The University of Cincinnati has certainly been on a building binge in the last few years, and while it's long overdue, and some of it is very cool, I have to say, the Quad is just an awful mess of disparate styles that just make you say, WTF?  My overall assessment:  I love the space, I just can't comprehend the structures.

 

First, a panorama to put it all in context - left to right, this is Swift Hall, Steger Student Life Center, Tangeman Hall, University Pavilion and McMicken (this pano is smaller since it's at the top of the thread, far from the scroll bar - I'll put a larger version at the bottom of the post):

 

 

 

Now some detail - first, here's a few views of Tangeman:

 

 

 

Here's a close-up of where the steel-gray siding material morphs with the old brick of Tangeman:

 

 

Whatever those gray tiles are, they spread like kudzu:

 

You Will Become One With The Borg:

 

Now this space by itself is cool - matching materials, nice slope, interesting glass and steps drawing you down thru a wide public space towards the stadium:

 

But sweet Christ, in context it's just extremely odd:

 

And then, from the borg-steel to the brick, to more borg-steel, to a super-glass University Pavilion:

 

 

...and thence back to brick (little sunset action here):

 

Then McMicken, the granddaddy of all UC's buildings, is marred with this weird-ass "Preview Pavilion" bus stop looking thing:

 

And finally, back to recognizable UC space - McMicken and Braunstein:

 

 

As I said, I love the space - I miss the old bridge outside of TUC, but this quad is an interesting, landscaped space - it looks great in spring/fall, it's open and inviting, lots of green, nice contours and interesting walkways and steps...but the space draws your eyes up to such a strange amalgamation of disconnected, uncomplementary styles that it's just jarring...

 

Props to Cincinnatus for his earlier tour of the campus just after the new TUC opened...he has a great tour of more of the campus...

 

Here's the large-sized panorama:

 

 

i like the building that got raped by its neighbor

Yay, wacky!

 

Thanks for showing... I was at UC exactly once, probably five years ago, and I remember very little of what it looks like.

Poor, poor Tangeman.

Riverviewer, I agree with you that UC's is experimenting with some bizarre and questionable fusions of architectural styles...and I don't like it.  We're talking about a multi-million dollar budget that UC has for its buildings master plan, and yet they still can't come up with an integrated, innovative, aethetically appealing urban campus.  And this is a school with one of the top architecture programs?  It reminds me of MIT, where the design and architecture programs are stellar, while the campus is like a bleak industrial site.

I'm not sure I'd do that to a neo-Georgian building. 

 

The funny thing about UC is that it used to be the southern half of Burnet Woods.  Talk about a missed opportunity to develop a forested urban campus.

Now this building.....

 

 

.....would look great at some busy suburban strip intersection, with neon trim and perhaps a billboard worked into the design.

 

 

 

 

    "The Quad" is short for the Herman Schnieder Memorial Quadrangle, or something like that. The Quad is the rectangular space between Swift Hall, Baldwin Hall, and Old Chem.

 

    There used to be a building between McMicken and Tangeman called Old Tech. It was torn down in 1990, if I remember correctly. There was also a small parking lot and some ruins. When all of this was removed, they made the space between McMicken and Tangeman one large green lawn. For the first time ever, one could stand on the steps of either McMicken or Tangeman, which are built on the same axis, and view the other building. The Tanner's building and the Veteran's Memorial Bridge were still there, as well as Beecher Hall.

 

    I would have nominated that green lawn as one of my favorite urban spaces anywhere. I wish I had taken more photos of it. Of course, I didn't expect the dramatic changes that would take place over the next few years. In my humble opinion those changes were for the worse.

 

   

 

 

 

   

"The Quad" is short for the Herman Schnieder Memorial Quadrangle, or something like that. The Quad is the rectangular space between Swift Hall, Baldwin Hall, and Old Chem.

 

You're quite right - I was inaccurate on what I called the "Quad".  I guess I was using it generically for green space between a bunch of buildings...here's a picture of the true UC Quad I took back in October - you may wish to avert your eyes, because as I remember, it used to be a beautiful space...

 

 

I don't remember much changing since October, but I'll get a few shots next week and post them if there's much new.  I have no idea what they're building there...anyone know?

 

  Ten years ago The Quad was simply grass, with some trees and hedges. A concrete walk led around the perimeter. More recently there was a temporary, tent-like structure that housed some of the things displaced by the Tangeman construction.

 

    I don't know what they are planning for the site. I hope they return it to the way it was. Am I too optimistic?

 

    By the way, Baldwin Hall was recently rehabbed. It looks great inside. I miss the stairwells, though.

 

   

I remember the bench that faced Baldwin - concrete, curved, steps leading up to it, as I remember...maybe a sundial of some sort?  Very cool.

 

There are always folks inside the fence, but I don't know if they just stage their gear there for other projects they're working on - they just replaced all the windows in Old Chem, for example.  But I'll get some pictures on Tuesday.

 

I'm really impressed with the insides of the buildings.  TUC is a bit too white for my taste, but it's a cool building.  Cincinnatus's thread has a lot of fantastic shots of the inside, and it really is a great space.  And I have to say, I really like all the exteriors of the buildings they've been putting up.  Well, I've never liked DAAP (dumpy and disjointed to me), but I think Steger looks very cool, University Pavilion is stunning from the inside or the outside, the steps and walkways and flow of traffic is very appealing with hills and curves and little nooks everywhere - low walls to sit on, little benches built into walls, stairs overlooking walkways, a cool balcony off the back of TUC...the problem is when they jam it all together - it's just plain jarring.

This may be what you guys are looking for...UC's Main Street:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=429.0

 

Regarding the real quad:

 

 

I don't know what they are planning for the site. I hope they return it to the way it was. Am I too optimistic?

 

That space was used to house some cafeteria bubble or something during the rest of the construction, and from what I've heard, it will be turned back into quad-like parky green space at some point.  This is just from talking with students, and I can't find anything in a quick google-fest, but it does sound promising.

maybe this helps

 

Thanks mohr37.  I can't say I'm a big fan of that^ idea.  It must be meant to relate to the present commons area between McMicken and Tangeman and sort of echos the Main Street concept, but it kills the formal Engineering Quad as such and just makes it a sort of corner of the rest of the commons area.  They seem to have gone a little wild with all those trees too.  I guess it would be fair to suggest that they may have wanted to hide Old Chemistry and Swift from view (except in the winter maybe).

Yeah, it seems like you only have so many quads to go around - you ought to take advantage of it, make it quaddy.  I also agree, this seems to me like a good example of what Rob was talking about regarding trees blocking buildings...

;)

You can't deny that the Joseph Steger center is an awesome solution to having very limited space. I have mixed feelings about the siding on TUC. A part of me thinks its hideous and bland, but on the other hand, I've never seen anything like that done before and like the uniqueness of it and mixing of the old and new. Also, it's basically a bookstore and food court so I'd expect it to look non-traditional, as opposed to one of the colleges.

Everyone, I live on campus and can honestly tell you its the second best campus in the state (Next to CASE). Those buildings that apparenly come out of nowhere are actually repeating a style that is found in many places all over campus (East campus too). Its part of a large renual project. If you give different angled view you find how spectacular that area really is. Walking through it every day of the week and living here is an incredible gift. Try swimming in the recreational pool or the climbing wall and you will know what i am talking about. It is a beautiful blend of classic and new. If i had a digital camera down here i could give you some real insight on the campus.. and am tempted to have a package sent from cleveland to do just that.... Its an architecture for a student body and let me tell you feels MUCH better on a schoolday than a cold deserted winter afternoon  :wink:

 

but cheers for the recognition  :clap: :clap: :clap:... and hopefully soon i will be able to do a more comprehensive UC picture thread.