Re: [UC] relevance of comment on Inky article critizing the design of the Perelman Center
Thanks. I always sort of thought so; especially since I couldn¹t Google that story. On 10/24/08 10:10 PM, Dave Axler [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Wilma: That story about Irvine's history is an urban legend. It was actually designed by prominent architect Horace Trumbauer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Trumbauer), who was also responsible for the Keswick Theatre, the Public Ledger Building, and campus buildings for Hahnemann, Jefferson, Duke, Harvard, and the Tyler School of Art. And, on a related and timely note: I don't know if they still do it, but it used to be that every year, around Hallowe'en, the original silent version of The Phantom of the Opera would be shown at Irvine, with accompaniment on the Curtis Organ. Dave -Original Message- From: Wilma de Soto [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]; UnivCity listserv UnivCity@list.purple.com Sent: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 6:41 pm Subject: Re: [UC] relevance of comment on Inky article critizing the design of the Perelman Center I went there on Sept. 26th for GI because it¹s moved to the 4th floor in the Perelman Center. They have built and named new streets in order to enter the Free Parking Garage for Patients. (try to find it!) It was quiet, not crowded and easy to get through because it¹s not quite finished. Still, it is ugly, forbidding and most certainly not pedestrian friendly as most of Penn¹s modern buildings. Gee, everyone thought Irvine Auditorium was poorly designed, but he forced them to construct it because he became rich and donated money despite not making it at Penn¹s School of Architecture. I also hate that Lego building at 40th Chestnut Sts. On 10/24/08 4:21 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Beloved friends and neighbors: Inga Saffron wrote an article in the Inquirer berating the architectural design of Penn's new Perelman Cancer Center across from CHOP. One of the reader comments -- as follows -- could well have been written about our own monstrous consequence of Penn's lack of architectural sensitivity. Inga Saffron is an architecture critic, and what she has done is appropriately critiqued the style of this building, not its internal qualifications as a treatment center. Pandering for sympathy is not going to change the fact that architecturally, this building doesn't do its job. Yes, hospitals have to accommodate vehicles, but in a city any building has a responsibility to do its part relating to its surroundings. This building may do its job as a hospital, but it completely ignores its surroundings and the city, and pays only attention to its insular purpose. As architecture it has failed. Al Krigman reminding you that you read it first, here, on the popu-list Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your favorites, no registration required and great graphics check it out! http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/10075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir=http ://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame0001
Re: [UC] relevance of comment on Inky article critizing the design of the Perelman Center
Well, I think Philadelphia has some beautiful architectural elements. Apparently the AIA members think so as well as they commented when they convened here a couple of years ago. As for the expanding economy, we'll have to wait a bit on that. I'm already down some 21,000 in my portfolio and the current quarter does not bode well. Also, that Radon Building on Walnut St. is a monstrosity! On 10/24/08 10:58 PM, Anthony West [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If I had chosen to settle in University City solely for the brilliance of the architecture that Penn might someday build for my amusement ... I'd have moved out of town a long, long time ago. Maybe to Barcelona, or Sydney, or back to sweet home Chicago, where ordinary folks truly respect a nice new public building. Such enthusiasm is wasted in Philadelphia, whose classic architectural tradition is based on predictable, pompous mediocrity from previous epochs-- the sort of boring stuff our historic districts are based on. Not that I'm against them; in fact, I settled here precisely because I preferred this mediocre old-timey style to Chicago's jumpy ambitions. Philadelphia Dull is pleasing to the eye and it works as a lifestyle too. Sacred, however, it is not. Back to Penn. It owns some buildings erected in the 19th c. that are beautiful and important. It owns many buildings erected in the 20th c. that are garishly functional. Such is life in a rapidly-expanding 21st-c. university district. The latest architecture of Houston and Baku and Bangalore probably isn't much prettier. But having an expanding economy beats having a contracting economy. -- Tony West That story about Irvine's history is an urban legend. It was actually designed by prominent architect Horace Trumbauer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Trumbauer), who was also responsible for the Keswick Theatre, the Public Ledger Building, and campus buildings for Hahnemann, Jefferson, Duke, Harvard, and the Tyler School of Art. Dave -Original Message- From: Wilma de Soto [EMAIL PROTECTED] I went there on Sept. 26th for GI because it¹s moved to the 4th floor in the Perelman Center. They have built and named new streets in order to enter the Free Parking Garage for Patients. (try to find it!) It was quiet, not crowded and easy to get through because it¹s not quite finished. Still, it is ugly, forbidding and most certainly not pedestrian friendly as most of Penn¹s modern buildings. Gee, everyone thought Irvine Auditorium was poorly designed, but he forced them to construct it because he became rich and donated money despite not making it at Penn¹s School of Architecture. I also hate that Lego building at 40th Chestnut Sts. On 10/24/08 4:21 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Beloved friends and neighbors: Inga Saffron wrote an article in the Inquirer berating the architectural design of Penn's new Perelman Cancer Center across from CHOP. One of the reader comments -- as follows -- could well have been written about our own monstrous consequence of Penn's lack of architectural sensitivity. Inga Saffron is an architecture critic, and what she has done is appropriately critiqued the style of this building, not its internal qualifications as a treatment center. Pandering for sympathy is not going to change the fact that architecturally, this building doesn't do its job. Yes, hospitals have to accommodate vehicles, but in a city any building has a responsibility to do its part relating to its surroundings. This building may do its job as a hospital, but it completely ignores its surroundings and the city, and pays only attention to its insular purpose. As architecture it has failed. *Al Krigman *reminding you that you read it first, here, on the */popu-list/* You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] Lost/Stray White cat with injured eye - 47thPine
Please keep an eye out for this (probably stray) all-white kitty. It's a young adult, probably female. The woman who saw her last night would like to find her and get her treated and fostered... -linda Reply to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [?] cell: 609-634-1517
[UC] SHCA non-opposition and Goldman letter
I just returned and read Ms Goldman’s letter in the UC Review. Bravo Ms. Goldman! It appears that SHCA held the typical secret closed board meeting to plot the “NON-OPPOSITION” position for their Penn masters. What a surprise, a closed board meeting! Certainly, the poor hard working volunteer experts of the SHCA leadership feel uncomfortable because a few loudmouths in their midst shout down “community improvement.” These SHCA clowns never stop! Let’s ask Grossbach to view any non-opposition letter now, before it is presented to the ZBA. We should expect a surprise submission by Penn FOLLOWING the public testimony phase, just prior to ZBA approval of Campus Inn. Since the Oct. 23, 2007 hearing of the architectural committee, the bold lies from the Campus Inn team ALWAYS follow the public testimony at these prearranged charades of public hearings, as will occur at ZBA. These pay to play city agencies have the Penn team present their talking points first. Then, members of the public have one chance, in 2-3 minute slots, to testify. But then, the Penn team is always allowed to speak again and the public is barred from correcting misinformation and bold lies. That is when the secret non-opposition letter from the embattled SHCA will be submitted. The thing will not be read publicly, but spun by the Penn lawyers as a letter actually indicating community support! It is exactly a year since the Oct 23rd architectural committee rejection of Campus Inn. Without reposting the timeline of subsequent SHCA treachery and betrayal of this community, remember that I immediately wrote to and copied to this public list, a request to SHCA and Grossbach for clarification of the testimony regarding the Olshin claims of a series of previous “open, public forums” hosted by the SHCA zoning committee. For four months until the zoning committee was cornered by an angry betrayed community, Grossbach chose to ignore that simple request for clarification of what appeared to be a bold and repeated lie. Again typical, but unfortunately for SHCA most of the barking cheese gang is laying low, and my character was not attacked continuously for those 4 months as SHCA might have expected. SHCA had already been caught providing additional aid to the Penn team’s repeated lies by attempting to cloak the Nov. 9th false public testimony about an additional public forum scheduled the following week. That bold perjury turned out to be the SHCA “election” meeting and not even SHCA members had been informed that a Campus Inn show would occur-- an itsy bitsy mistake by the hard working thankless volunteers! In Feb., a FEW HOURS before the “unanimous” community rejection of the hotel, at the only meeting which had become public and forced to an appropriate venue only a few days prior; a forwarded post from Grossbach arrived on this list. That post claimed that all of the perjury by the Penn team about overwhelming community support and a series of open public forums was a simple unimportant mistake that should be swept under the rug! An angry Grossbach repeated this ridiculous suggestion that evening, in response to Mr. Moyer’s public exposure of the perjury in public recorded testimony. But why indignation after a four month delay before this untrue clarification? Hahaha! The SHCA continuous betrayal of this community, for a complete year, has been thoroughly exposed! Experience and not prophesy tell me that the non-opposition letter, which will remain secret, will convey the following. The hotel opposition is crazy and has made the hard working SHCA volunteer experts very uncomfortable. While the community experts really support community improvement and the widely popular Campus Inn, the SHCA organization has decided to officially take a non-opposition position for either side. With no one from the public permitted to speak at this point in the ZBA charade, the Penn attorneys will submit the letter and have a free pass to portray the community non-opposition letter as actually support for Campus Inn. Those in attendance will hear about the discomfort of hard working SHCA volunteers and how a few crazy NIMBYS forced this letter. The SHCA statement already foreshadows the justification for the official non-opposition position, even though the community really supports Campus Inn. ASK GROSSBACH FOR A PREVIEW OF ANY LETTER IMMEDIATELY SO THAT IT CAN BE POSTED ON THIS PUBLIC LISTSERV! But please don’t hold your breath while he ignores you. Standing tall with Ms. Goldman, Glenn You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] relevance of comment on Inky article critizing the design of the Perelman Center
I actually like many of the new post-Billy-Penn's-hat buildings -- the emerging central business district between Broad and 30th Sts. I love the Cira Centre. And I am besotted with antique rowhouse Philadelphia, especially in its older Center City nooks. I give out-of-town visitors a tour of this charming cityscape and it never fails to knock their socks off. 99% of North Americans have no idea such liveable 200-year-old neighborhoods are to be found here! Philadelphia's genius lies in the small, the intimate -- the vista instead of the panorama. As for all this newer Penn stuff -- Penn is obviously world-class and cutting-edge in all sorts of disciplines. But if a school is judged by its works, and buildings are the works of architecture, then, supposing I had a favorite niece who was interested in becoming an architect ... if all she wanted was to make a pot of money, I'd say, Sure, come here. But if she had any urge toward beauty, I'd gently steer her elsewhere. For sure, though, Wilma, how much better if we had invested our retirement money in UPenn shares instead of that dreck on the NYSE? -- Tony West Wilma de Soto wrote: Well, I think Philadelphia has some beautiful architectural elements. Apparently the AIA members think so as well as they commented when they convened here a couple of years ago. As for the expanding economy, we'll have to wait a bit on that. I'm already down some 21,000 in my portfolio and the current quarter does not bode well. Also, that Radon Building on Walnut St. is a monstrosity! You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] Eliminating discussion at the dog and pony show
First, congratulations to the SHCA board members whom have publicly resigned. You absolutely did the right thing, and don't let any of the hotheads make you feel otherwise! This was the best possible action for everyone and for the community! The anti-democratic, Penn process, has trickled down to our neighbors. A main strategy of the patented UCD/Penn “dog and pony show” is to eliminate the possibility of discussion at tightly controlled “public meetings.” The agenda is packed and controlled in a way that runs out the clock up to the scheduled adjournment time. As members of the club or general public watch the time be completely used, those in control of the show are prepared to shout down anyone by claiming that they are out of order and moving off topic. As reported in the UC Review, the recent FOCP dog and pony show was strictly scheduled to adjourn at 8:22 PM due to Philly playoffs that evening. The FOCP leadership continued to defy the orders of members and had used much of the time in illegitimate unannounced yearly elections. Most of the time for this election was used because no one wanted to join the gang, not for the uncontested hand picked slate of gang members being anointed. At 8:17 PM, the new landscape firm ended the presentation about the plans from the closed secretive planning committee for a total redesign of the public park. That “presentation to the community” had appeared to be the principal reason for the show as reported in that day’s issue of the UC Review. In other words, five minutes remained for the only possible discussion of the closed committee’s redesign plan for the public park after sitting for 1 hour and 17 minutes of gang business. Many people, like Mr. Moyer, were probably hopeful about the news report, which indicated that the push to implement the UCD/Penn upscale redesign of the park had been curtailed by the FOCP club. Mr. Moyer even altered his important trip to Canada specifically to attend the meeting and offer his assistance to the FOCP gang despite a decade of abuse from its leaders. With 5 minutes to adjournment, Mr. Moyer immediately attempted to offer constructive criticism of the continuing problems with the closed process pushing the redesign plan and the continuing defiance of the member’s wishes to open the FOCP club transparently to the community by properly announcing all meetings and agendas. As has become standard operating procedure for the past few years, Mr. Moyer was silenced immediately for going off the topic. The topic was to use the 5 minutes to praise and support the work of the closed secretive planning process and the redesign. It was very disheartening to see that the Penn style, tightly controlled dog and pony show model for public meetings, had been so completely adopted by this dysfunctional gang even as they purported to take back the process and control of the park redesign for the community. Frankly, this latest FOCP show continues to indicate that our local civic gangs are far beyond reform as so many of our neighbors hope might come if only new board members replace the lifers who rule with an iron fist. Like the code of silence among unaccountable police forces, which has been studied, what actually occurs is that the new inductees are pulled into the patterns associated with such insular gangs. They often start off with the best of intentions for reform, but are quickly pulled into maintaining the status quo of protecting the insular gang from any and all perceived outsiders. I believe, we, the general public must reassert the principles of honestly informing the public about public issues that is necessary in a participatory society of free citizens. Civic gangs were not founded for the purpose of providing insular gangs a mechanism to abuse power over their neighbors, which is almost taken for granted in our post-representative democracy era and community. The purpose of these gangs was actually quite the opposite. They were created to give their members a mechanism to serve their communities, disseminate honest accurate information to them, and allow ad hoc organization for special projects. A reaffirmation of the purposes of these orgs is necessary and not new board members who will either submit to the gang ideology or resign in disgust as SHCA members are doing now and as Mr. Moyer did several years ago from this FOCP board. This model is not healthy for anyone and is not healthy for a great community as once existed here! The community needs to take up this issue and stop helplessly defensively reacting as powerful neo-colonial forces exploit this destructive civic gang model to the nth degree. And we need to accept that new gang inductees are indoctrinated into the system or resign because they cannot possibly be agents of reform as many of us have often hoped ! Sincerely, Mr. Moyer You are receiving this because
Re: [UC] SHCA non-opposition and Goldman letter
Glenn moyer wrote: I just returned and read Ms Goldman’s letter in the UC Review. Bravo Ms. Goldman! here's mary's letter in the ucreview: (http://tinyurl.com/5fuvsw) RE: TAKING A STAND! UC Review | 22.OCT.08 Several years ago the University of Pennsylvania purchased the abandoned nursing home at 40th and Pine and subsequently selected a developer to build an 11-story, 114-unit on the site with 4 on-site parking spaces in a residential neighborhood of four- and five-story buildings. Needless to say, the immediate neighbors and many other residents of Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) were aghast that such an out-of-scale development would be placed in an historic, low-rise neighborhood and expected that the SH would represent their views. Alas, in a complete abrogation of its responsibility, SHCA not only refused to take a position on the proposed development, but held a closed Board meeting at which no discussion of and no vote on the merits was taken. Taking no position added insult to the injury of a closed discussion. This neighborhood deserves a more representative Board that debates such issues fully and votes no matter how divisive the issue. A group, which purports to represent the community, should have the courage to take a vote on whether the community wants to trade an eyesore for a behemoth. Mary Goldman University City haha: out-of-scale... behemoth... the size/scale of that hotel just never goes away. now perhaps pcpc's nilda ruiz will tell mary that the neighbors will 'get used to' the betrayals of shca. .. UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
