LPM Apartments - (376' - 36 Stories)

[mnmike]

Came across these on what would appear to be an architects personal website. You can see they were playing with exactly how the balconies would look in these versus some others we have seen...I hope in the end they went with the varied pattern we see in most renderings rather than the more grid like one seen here.

http://archinect.com/people/status/1293 ... -young-lee

[John]

^^^ I love the last pic where you really get a sense of the elegant and dramatic curved edge of the tower. And I love the landscaped plaza which interacts with the tower's geometry beautifully.

[min-chi-cbus]

Yes, but I wish that were at street level and not on the 3rd floor, above an ugly box that the people on the street and sidewalks get to look at. Why do they do this? I realize it's a parking ramp but can't it have a LITTLE more personality than some white-striped bars? (This is my only real peeve with the project, not that I'm complaining about a 36-story architectural masterpiece)

[mattaudio]

Won't there be any retail or service space at the sidewalk level? Seems like that's more important than "tower in the park" design of the 60s.

[RailBaronYarr]

Agree with mattaudio on that one.. The only bad thing about plazas up like that is it effectively removes it from part of the public realm - the space is solely used by the residents of the tower. That's fine if the street-front is good space and the city does its part in providing ample park space distributed throughout the city.

[lordmoke]

Won't there be any retail or service space at the sidewalk level? Seems like that's more important than "tower in the park" design of the 60s.

The entire ground level is going to be retail space.

[Nick]

That parking garage does look rather parking garage-y. I'm surprised they're not masking it as much.

[min-chi-cbus]

Agree with mattaudio on that one.. The only bad thing about plazas up like that is it effectively removes it from part of the public realm - the space is solely used by the residents of the tower. That's fine if the street-front is good space and the city does its part in providing ample park space distributed throughout the city.

I'd even accept a fence around the space so the space is still private but at least it can be viewed from the street.

The city perception -- as seen from the street or sidewalk -- is a highly underrated asset, IMO, and just as often overlooked! You can have all of the high-rise residential development and infill in the world but if it doesn't meet the street nicely or is separated from the existing fabric of the city, you'll get Miami-level development with Miami-level street presence (not South Beach obviously....and this is based on anecdotes, not personal experience with Miami. I'd make the same argument for the newer Chicago high-rises in some parts).

[min-chi-cbus]

That parking garage does look rather parking garage-y. I'm surprised they're not masking it as much.

....masking with white iron bars....

Lordmoke: on all sides? Because from that 2nd to last photo it looked like the ramp met the street level, and I can't think of a way they can build a ramp WITHIN a retail space on the ground level (assuming the ramp doesn't skip the ground level somehow).

Does anyone know what type of retail may go in here (like another CVS/Walgreens, grocer, deli, cafe, etc.)?

[minneapolisguy]

It would be pretty odd given the rents they will charge for this place if that parking area was not fully enclosed and heating -

[John]

Does anyone know what type of retail may go in here (like another CVS/Walgreens, grocer, deli, cafe, etc.)?

I'm thinking a somewhat upscale restaurant similar to the one at Eitel apartments (across the street) that will also cook and deliver to residents of the complex. As far as the above ground parking ramp, I think it will look pretty good for what it is, but it's definitely not my favorite part of the project. By comparison, I think the architects for Nic on Fifth did a better job with designing their ramp to appear discreet from the street level.

[Andrew_F]

The lack of enclosure on the parking podium is definitely a cost-cutting measure on Magellan's part. Pretty much all of Chicago's new high-rises in Streeterville or Lakeshore East has big podiums, but the cast majority are fully enclosed. Maybe Magellan thinks they can get away with it in Minneapolis since they will have the best product regardless?

[MNdible]

It would be pretty odd given the rents they will charge for this place if that parking area was not fully enclosed and heating -

You're not supposed to heat parking ramps.

[minneapolisguy]

wouldn't this be considered more residential than commercial - and doesn't that first exception seem to imply it could be heated?

[John]

Maybe Magellan thinks they can get away with it in Minneapolis since they will have the best product regardless?

No, our local developer Opus is doing the same thing with Nic on Fifth. I'm sure this is a cost cutting measure with high rise residential developers almost everywhere these days. The point is too make them look as little as possible like they're actually a parking ramp. It's the least they can do

[MNdible]

wouldn't this be considered more residential than commercial - and doesn't that first exception seem to imply it could be heated?

I think you may be correct -- not sure, though. In any case, it doesn't make much sense to be heating storage space for cars in this climate, and that's the spirit of the rule.

The point is too make them look as little as possible like they're actually a parking ramp.

As for how above grade parking garages should be 'wrapped', my personal opinion is that once you've dealt with the street level uses, minimizing the impact of the garage at the pedestrian realm, I really don't care if I can tell if it's a parking garage or not. I'd like it to look nice, but that's not necessarily the same thing as making people think it's something else besides a parking garage. I'm not a fan of making parking garages look like old-timey buildings, for example.

[John]

As for how above grade parking garages should be 'wrapped', my personal opinion is that once you've dealt with the street level uses, minimizing the impact of the garage at the pedestrian realm, I really don't care if I can tell if it's a parking garage or not. I'd like it to look nice, but that's not necessarily the same thing as making people think it's something else besides a parking garage. I'm not a fan of making parking garages look like old-timey buildings, for example.

Yes, I agree with you comment for the most part. And I would dislike an 'old-timey' looking garage immensely! The 1368 architects did a good job with the street level in general and interacts with the pedestrian well with street level retail and lobby. There is going to be some backlit frosted glass paneling (crowning the top of the ramp toward Spruce Place) which will look great at night. It should look decent.

[min-chi-cbus]

I don't think people are as concerned about levels 2 and up (although if they were all underground instead that'd be preferred, I'm sure), but mostly the ground/street level where people will be up close and personal with the building. As long as the "impression" of the building at the street level isn't a "tower on top of a garage", but instead "a tower with a restaurant", I think most urbanmsp'ers would be contempt. That's just not what I'm seeing here so far....

I'd prefer a faux historical fascade to a bare ramp, or even a ramp that looks imprisoned (like this one)! Again, (and I don't know if this is possible) could the retailer on the first floor envelop the ramp for the most part, using the space around it? I'd prefer that most of all!

[trkaiser]

I'd prefer a faux historical fascade to a bare ramp, or even a ramp that looks imprisoned (like this one)!

Really? I think that is an insane statement. These are non-final images, and the final ones look a little nicer above the first level.

[nordeast homer]

From what I can see, the only part of the parking portion will be a ramp to go to the 2nd and 3rd levels. The images show the ground level pretty lit up and no sign of any of the parking structure like it shows above.
I like both of our new residential towers and am having a hard time figuring out the angst towards them. I thought most of us were waiting for these kind of developments? It appears to me that these are upscale, unique to our downtown, and will be attractive buildings that should age well.