Xcel Energy HQ - 401 Nicollet

[Tiller]

Personally, I like the look of the precast. I find the colors and the linearity reminiscent of brick. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[seanrichardryan]

I'm *positive* that Looks cheap.

[sushisimo]

At least the window grilles/pane dividers are real. From a distance I thought maybe they were those stick-on strips.

[seamonster]

Okay but all day it has been complaints. I really challenge people to say something positive.

Like this: The ground floor windows are nice and tall and have a good green tint to it that will be nice if ever re-purposed for retail. We've already heard the quotes "the pre-cast sucks" and "what a disappointment".

It certainly looks better now than this view: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9799528 ... 56!6m1!1e1

[nordeast homer]

^^^
Yes it does!

I went to visit this in person yesterday because I have been as critical as anyone here about this building. Even though it is far from what I wanted to see on this corner it is not as bad as I had envisioned. In the drawings the building seemed to very 'squat" next to its neighbors, but up close it doesn't look as short as I thought it would.

[MNdible]

While I can rationally go through and list all of the good things that come along with this building, I have to admit that I'm enormously disappointed with the finished product.

[John]

It looks much better than I expected. The light green tinted glass complements the color of the precast really well. The base looks open to the street. The massing has setbacks and the corner nicely relates to the Library (unlike the Opus 315 Nicollet proposal across the street). The question I have is using natural materials ( such as stone, nice brick, etc ) become so expensive that it's become cost prohibitive for developers to use? So much prefab, fake- looking stuff has been used in recent projects in this city. Maybe our masonry expert Nathan could give us some feedback?

[amiller92]

Okay but all day it has been complaints. I really challenge people to say something positive.

Like this: The ground floor windows are nice and tall and have a good green tint to it that will be nice if ever re-purposed for retail. We've already heard the quotes "the pre-cast sucks" and "what a disappointment".

I usually find all of the griping over design choices around here funny, as my attitude is that if it's not my building, it doesn't have to be my taste.

But this one stretches that attitude for me. That color is just bad.

[Nathan]

OK so, red precast always comes out bad, (think tacky fake suburban poured sidewalks) it's just something they haven't figured out yet. I think pre cast can look really nice if it's not trying to be something that it isn't. 4marq for example looks amazing with its architectural shape, but when you start trying to imitate the look of a classic brick building near actual classic brick buildings it's going to look shabby. Hopefully for this and the Wells Fargo buildings purplish grey areas they will use a color enhancing sealer when construction is complete and it's been cleaned. That will give them a deeper more full looking color. That has to be reapplied every so often though so... yeah.

I'd argue the developers are being sold on cast concrete. If they have no huge desire for real products is an easy sell, cheaper and "looks just as good" (not imo). I don't think using better materials especially on the ground floor (like wells Fargo) and detail areas would break the budget on a development of this size. They're being chintzy.

[grant1simons2]

New Xcel Energy HQ by grant.simons, on Flickr

This was yesterday., the top floor glass is almost done now.

[mattaudio]

Is it just me, or does this echo the teal-and-salmon era that we got with the last Nicollet Mall redo, the Convention Center, and everything else from the late 80s and early 90s?

[Wedgeguy]

Is it just me, or does this echo the teal-and-salmon era that we got with the last Nicollet Mall redo, the Convention Center, and everything else from the late 80s and early 90s?

This has more to do with trying to compliment there current building coloration. The green tinted windows may have to do more with energy conservation. Although I think it would still look good with blue tinted windows verses green.

[amiller92]

Is it just me, or does this echo the teal-and-salmon era that we got with the last Nicollet Mall redo, the Convention Center, and everything else from the late 80s and early 90s?

The color is looking a lot better with the windows in place, at least to me. Not as cheap looking.

But yeah, when you the other building is also in view, it's clear they are trying to make them "match."

[Archiapolis]

Is it just me, or does this echo the teal-and-salmon era that we got with the last Nicollet Mall redo, the Convention Center, and everything else from the late 80s and early 90s?

The color is looking a lot better with the windows in place, at least to me. Not as cheap looking.

But yeah, when you the other building is also in view, it's clear they are trying to make them "match."

Not great.

[Wedgeguy]

^^^^^ Two different time periods and architectural styles. The coloration is similar, but not so much a match. The fact that they did not even try and use any of the original building materials for any part of the new building makes them seem less a campus. The salmon and tan are about the only thing that ties these two buildings together. Unfortunately they don't play off each all that well. Some additions compliment nicely, this one is a 3 at best on a scale of 1 to 5. The color is the only thing that really ties them together and the private skyway.

[Nathan]

The trim color is really the only thing. If you think these buildings coordinate well... eh. the original building has great high quality building materials and this new one is all cheap with colors that don't quite match. Major fail for me. But I'm happy for the development and that it's a decent building for the urban fabric. I'm sure it will function will for xcel.

[Avian]

This is a rare building that makes me think "thank God it's not 40 stories!"

[Wedgeguy]

This is a rare building that makes me think "thank God it's not 40 stories!"

Maybe if they had done a 40 story they would have tried to make it a better building. Unless Xcel wanted the bragging rights to creating City Center tower 2. Both are kind of Salmon I guess.

[mattaudio]

(Piling on)
This building makes Retek look good.

[Nathan]

(Piling on)
This building makes Retek look good.

hahaha yeah. At least Retek's post modernist style is... a style.