/Riverside neighborhood. It is in between 35W to the west and the Mississippi river to the East. It is very racially diverse. Espescially dominated by Somalians and East African immigrants.

Nordeaster · December 13th, 2010, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resident

I actually kind of like the brutality in that design (riverside plaza), if nothing else at least it's unique. What are the plans? Recladding, or... something else?

The plan for the exterior includes new windows and re-painting of the colored panels on the exterior. The horrible peach color was used because the original construction ran out of money. I believe they will be re-painted according to the original design. Imagine mostly white with punches of primary colored panels randomly selected.

mhays · December 13th, 2010, 10:40 PM

"colored panels randomly selected".... this isn't sounding pretty.

Somnifor · December 14th, 2010, 02:22 AM

The original plan when it was being built was for tenants to choose the color of the panel that corresponded to their unit which is why the placing of the colored panels looks so random.

Riverside Plaza was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the archetypal hideous brutalist tower block and will be preserved for posterity. Personally, I like it, it is so ugly that it is beautiful.

mhays · December 14th, 2010, 03:32 AM

Thanks for the background Somnifor.

Those are two of the worst ideas of all time. The first one is a creative idea in a totally wrong place, with horrific results. The second highlights how much is wrong with much of the preservation community.

Jennifat · December 16th, 2010, 12:47 AM

As a Minneapolis resident, I too find Riverside Plaza so offensively hideous that it's actually endearing. The developers couldn't have built a more ghastly example of 70s brutalism.

To think these were originally built to be luxury condos...even Mary Richards fictitiously lived in this complex toward the end of the Mary Tyler Moore show. Laughable!

Somnifor · December 16th, 2010, 06:37 PM

My nominee for the ugliest building in the US is the Kaden Tower in Louisville:

image hosted on flickr

bob rulz · December 16th, 2010, 08:24 PM

In Salt Lake City, it has to be the LDS Church Office Building, which was built in 1973. Unfortunately, not only is it the 2nd-tallest building in the city, but it looks the tallest because it's on higher ground than any of our other skyscrapers.

It used to be the Key Bank Building, also built during the '70s.

Luckily it was demolished in 2007 to make way for new development.

noviracer · January 8th, 2011, 10:45 PM

The Kaden Tower wins my vote among the buildings pictured.

December 7th, 2010, 11:51 PM	#21
Mike____ (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ninove/Brussels Posts: 4,582 Likes (Received): 187	I love that red building! __________________ Belgium ♦ ♠ ♥ ♣

December 11th, 2010, 12:48 AM	#28
Resident Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 548 Likes (Received): 0	I actually kind of like the brutality in that design (riverside plaza), if nothing else at least it's unique. What are the plans? Recladding, or... something else? __________________ transplanted. 303 --->317---> 414

December 11th, 2010, 01:07 AM	#29
Resident Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 548 Likes (Received): 0	Oh, btw what neighborhood is that building in. I've been on city-data.com looking at neighborhood profiles, racial diversity, density and such. I just don't know many Minneapolis neighborhoods outside of downtown and uptown, I know it's pretty limited. __________________ transplanted. 303 --->317---> 414

December 16th, 2010, 12:47 AM	#37
Jennifat Midwest Diva Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States Posts: 1,277 Likes (Received): 90	As a Minneapolis resident, I too find Riverside Plaza so offensively hideous that it's actually endearing. The developers couldn't have built a more ghastly example of 70s brutalism. To think these were originally built to be luxury condos...even Mary Richards fictitiously lived in this complex toward the end of the Mary Tyler Moore show. Laughable! __________________ My North Star State Photo Threads Minneapolis / St. Paul Downtown Minneapolis \| Mill District, Minneapolis \| North Loop, Minneapolis Northeast Minneapolis 1 \| Northeast Minneapolis 2 \| Loring Park and Mpls Sculpture Garden Uptown, Minneapolis \| U of M—East Bank \| U of M—West Bank \| Downtown St. Paul 1\| Downtown St. Paul 2 Greater Minnesota Cities and Towns of Minnesota

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December 7th, 2010, 11:56 PM	#22
OEincorparated Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,995 Likes (Received): 4	Those buildings aren't ugly find something uglier.

December 8th, 2010, 12:48 AM	#23
Hia-leah JDM Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Jacksonville Posts: 2,794 Likes (Received): 35	Mark Twain and President Truman thought this was the ugliest building in America. Eisenhower Executive Office Building - Washington DC

December 10th, 2010, 10:09 PM	#27
Nordeaster Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 76 Likes (Received): 0	Behold.....Riverside Plaza in Minneapolis image hosted on flickr Ugly yes, but is about to get a multi-million dollar renovation including making the exterior like the original Ralph Rapson design. I think once the renovation is completed, more people will actually like these buildings.

December 12th, 2010, 05:20 PM	#31
STLgasm Live from red brick mama Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 378 Likes (Received): 0	Yeah, the CNA building is awesome. I think it enhances the Chicago skyline.

December 13th, 2010, 07:14 PM	#32
Nordeaster Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 76 Likes (Received): 0	The Riverside Plaza complex is in the Cedar/Riverside neighborhood. It is in between 35W to the west and the Mississippi river to the East. It is very racially diverse. Espescially dominated by Somalians and East African immigrants.

December 13th, 2010, 10:40 PM	#34
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,390 Likes (Received): 119	"colored panels randomly selected".... this isn't sounding pretty.

December 14th, 2010, 02:22 AM	#35
Somnifor Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 2,596 Likes (Received): 111	The original plan when it was being built was for tenants to choose the color of the panel that corresponded to their unit which is why the placing of the colored panels looks so random. Riverside Plaza was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the archetypal hideous brutalist tower block and will be preserved for posterity. Personally, I like it, it is so ugly that it is beautiful.

December 14th, 2010, 03:32 AM	#36
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,390 Likes (Received): 119	Thanks for the background Somnifor. Those are two of the worst ideas of all time. The first one is a creative idea in a totally wrong place, with horrific results. The second highlights how much is wrong with much of the preservation community.

December 16th, 2010, 06:37 PM	#38
Somnifor Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 2,596 Likes (Received): 111	My nominee for the ugliest building in the US is the Kaden Tower in Louisville: image hosted on flickr

December 16th, 2010, 08:24 PM	#39
bob rulz Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 557 Likes (Received): 0	In Salt Lake City, it has to be the LDS Church Office Building, which was built in 1973. Unfortunately, not only is it the 2nd-tallest building in the city, but it looks the tallest because it's on higher ground than any of our other skyscrapers. It used to be the Key Bank Building, also built during the '70s. Luckily it was demolished in 2007 to make way for new development.

January 8th, 2011, 10:45 PM	#40
noviracer Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1 Likes (Received): 0	The Kaden Tower wins my vote among the buildings pictured.