I think it is possible to understand something and still find it hard to believe.

I have noticed a trend in retail commercial design where the main facade looks like steroid induced growth.  What in the past seemed adequate (a sheltered entry and good position of the company sign), now seems too weak, and understated.  Instead I see construction of greater height.  I don’t have a problem with that.  Height and mass are legitimate tools in the creation of a place.

 

But I’m not seeing height as a considered or sophisticated design tool.  I’m not seeing just a bit more height, but something dramatically larger and more massive.  And, it seems that designers are taxed to explain what purpose that extra height and mass serves.  Ok, it draws the eye (attention) to the facade, the business.  Fine.  But, I find some of the results remind me of the logic of Disneyland.  And I’m not sure it is a good fit outside the bounds of an amusement park.

 

What disturbs me is false messages.  For example, creating a second floor with large windows, suggesting usable space with a view, which in fact is nothing more than sheer puffery.

 

The photo above is a new facade for a new Trader Joe’s.  Actually it is a remodel of an older Lucky Supermarket which later became an Albertson’s supermarket.  Although this photo doesn’t give it away, there is no flat floor in the second story.  Peer into those “windows” and you’ll see that it slopes enough to let snow slide, which here in Oakland is about as useful as a postcard of San Francisco.

 

Of course, one of the really truly fun things about watching buildings under construction, is the challenge of guessing the outcome from the initial hints.  It is possible to be completely wrong, but the surprise is fun too.  And, in this case, I may be wrong.  Maybe these upper areas serve some useful function, such as providing a haven for mechanical equipment, exposed to the weather on the hidden side and sloped to drains.  

 

But I’ve been doing this, compulsively, for the last 30 years so I’m right more often than wrong.  But I’m humble too.  I’ll report the truth.  Stay tuned.