Why waste money on windows when there is no view?

 

Besides there's probably a lot of back of house areas on that side which don't require windows.

I think it just looks so bad because the Med Mart is set back pretty far from the street, and this building is not. And there is a decent-size space between the two buildings. So, it is very noticeable when you are driving north on Ontario. There actually would be some views on the western side of the south-facing wall, so I wouldn't think of windows as a waste. Oh well.

From yesterday.

I think it just looks so bad because the Med Mart is set back pretty far from the street, and this building is not. And there is a decent-size space between the two buildings. So, it is very noticeable when you are driving north on Ontario. There actually would be some views on the western side of the south-facing wall, so I wouldn't think of windows as a waste. Oh well.

 

That entire façade is nothing but receiving docks, stairwells, mechanical/electrical rooms, storage etc.    It is essentially an alley, which typically do not have many windows, if any at all.  I know the GCHI has windows facing that side, so I suppose they could have included some fake windows with spandrel glass.  But in my opinion, I'm fine with no windows.

 

February project update..

 

http://www.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_home/en-US/ConventionCenter/ProjectUpdates/HCD_ConstructionUpdate_0215.pdf

 

January in depth progress report..

 

http://www.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_home/en-US/ConventionCenter/ProjectUpdates/January2015.pdf

 

The tower crane is scheduled to be raised around the beginning of March.

^ "Glass curtainwall panels are in production, with installation to begin soon."

 

WOO! I can't wait to see some glass on this thing.

There were a couple of glass panels up on the Lakeside Ave side as I drove home tonight.

 

From this morning... looks like glass is being installed on the Lakeside front...

 

 

 

 

^thank you for providing regular photos showing the progress of the project.

Looks great, but I'm just struggling to see how this get's done in 14 months.  I know there was a large mass excavation, but this started 14 months ago. 

Skyscraper construction is deceiving in its timeline. The excavation and foundation feel absurdly slow. The base of the building is not much faster. This portion of the Hilton is not as regular and is more complex than that tower portion. The moment construction clears the base it is going to seemingly accelerate out of nowhere and will take most by surprise. The crown will slow down slightly from there but being as it isn't an overly complex crown shouldn't take too long.

 

TL:DR version: The tower construction will fly by in comparison to what we've seen so far.

^thank you for providing regular photos showing the progress of the project.

 

No prob- I wonder how much the coldest February on record slowed down the project, if at all.  I've been watching, and even on some of the coldest days we've had, I've seen work being done.  We're also getting close to a point where they'll have to jump the crane.  The elevator shafts are  almost level with the 13th floor of the JC, and there isn't much more room for the crane to play with.

From today:

 

 

Going vertical!

Ontario side, 13th floor of the JC- taken today...

 

 

 

 

It looks like they changed the Lakeside design slightly.  The renderings used to show what looked like an outdoor patio on the fourth floor.  The curtain wall system installed so far is flush with the floors below.

Yeah it would appear that you're right. That's disappointing... The patio gave the front of the building some added dimension. Now it's going to seem really flat. Every time I notice a new detail about this building, I'm a little more disappointed. Oh well.

^Could it be that the patio either was either supposed to be, or was moved, to the 6th floor from the first?  It looks like there's a setback on the Lakeside side on the 6th floor.

There is only 4 floors in the main base.  The setback appears to be the raised roof of the 4th floor meeting rooms.

The renderings always showed an outdoor space on the fourth floor.  They have now installed curtain wall flush with the walls below.

 

^ Is that the most recent rendering? It's different from what is on Cooper Carry's website:

 

http://www.coopercarry.com/project/hilton-cleveland-downtown/

 

I think the one on the website looks much better. But either way, as it currently stands, it looks like the design has changed yet again with the removal of the patio.

There is only 4 floors in the main base.  The setback appears to be the raised roof of the 4th floor meeting rooms.

The renderings always showed an outdoor space on the fourth floor.  They have now installed curtain wall flush with the walls below.

 

 

OK, I see what you're saying.

It's tough for me to say since I am not in Cleveland and not as familiar with the space, but I think the rendering and the photos are showing different corners.  Look at the med mart position for reference.  It looks like there are still sides that have an inset, but it's on an opposite corner than the photos show.

It's tough for me to say since I am not in Cleveland and not as familiar with the space, but I think the rendering and the photos are showing different corners.  Look at the med mart position for reference.  It looks like there are still sides that have an inset, but it's on an opposite corner than the photos show.

I was thinking the same thing as the pics were taken from Justice Center. I assumed it was first-hand sight that was being brought up.

^I think they are referencing the March 8 photos posted by May Day on the previous page which do show the Lakeside curtain wall.

I was commenting based on what I saw on the earthcam and compared to the renderings.  Either way, I'm excited we have this construction project well underway.

^ Is that the most recent rendering? It's different from what is on Cooper Carry's website:

 

I think the one on the website looks much better. But either way, as it currently stands, it looks like the design has changed yet again with the removal of the patio.

 

It's not the most recent but the upper patio was still indicated in both renderings.

Ontario side, 13th floor of the JC- taken today...

 

 

There is only 4 floors in the main base.  The setback appears to be the raised roof of the 4th floor meeting rooms.

The renderings always showed an outdoor space on the fourth floor.  They have now installed curtain wall flush with the walls below.

 

 

Unless I'm missing something, to me looking at this pic and the rendering it seems like the setback on the Lakeside facade is there, with the raised area for the meeting rooms sitting back.

Ontario side, 13th floor of the JC- taken today...

 

 

There is only 4 floors in the main base.  The setback appears to be the raised roof of the 4th floor meeting rooms.

The renderings always showed an outdoor space on the fourth floor.  They have now installed curtain wall flush with the walls below.

 

 

Unless I'm missing something, to me looking at this pic and the rendering it seems like the setback on the Lakeside facade is there, with the raised area for the meeting rooms sitting back.

 

 

That top picture was taken from Ontario, not Lakeside.

That top picture was taken from Ontario, not Lakeside.

 

Correct, but that you can still see the Lakeside Avenue facade was my point, and from that angle you can see there's a sizable setback for a rooftop garden/patio.  However the picture you posted shows this point even more clearly. 

 

Edit:  Nevermind.  Looking more closely at your pic I see the area that's now flush that everyone else is talking about.

It does look from the above photo and rendering that the Lakeside balcony has been nixed as the curtain wall looks flush.  The rendering does look more interesting.

I wonder why they nixed it. A patio would offer some pretty cool outdoor lake views,and aesthetically it just looks a lot better.

 

Also, it appears that they removed the horizontal details on the concrete part of the "podium." How much are they going to dumb down the design before it's finished?

 

 

^Pure speculation but I would guess value engineering as the design and construction progressed.

I'm also wondering if those protruding accent pieces will still be added in the future.  It's hard to tell in the pictures but there could still be a slight recess to receive an accent stone.

I'm also wondering if those protruding accent pieces will still be added in the future.  It's hard to tell in the pictures but there could still be a slight recess to receive an accent stone.

 

This. Those pieces look like extrusions to be added once the concrete panels are done. Similar to the vertical aluminum extrusions we added to the County Headquarters building after the curtain wall was complete.

 

Chill out folks! Let the contractor finish the building as designed, then critique it.

 

Chill out folks! Let the contractor finish the building as designed, then critique it.

 

But by then it will be too late to use the power of this site to convince them to redo it!! :P

If we had to lose the 4th floor podium balcony for the top floor bar area, I'm okay with that.

Crane is about to jump - pic from the earthcam.

It's still going to be a week or two before it jumps

Updates from this morning:

 

 

 

 

Is there any chance they will complete the banquet/ballroom floors first and have them in use to compliment the Convention Center/Med Mart while the rooms are still being completed?

It's too bad they cut out side deck portion from the project. It looks very boring and uninspiring. Just a flat curtain wall of glass.

^I don't know... this image shows slits where metal beams could be installed for the canopy...

 

 

^ It will look better later, once they've added the metal beams, the canopy, and the cornice.

Glass being installed on the Ontario side... taken today:

 

 

 

Floors now rising as well:

 

 

 

 

Crane is getting jumped on the 28th. First of three jumps. First one is to add 80ft of height to the crane.

Some pics from today (3-18-15)

^^ Digging that reflection!

Does anyone know if the overhang has been eliminated as well?  I would assume the public would have been informed of all the changes in the designs.  Odd design changes.

Does anyone know if the overhang has been eliminated as well?  I would assume the public would have been informed of all the changes in the designs.  Odd design changes.

 

Which overhang?

 

This is the type of stuff you get with a design-build project guys... You have a conceptual rendering from the design architect, but then once it's turned over to the bridging architect and design-build team, things need to change based on engineering, programming, value engineering, etc... The basic premise of the building is still the same.

^ Dave68 is probably referring to this overhang (there is also an overhang facing the Mall):

 

 

If this was also taken out of the design, I'd be kind of annoyed. Now that there is no patio there, the overhang is pretty much the only thing that will make the podium section look somewhat interesting.