urbanMSP

I assume what they are referring to is the type of signage that wraps the upper concourse at Target Center and Xcel? 'Dynamic LED Signage' would be awfully tacky in that elegant, restful space.

^^ I agree - I can't imagine having any type of dynamic signage along that space. It would be tacky and so visually busy! I think the globe lights have a timeless simplicity and are appropriate for the space. The elevator bank was already "updated" to take out most of its original design elements (and replace them with generic granite/stone tiles); it would be a shame to muddle with it more.

There seems to be a lot of fuss about this building. An iconic building with a lot of flaws.

I'm all for LEDs for energy efficiency. I am against splashes of colored lights on old buildings. It's fine at Target... it was designed for that. But yellowish white light is classy.

Almost all the time it is the normal warm white exactly as it was with the old lighting. With popular events in Minneapolis and on holidays they should have a fitting color to make the skyline look pretty and look like it's a time to celebrate. It's nice to see a little change once in a while.

Almost all the time it is the normal warm white exactly as it was with the old lighting. With popular events in Minneapolis and on holidays they should have a fitting color to make the skyline look pretty and look like it's a time to celebrate. It's nice to see a little change once in a while.

Yes, I can see it from my window and its almost always white. I also like there is flexibility in changing its color from time to time to acknowledge events, holidays, etc. Creates a sense of celebration and fun on the skyline.

I was thinking about how big a deal the IDS was for Minneapolis when it was built...if it was finished in 1972 it would have been around the 11th or 12th tallest building in the U.S. Is that right?

I also see it looming in my bedroom window, and it seems to do the red-white-and-blue thing every night for the last hour or so. Or maybe just right before midnight. I can say for certain it behaved this way last night, and I believe it does this every night.

Edit: somehow I find IDS' display cheesier than Target's fireworks, which I also find extremely cheesy. IMHO

I also see it looming in my bedroom window, and it seems to do the red-white-and-blue thing every night for the last hour or so. Or maybe just right before midnight. I can say for certain it behaved this way last night, and I believe it does this every night.

Edit: somehow I find IDS' display cheesier than Target's fireworks, which I also find extremely cheesy. IMHO

Interesting. I've seen the red , white , and blue a few times, but not regularly. I thought they were testing to make sure it works on the 4th of July! lol. Maybe the person running the lights is drunk and just having a good time?

Almost all the time it is the normal warm white exactly as it was with the old lighting. With popular events in Minneapolis and on holidays they should have a fitting color to make the skyline look pretty and look like it's a time to celebrate. It's nice to see a little change once in a while.

Yes, I can see it from my window and its almost always white. I also like there is flexibility in changing its color from time to time to acknowledge events, holidays, etc. Creates a sense of celebration and fun on the skyline.

Glad to hear from someone who agrees with me on the nice colors used throughout the year.

I also see it looming in my bedroom window, and it seems to do the red-white-and-blue thing every night for the last hour or so. Or maybe just right before midnight. I can say for certain it behaved this way last night, and I believe it does this every night.

Edit: somehow I find IDS' display cheesier than Target's fireworks, which I also find extremely cheesy. IMHO

I like the fireworks sequence on Target HQ. It's only on there 3 times a year and it's fitting when it is.

I was reading the Old Minneapolis facebook page tonight, and they had a picture of an IDS Center ad or info card. Anyways, one of the commenters mentioned that Phillip Johnson originally designed the building with bronze colored glass. Doing a quick google search, I found a supposed postcard scan:

http://tumblr.mpls.co/post/44227473509/ ... ids-center


Anyone know if this is actually legit information?

I'm not sure, but I think the IDS went through a number of design revisions. I remember seeing a proposed rendering of the tower on the cover page of a 1968 IDS annual report (this was in the mid 1980's at the Wilson Library) that depicted "scenic" exterior elevators running up the sides in the corners. It was an absolutely amazing illustration. It's actually one of my great regrets in life that I didn't tear the cover off and take it.

I wish more buildings would have exterior elevators. Wonder if that was a short fad. I guess would be hard for people afraid of heights to get to their destination on the top floor!

...I didn't tear the cover off and take it.

Could be here:
http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00510.xml
Anyone volunteering to go find it?

I wish more buildings would have exterior elevators. Wonder if that was a short fad. I guess would be hard for people afraid of heights to get to their destination on the top floor!

I'm thinking that the hardware mechanicals tended to make the buildings less elegant and harder to service.

I really like it the way it is now. I'm glad this is what we ended up with.

I really like it the way it is now. I'm glad this is what we ended up with.

The blue glass of the tower is quite amazing sometimes when it reflects the sky and clouds. It almost looks transparent. Then at times it has that orangish glow from low sunlight which is lovely. In cloudy weather conditions, the greyish blue glass makes the tower feel darker and very solid on the skyline. Awesome!

it's a great skyscraper. it defined minneapolis in the 70's. interesting how philip johnson crafted it's shape because he wanted corner offices to be prevalent.

now IDS just needs a friend to exceed it in height and define the future skyline.

The blue glass we have has aged about 10,000x better than bronze glass would have.

The blue glass we have has aged about 10,000x better than bronze glass would have.

Do you remember the squat 4 or 5 story building off of normandale (actually right on hwy 100) that used to have a bronze glass cladding? in the mid 2000s they reclad the building in a more "normal" blueish hue because the building looked so out of place. Glad they didn't repeat that disaster on the IDS

The one thing that hasn't aged well are those resin pyramids that comprise the "crystal" top of Crystal Court. They have an ongoing difficult time with those leaking and getting milky, even though they are two-ply. I used to work on 8th floor where some of the pyramids stair-stepped right up to our windows. The IDS crew are out there a lot.

As for bronze windows, I secretly think they are kinda cool, mainly because they mark a place in time, like rotating restaurants, geodesic dome houses and macramé hanging plant holders. Glad the IDS has the blue-ish windows, though. Love that old illustration!