Xcel Energy HQ - 401 Nicollet

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Gman12
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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby Gman12 » November 21st, 2014, 11:31 am

I wish this would get replaced, but it will definitely be around for while, long term plans are for 30 years out. One of the ugliest buildings downtown and kind of a dump except for the VP level. Who in their right mind would design an office building with windows you'd see in a jail? I am curious to see how the skyway will go into the building.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby twincitizen » November 21st, 2014, 11:39 am

I can't imagine the HPC or anyone really would blink if Xcel proposed tearing off the entire facade and reskinning the whole thing.

Based on the pic mattaudio shared: http://danwhittaker.com/tea/mod/HTML/sld070.htm, it at least seems possible.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby MNdible » November 21st, 2014, 12:06 pm

I can guarantee you that the HPC and a lot of other architectural historians would do a lot more than blink in the face of such a proposal. Whether you like it or not, this is likely to be the building that represents the Gateway Renewal into perpetuity.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby FISHMANPET » November 21st, 2014, 12:11 pm

Historic preservation should not be exclusively for preserving old pretty buildings that everyone loves, it should be for preserving our history.
Last edited by FISHMANPET on November 21st, 2014, 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby mattaudio » November 21st, 2014, 12:12 pm

in that case I guess there is a purpose in keeping reminders of our mistakes.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby MNdible » November 21st, 2014, 12:15 pm

A lot of people thought that Richardsonian Romanesque buildings were ugly mistakes too, which led to the Metropolitan Building being torn down.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby twincitizen » November 21st, 2014, 12:24 pm

Whether you like it or not, this is likely to be the building that represents the Gateway Renewal into perpetuity.
Really? Not this one? http://www.placeography.org/index.php/N ... _Minnesota

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby MNdible » November 21st, 2014, 1:37 pm

OK, probably that one, NSP, and the old Federal Reserve, in its bastardized condition. But as a 'fabric' building, rather than a spectacular one-off, I'd argue that NSP is probably more representative of the Gateway.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby FISHMANPET » November 21st, 2014, 1:43 pm

A lot of people thought that Richardsonian Romanesque buildings were ugly mistakes too, which led to the Metropolitan Building being torn down.
This is why I hate criticism that applies the same standards and attitudes to something new and something 100+ years old. What are people in 100 years going to think about we've built now? I have flipping idea. And I doubt 100 years ago people had any idea what we'd think about their buildings now. It's easy to look through the long lens of history and figure out what worked and what didn't, it's much harder to reach that same conclusion from whole cloth.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby mullen » November 21st, 2014, 2:02 pm

I can guarantee you that the HPC and a lot of other architectural historians would do a lot more than blink in the face of such a proposal. Whether you like it or not, this is likely to be the building that represents the Gateway Renewal into perpetuity.
this and the former Northwestnern insurance building, which is a far better representation of what they thought gateway would become. beautiful bookend building for the north end of the mall.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby Avian » November 21st, 2014, 3:01 pm

Granted, Belluschi's building is not the best with it's rifle-slot windows above. But the ground floor is one of the best along the Mall. The transparency and arcade works well. It'll never happen but the ground floor would make a nice market space for small vendors, spilling out onto the plaza in warm weather. It sure beats the atrocious Gaviidae and City Center.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby Nathan » November 21st, 2014, 9:34 pm

Historic preservation should be exclusively for preserving old pretty buildings that everyone loves, it should be for preserving our history.
I think it's pretty and I love it. Our city's architectural story line is alive in these buildings. Maybe skinny windows aren't the best but at least we have the trials and testaments of different architects and trains of thoughts through the decades. Future generations of people deserve to see the progression of architecture on our streets, and not have that censored to some idyllic diluted winners history.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby Nathan » November 21st, 2014, 9:37 pm

in that case I guess there is a purpose in keeping reminders of our mistakes.
You do realize how many "mistakes" have been torn down. Don't pretend your opinions will be the definition of success for future generations.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby FISHMANPET » November 21st, 2014, 9:43 pm

lol I made a huge typo that totally changed my meaning, "Historic preservation should NOT be..."

But part of our history is our architectural history, so if this indeed a building emblematic of a particular style of architecture and the gateway renewal in general, then it seems like a good candidate for historic protection if somebody tries something fishy

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby FISHMANPET » November 21st, 2014, 9:45 pm

in that case I guess there is a purpose in keeping reminders of our mistakes.
You do realize how many "mistakes" have been torn down. Don't pretend your opinions will be the definition of success for future generations.
Though I'm not sure that the pendulum will ever swing in such a way as to say that the clearing of the Gateway was a good idea. But Gateway renewal was a thing that happened, and we shouldn't tear down evidence of it just because we're embarrassed or ashamed of it.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby Nathan » November 21st, 2014, 9:50 pm

in that case I guess there is a purpose in keeping reminders of our mistakes.
You do realize how many "mistakes" have been torn down. Don't pretend your opinions will be the definition of success for future generations.
Though I'm not sure that the pendulum will ever swing in such a way as to say that the clearing of the Gateway was a good idea. But Gateway renewal was a thing that happened, and we shouldn't tear down evidence of it just because we're embarrassed or ashamed of it.

I'm neither ashamed nor embarrassed of the tear down. Neither am I ashamed or embarrassed of mid century architecture, which is what it seems you lot are. Just because you don't appreciate it doesn't mean it's bad or deserving of irradication.

That building is beautiful and reeks of an Era of Minneapolis. An exciting Era of potential rebirth. And there are a number of people here more than ready to just erase that important page and repeat mistakes that have already been made over and over.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby FISHMANPET » November 21st, 2014, 10:05 pm

Just because you don't appreciate it doesn't mean it's bad or deserving of irradication.
Well this is a big part of what Gateway clearing was, so it's hard to say you're not embarrassed or ashamed of it but then admonish people that want to dear down the old.

As best I can tell the Xcel building was built in 1965, making it 49 years old. The Metropolitan Building was 72 years old when we tore it down. I think 40-75 years is a perilous time to be a building, as you're young enough to remind people of some social or economic period in time that they'd rather forget, and thus associated with that, and not quite old enough to be older than anyone that can remember the time when it was built.

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Nathan
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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby Nathan » November 21st, 2014, 10:28 pm

Just because you don't appreciate it doesn't mean it's bad or deserving of irradication.
Well this is a big part of what Gateway clearing was, so it's hard to say you're not embarrassed or ashamed of it but then admonish people that want to dear down the old.

As best I can tell the Xcel building was built in 1965, making it 49 years old. The Metropolitan Building was 72 years old when we tore it down. I think 40-75 years is a perilous time to be a building, as you're young enough to remind people of some social or economic period in time that they'd rather forget, and thus associated with that, and not quite old enough to be older than anyone that can remember the time when it was built.
Go home you're drunk. Taco bell is terrible. Far worse in culinary form than this building is to architecture or urban form. While this building isn't perfect it isn't bad either there are plenty of buildings in this city of that Era way more worthy of this conversation. I'm not having it. Love you. But no.

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby Tyler » November 21st, 2014, 10:37 pm

hehe
Towns!

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Re: Xcel Energy HQ - (401 Nicollet Mall)

Postby Silophant » November 21st, 2014, 10:49 pm

Granted, Belluschi's building is not the best with it's rifle-slot windows above. But the ground floor is one of the best along the Mall. The transparency and arcade works well. It'll never happen but the ground floor would make a nice market space for small vendors, spilling out onto the plaza in warm weather. It sure beats the atrocious Gaviidae and City Center.
The transparency does work well, and one of my wishes is that the City Council or the Downtown Council or someone would strongarm Xcel into refraining from covering it with advertising. Don't see it happening though.
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