Thursday, April 26, 2012

Photo of the Day, Tres: It's Still Empty, Still Ugly

That framed thingy in the middle of Roanoke City's Market Building, which was supposed to be the crowning touch of a new farmer's market inside, remains empty and the spring is in full ... well, spring.

The idea was to have vendors in the space, but like everything else about this awful design, it doesn't work because it was ill-thought and approved by a Roanoke City Council with something on its mind that most of us simply can't comprehend. Why, for example, would growers want to be inside during beautiful weather to sell their flowers, vegetables and fruits. Hint: They wouldn't. They aren't and maybe they won't. So we're left with this big space in the middle of the floor of an ugly interior making it even uglier and--worse--taking up possibly useful space.

Next up for Roanoke City Council in the screw-up category? Huff Lane School. Stay tuned.

3 comments:

  1. They have not only missed the boat with the interior design....they missed badly in terms of its business plan...it is embarrassing to the city to spend all of this money without generating an exciting ...vibrant...market building.....there is no energy...no community involvement...no programs....no events....nothing....they totally missed the mark.....in our studies one prime factor was to reposition the market building from a Food Court to a multi dimensional ...flexible..facility that would not only include food vendors.....but also artisans...farmers...special events...community involvement....organic and local foods....the farmers market could be expanded on the weekends utilizing the perimeter spaces ..that could be flexible for both restaurant seating and vendors during different times....this facility now has no flexiibilty to be anything more than a Mall Food Court...and even that is poorly done.....

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  2. How would the farmers be able to drive their trucks up to the inside stalls and unload? And how would customers who buy a couple bushels of produce from the farmers get their cars close enough to the stalls to load the produce into their cars? And why would tables be right up against the stalls? Is there an award for bad design?

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  3. They would back up to the Market Building .....just like they did when the Market was first built.....just only on Weekends ....both the roads would be closed off to traffic...

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