Did you take out the crane or is it gone?

and the Queen City finally has her Crown.

Did you take out the crane or is it gone?

 

Took it out just for this pic.

Mannnnnnn....I really wish they would add glass to the tiara.  Having it open like that will make it too hard to see at certain times or from certain angles.

Mannnnnnn....I really wish they would add glass to the tiara.  Having it open like that will make it too hard to see at certain times or from certain angles.

 

I agree that Tiara ain't worth a damn if you can't see it.  Right now it's starting to look fat like the rest of the building now that they are adding the last arch to it.

It baffles me why you guys think this building looks fat.

It baffles me why you guys think this building looks fat.

 

Lol because 35% of it's height is in the length of the building (not including tiara). It's the perception I guess.

Is that a generic "you guys"....?  Because I don't think I've ever really said I thought the building looked fat.

It looks like only a piece or two to go, to top it off.

The lot along 4th & Plum, in front of duke center is the logical spot for the next supertall. It would provide a nice balance to the western end of the skyline, framing our antique and timeworn centerpieces, carew & central trust. maybe something similar to atlanta's peachtree centre?

 

 

Interestingly, the Eastern ends of 4th&5th along Sycamore St. has emerged as the Financial District of our downtown. QCS confirms that, gleaming with an ensemble of recent skycrapers: Chemed, Chiquita, Atrium complex, and P&G World HQ. This is good news bc this area is infused with historic treasures. University Club on Broadway, Literary Club @Lytle, and the Greek Temple of W&S HQ. Just think, the historic Christ Church across the st. from our city's new tallest glass jewel? Sounds like something you'd find in Boston or Philly...

 

Here's an idea for the other W&S garage along Third St..... rebuild it as a residential highrise. Due to its historic location, we shall call it The Residences @Fort Washington.

 

 

Lots of great pictures from the top of the tower inside its crown, and throughout the rest of the building:

http://www.urbancincy.com/2010/07/great-american-tower-rises-triumphantly-above-downtown-cincinnati/

^Hey, anything to get rid of that spinning clock Larry;)

The lot along 4th & Plum, in front of duke center is the logical spot for the next supertall. It would provide a nice balance to the western end of the skyline, framing our antique and timeworn centerpieces, carew & central trust. maybe something similar to atlanta's peachtree centre?

 

I think something the City might want to consider regarding development on the western end of Ft. Washington Way is creating spaces for 5th or Michigan Avenue style retail, with the hope/plan that it will eventually creep down eastward.  The area is only a block or so from the existing though admittedly paltry retail currently offered in Cincinnati, and it is likewise close to the hotels.  We frankly don't need or want additional office space.

I'd rather see such a retail district develop in OTR.  There's so much more retail storefront than the neighborhood can realistically support on its own.  It would only be possible to build out all that retail space if it had a more regional draw. 

^I don't see that area, except perhaps for places around Central Parkway as having the dimensions that prominent stores seem to want.

Here's a shot from this afternoon with the crown almost complete.  Also note the construction at The Banks too.

 

Very nice photo! It looks great.

 

The paper said today that the final peice will go up on Tuesday. Does anyone know when the crane will come down, or how they will get the boom lifts off of the roof?

It's too bad they didn't enclose the tiara and add a ballroom or something like that at the top. I think somebody had mentioned that idea quite while ago but after viewing those photos from urbancincy I think it would've been a great idea. Heck at least an observation deck.

I've been in it.  The space is really tight.  Any public use would have required a very different design, and I could imagine that some tenants might not like the lack of seriousness that comes with tourists in the lobby. 

Lack of seriousness that comes with tourists in the lobby?  So no office building should have observation decks, restaurants, or retail, because the patrons of such services might offend the suits? 

^Hey, anything to get rid of that spinning clock Larry;)

 

yeah its really tacky.

Very nice photo! It looks great.

 

The paper said today that the final peice will go up on Tuesday. Does anyone know when the crane will come down, or how they will get the boom lifts off of the roof?

 

They actually have  a lot left to do before the crane comes down. SO I suspect it will be another 2 months with the pace they're going before we start to see the crane dismantled. I'm sure they'll lower the booms the same way the brought them up.

^Hey, anything to get rid of that spinning clock Larry;)

 

yeah its really tacky.

 

 

Says the man impersonating a pornographer.  :roll:

 

 

Now that there's a new skyscraper nearby, I'm actually starting to appreciate that old clock. 

 

 

Very nice photo! It looks great.

 

The paper said today that the final peice will go up on Tuesday. Does anyone know when the crane will come down, or how they will get the boom lifts off of the roof?

 

I'm sure they'll lower the booms the same way the brought them up.

 

I think they are referring to the fact that the booms are inside the tiara now and how do they get them out to lower them. I've been wondering this myself...

Yeah. That's what I meant. Unless they are going to leave them up there for maintenance reasons...?

Yeah. That's what I meant. Unless they are going to leave them up there for maintenance reasons...?

 

or maybe they left that giant hole in the top to get it out? I don't know what he said ^

There were some pretty cool photos in a recent issue of the Business Courier, where they also talked about trying to land an out-of-town tenant for part of the remaining floors.

Yeah. That's what I meant. Unless they are going to leave them up there for maintenance reasons...?

 

Welcome to UO, CincyMan.

Taking it out now would be easiest. But then there wouldn't be a boom lift to help connect the final piece. I don't know, I guess we'll find out this week.

 

And thanks for the welcome!

Photos from this evening. This building looks so out of place over here by its lonesome haha...take a look!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was trying to capture the building at different stages during the evening. I sat for two and half hours taking photos of this building!

I like how QCS really punches up the view when approaching downtown from I-471.  I've always been struck by how breathtaking the view of the city is from the I-71/75 Covington cut in the hill, while the approach from I-471 is about as interesting as a drive down Union Center Boulevard.  QCS really helps both views, but it's nice to have something really stand out from the east side of downtown, especially since you see the more svelt side of the building. 

Do you mean this angle?

 

 

or

 

 

The cut in the hill is by far the best view of Cincinnati IMO.

Either one really.  Compared to I-71/75 in Covington it's downright boring, but QCS definitely adds a lot to it. 

Either one really. Compared to I-71/75 in Covington it's downright boring, but QCS definitely adds a lot to it.

 

I definately agree with that statement sir!

 

I nearly crashed trying to take those photos you know haha! I was thinking I got to post these pictures!!!

Silly question, but here it goes, there are two pretty good size lifts up on top of the building that they are using to assemble the tiara. Are they leaving those up there? After they put on the last piece today, it looks like there might not be room to get them out of there.

Silly question, but here it goes, there are two pretty good size lifts up on top of the building that they are using to assemble the tiara. Are they leaving those up there? After they put on the last piece today, it looks like there might not be room to get them out of there.

 

We've been discussing that. We don't know yet.

^^See page 119. We're referring to them as "booms".

Cincinnati's crowning achievement

 

Great American Tower will trigger cascade of Downtown relocations, office revamps

 

By Lisa Bernard-Kuhn • [email protected]  • July 12, 2010

 

 

After two decades of planning and 25 months of construction, the $322 million Great American Tower at Queen City Square is about to get its crowning glory.

 

Contractors, developers and city leaders are to gather Tuesday to celebrate the placement of the final piece of the "grand tiara" atop the 41-story building that now towers over the region.

 

"That's really when we will have finished changing the city's skyline," says Bob Grace, a project executive with Turner Construction

 

 

cont.

^^See page 119. We're referring to them as "booms".

 

They must disassemble into pieces small enough to fit through one of the gaps.

We've been discussing that. We don't know yet.

 

Whoops my bad sorry

thanks dirty.

 

the 5th one really goves cincy a new skyline for the 21st cen. almost didnt recognize it! 

Get out your cameras for Wednesday... a big event!

I was down in the city today, in Mt. Adams, looking at the skyline - and I have to honestly say there is something about the tower that doesn't make it seem taller than Carew Tower.  I know it IS taller, but I'm starting to think the design would have worked better if the tower was taller than it is.  Riding in the passenger seat while going along Ft. Washington way, I looked up at it and it doesn't seem to have the height from there that Carew Tower appears to have from Fourth and Vine.  My mom thought the same thing.  Anyone else get that impression?  Maybe they need to add a flagpole...? lol!

Carew has more floors and thus giving the appearance that it's taller than it seems.  Much like Penobscot in Detroit or Terminal Tower in Cleveland, windows and setbacks always give a building a boost in visual height than what is actual.  Compare the Empire State Building and Jin Mao in Shanghai for another quirky example.

Also, Queen City Square sits at a much lower elavation than Carew Tower so there's that to think about. Not to mention the distoration factor from it's apparent longer than average length. Carew tower is probably half as long as QCS. If QCS wasn't a long it would definately appear taller I think. But to what 1012 was saying perception is what people will go by and this thing is and will always "feel" shorter than Carew Tower. I guess we'll just have to live with this until another building comes along in 2032. :oops:

The difference in elevation from 3rd to 5th street also makes a big difference, I think.

 

  Carew Tower has windows that give it scale.

 

  Carew Tower is next to the Central Trust tower, which also has windows. QCS isn't really close to anything.

 

  Besides adding a little height, even though the convention is to disregard the flagpole, the flag on Carew gives it scale.

 

    QCS just doesn't have much to give it scale. If you had never seen either building, I could give you a photo of Carew and you could count the windows and figure 10 feet per floor or whatever and get an idea how tall it is. If I gave you a photo of QCS, you have very little to go by.

 

  QCS is a nice building and yes, it is actually taller than Carew but it just doesn't look taller for a lot of reasons.

I thinks it's all in people's heads.

Well, it doesn't look tall because its proportions and massing are more appropriate for a building that's 1.5-2x as tall. 

 

Carew Tower has windows that give it scale.

 

Carew Tower is next to the Central Trust tower, which also has windows. QCS isn't really close to anything.

 

Besides adding a little height, even though the convention is to disregard the flagpole, the flag on Carew gives it scale.

QCS just doesn't have much to give it scale. If you had never seen either building, I could give you a photo of Carew and you could count the windows and figure 10 feet per floor or whatever and get an idea how tall it is. If I gave you a photo of QCS, you have very little to go by.

 

QCS is a nice building and yes, it is actually taller than Carew but it just doesn't look taller for a lot of reasons.

 

I just thought about this. Most people probably are looking at this building and mostly taking in the view of the windows and not including the height of the tiara (Mainly because at certain angles you can barely see it). So the actual building with windows is about 535' which is actually shorter CT. It's the tiara which gives it the edge of CT.

 

I bet if you dropped that ugly tiara and had actual floors all the way up to 665', and slap a 20' flag pole on top it would probably look a lot taller than CT.