Call me the minority, but I drove by the new CAB this weekend and I thought it looked fantastic. Very impressive. I don't mind the tile. Didn't even notice it.
How confident are you that the ivory tower did its due diligence? You're taking the word of career bureaucrat / chemist.
I'll wager a t-shirt that no professionals with real-world experience in adaptive reuse (be it architect, contractor, or developer) were afforded the opportunity to evaluate the structures in question.
I have no idea how the functionality of the to-be-demolished buildings compares to other similar buildings (in age or purpose).
And I don't know how much of the obvious issues were a problem with design vs. upkeep or whether some of those problems could have been fixed.
But Neilson had serious HVAC issues and the elevators were notorious. Maybe those things (and whatever other problems there are with the list of buildings that are coming down) could have been fixed or weren't initial design issues.
But if the functions aren't functioning . . .
IMO, the 6th one from the bottom is more in line with the arch of today. At least with the new buildings around Nashville. What does the motel 6 house?
Think that is it. It just screams hotel to me. If it was a little narrower, I would try and check in thinking it was a Hampton Inn. Don't get me wrong, I think it is okay but I am on the boarder about the tile at the top. It does try and tie the old in with the new.
But it is new construction - and not a portable double wide - at Tech so I like it.
The only thing I see in those pics that is unattractive is what I assume to be the wall around the chillers on the new business building. Looks like it would fit in quite well over at Neilson/Carruthers.