Extreme Makeover Skyscraper Edition

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

So the 125 Old Broad Street Tower, an embarressing concrete blotch on the Central London skyline, spoiling the modern glass and victorian splendour. Disgusting eh?

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But take a look at it now! It is unbelievable that this is the same building. it is now no longer a blotch on the skyline, but instead it complements the buildings around it. (Full Size)

Such an improvement, you can actually appreciate the shape and form of the structure now, and the buiding has been allowed to work alongside the new talls planned for London, rather than spoiling the barrel.

Discuss

[Ross Fox 0]

Yay they need to be doing this more in the UK. There are a lot of old 60/70's relics that could look fine with a good facelift.

I think it helps we're not making the same mistakes as planners of the 60's anyway, who tore down Victorian buildings and charming sandstone tenements to make way for massive grey blocks. Although I could nominate *a lot* of grey blocks to be flattened, its nice to see a different treatment of past architectural disasters

[hamsterTK 93]

geez that thing was disgusting

did the upper floors have a fire?

[fledder200 5]

i think it's polution....well...ugly polution

the new one looks good tough!!

in Rotterdam near the cantral tation ther is one hell of a ugly building stuffed away between the new buildings...i hate it and it needs a Extreme Makeover Skyscraper Edition aswell

[Micah 16]

They did the samething in Houston just a few months. I'll find photos and post the contrast. It's the old Days Inn in downtown Houston I believe. It doesn't look as old as the Old Broad Street Tower, but I think it is taller than this one.

Impressive work if you ask me for both buildings!

[montrouge 2]

I know more incredible.

Tour AXA  Paris la Defense

This ugly building built in 1974

Will become that .

It is the refurbishment and heightening of the old AXA Tower (159m/522ft) due to be turned into a 240m/780ft skyscraper with a different design and different cladding.

Work has started

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

Looks good but this thread is supposed to be about 125 Old Broad Street.

[villagemayor 0]

Some amazing examples of refurbishment of buildings. I've never seen any building of that scale undergoing that kind of refurbishment in Toronto, so its almost radical to me. Thanks for sharing the photos.

[montrouge 2]

Originally posted by: ILL Tonkso Looks good but this thread is supposed to be about 125 Old Broad Street.quote>

 

Ah sorry

I thought that this thread was about  refurbished skyscrapers.

[Glenni 1,447]

Why not make it into a showcase for extreme makeover skyscraper editions from all over the world tonks?

[Mike the Mayor 51]

Excellent pictures there. I love the way London s changing!

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

Originally posted by: Glenni Why not make it into a showcase for extreme makeover skyscraper editions from all over the world tonks?quote>

Alright why not sorry montrouge

[Glenni 1,447]

got a small makeover from Oslo too.

Biskop Gunnerus gate 14/ Postgirobygget.:

Built in 1975, It was 19 floors, and was talked about as one of the ugliest taller buildings in Norway.

But, that was then, in 1998 it got a height increase and rose from 19 floors to 26, it also got a complete reclad and got a nicer base. and got this nice look:

[ExiL3 10]

can't see you last photo glenn, but I have two from that same building my self.

And I agree, it was NEEDED BADLY!

Click on the picture for a larger version...

take care,

[montrouge 2]

Paris has a lot of 70's skyscrapers.
Tour Europlaza Paris la Defense

Tour Septentrion  built in 1971






Became in 1995 the Europlaza tower



Tour Opus 12   Paris la Defense

Tour Credit Lyonais  built in 1972




Became in 2004 tour Opus 12  



Tour CB16  
Built in 1971 renovated in 2004


]
All the ugly building around will be demolished for build taller skyscrapers.

It look cool in the densest concentration of skyscrapers in Europe



The next is Tour Jussieu    near Notre Dame


But nobody know how will be the new cladding
Actually

[hamsterTK 93]

honestly I think the AXA building in La Defense looks better as it is instead of the spiraly glass turd its being replaced by.

I mean im sure the architect worked hard on it and it looks good now, but I mean is that really going to be the style in the future?

[YourNickname 0]

I'm with Hamster... I mean, a monotone block isn't impressive in and of itself, but that thing it will become is pretty bland. Remember, the best part about those glass-encased skyscrapers is that they reflect the city around them. If everything else is glass, as apparently all the referubished La Defense buildings are, there's nothing to reflect.

[josefmayor 8]

They are redoing the Floridian Hotel in Tampa!!! I'm so excited because this was once a luxury hotel in the 20's.

They just finished adding the new roof, the next steps are to replace all windows and redo the masonry work on the base.

[montrouge 2]

tour Courcellor 2    Paris (not la Defense)

Actually

After

[Mulefisk 15]

I might be alone about this, but it always makes me sad when original architecture is destroyed because it's viewed as ugly.

One thing is renovating, another thing is when elements of a building are replaced with more "modern" ones.

This is especially evident with the 125 Old Broad Street Tower, and tour Courcellor 2.

Originally posted by: Ross Fox I think it helps we're not making the same mistakes as planners of the 60's anyway, who tore down Victorian buildings and charming sandstone tenements to make way for massive grey blocks.quote>

IMO, doing this is just as bad, as they are practically knocking down the old buildings and putting up new ones. In 20 years, 1960's concrete will be looked on as beautiful, while these "makeovers" will be considered great mistakes.