Buildings That Don’t Exist: Fake Facades Hide Infrastructure

 

Article by Steph, filed under Cities & Urbanism in the Architecture category.

 

From the sidewalk, this Paris building looks just like those around it, complete with doors, windows and balconies. but take a look at Google Maps, as Paul of the blog Paris by Cellphone did, and you’ll notice something strange: there’s nothing behind that facade. Like many others all over the world, this ordinary-looking building is just a shell to disguise unsightly infrastructure.

 

http://weburbanist.com/2013/04/29/buildings-that-dont-exist-fake-facades-hide-infrastructure/

And on this side of the Atlantic they just knock the old buildings down and to heck with facades. Thus you have our gap-toothed streetscapes where an isolated building or two stands where there where once a solid block of buildings. A century ago, buildings had false fronts to suggest they appeared bigger than they were.  The Europeans are more concerned about urban esthetics apparently.

We used to care in this country.  There's lots of very nice telephone exchange buildings around Cincinnati and many other cities, though I'll admit the false façade thing is pretty rare.  Did you know this little gem on McMillan Street was once an electrical substation?  http://goo.gl/maps/E9Ivq  Those funky dormers on top are the giveaway.  Now it's a regular everyday building (great adaptive reuse!).  So where did the substation move to?  http://goo.gl/maps/oUi6d  A few blocks north, it's not as nice, but still a pretty dignified building.  There is some outdoor crap behind the fence and gate on the left, but it's not too bad.  Most of that stuff has gone away in recent years, as even this substation has been mostly deprecated.  Here's the current one a few blocks farther north.  http://goo.gl/maps/XsQM5  It's a pretty big fuck-you to the neighborhood.  A 100% residential street with a cemetery behind it, and this big honking substation with the high-tension transmission lines galloping all over the street.  They can't plant enough trees to hide that thing.  How's that for progress? 

The McMillan Street substation is an architectural jewel and was probably designed by a talented architect of the period. Of course, at the turn of the last century electrical power and appliances were still relatively new and some people were proud to have a naked light bulb dangling from the ceiling-others dressed them up with fixtures and shades. Had to chuckle thinking what kind of substation now replaces the old architectural gems. They sure don't build them like they used to. (I have seen a few modern replicas of the old designs that still looked better than most contemporary buildings) I don't think we have to worry much about a Brutalist architectural revival...at least I hope not.

Don't forget the Mt. Airy Water Tower in Cincinnati:

 

I grew up close to here and passed by it at least once or twice a week.  I remember being a kid and always eagerly anticipating when it came into view. 

It looks similar to the Eden Park Stand Pipe (Wikipedia article showing photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eden_Park_Stand_Pipe ) designed by arguably Cincinnati's most renowned 19th century architect,

Samuel Hannaford, in the early 1890's. Today, the concept of style never enters into the equation about such utilitarian structures. Only bridges seem to still embrace the idea that the public appreciates more

than strictly utilitarianism in infrastructural improvements. Thanks for sharing. 

 

Good grief Jake, shrink that picture down. 

 

I never knew about the location in Cinncie! The next time I am in town, I will have to go visit it and grab some photos. I wonder if any of the historical reenactors know of that location, it would make a great background for costumed / themed photos.

 

I've always loved Europe's approach to hiding the undesirable in plain sight.

We used to care in this country.  There's lots of very nice telephone exchange buildings around Cincinnati and many other cities, though I'll admit the false façade thing is pretty rare.  Did you know this little gem on McMillan Street was once an electrical substation?  http://goo.gl/maps/E9Ivq  Those funky dormers on top are the giveaway.  Now it's a regular everyday building (great adaptive reuse!).  So where did the substation move to?  http://goo.gl/maps/oUi6d  A few blocks north, it's not as nice, but still a pretty dignified building.  There is some outdoor crap behind the fence and gate on the left, but it's not too bad.  Most of that stuff has gone away in recent years, as even this substation has been mostly deprecated.  Here's the current one a few blocks farther north.  http://goo.gl/maps/XsQM5  It's a pretty big fuck-you to the neighborhood.  A 100% residential street with a cemetery behind it, and this big honking substation with the high-tension transmission lines galloping all over the street.  They can't plant enough trees to hide that thing.  How's that for progress? 

 

Wow.  What a difference.  That third one is a disgrace!

We used to care in this country.  There's lots of very nice telephone exchange buildings around Cincinnati and many other cities, though I'll admit the false façade thing is pretty rare.  Did you know this little gem on McMillan Street was once an electrical substation?  http://goo.gl/maps/E9Ivq  Those funky dormers on top are the giveaway.  Now it's a regular everyday building (great adaptive reuse!).  So where did the substation move to?  http://goo.gl/maps/oUi6d  A few blocks north, it's not as nice, but still a pretty dignified building.  There is some outdoor crap behind the fence and gate on the left, but it's not too bad.  Most of that stuff has gone away in recent years, as even this substation has been mostly deprecated.  Here's the current one a few blocks farther north.  http://goo.gl/maps/XsQM5  It's a pretty big fuck-you to the neighborhood.  A 100% residential street with a cemetery behind it, and this big honking substation with the high-tension transmission lines galloping all over the street.  They can't plant enough trees to hide that thing.  How's that for progress? 

 

Wow.  What a difference.  That third one is a disgrace!

 

You assume that the parameters behind the electrical distribution have not changed over the years. Power needs have definitely increased --- I doubt that the 3rd substation can be contained in any type of building at a reasonable cost and still meet safety requirements of the day.

I'm no expert, but it seems like it could at least be contained by a facade on the street-facing and home-facing sides to minimize the visual damage to the neighborhood. 

Right, just because electric demand has increased doesn't mean the distribution needs to be consolidated into a few huge substations. It's an urban neighborhood, so either go smaller and spread the substations around, maybe with some sub-transmission in between, or put the big substation in a less conspicuous place. Look at downtown Cincinnati's main substation at Central Parkway and Plum Street, it's mostly open but surrounded by decent walls.

These Bronx townhomes are actually...

 

 

 

 

... an electric substation!

 

http://www.scoutingny.com/whats-wrong-with-these-bronx-townhouses/

I lived around the corner from the Joralemon street MTA brownstone, when I lived in Brooklyn Hts.