Absolutely beautiful. If you're going to use modern materials for transparency, you'd may as well have something beautiful as this warm wood shining through. A+. Good to see some warmth on this street.
STUNNIN podium! god. i wish this podium was somewhere in a skyscraper canyon. it reminds me of classic manhattan hotel lobbys situated smack in between buildings... very slick!
While I love the Ritz's exterior ... recently I was fortunate enough to get a construction tour of the Ritz's first couple floors (hotel lobby and convention space), I must say I was not amazed / fasinated in any way at all, I know it will look better once all the interior decor are in, but the interior space felt, underwhelming ... I would have expected much more for a 5-star hotel (King Eddy being no 5-star looks way better)
Along with the roof feature and unique southern slant, the podium helps rescue this building from mediocrity. That's one of the best shots of the podium I think we've seen here.
Of course it's fair; it's his informed opinion, having been inside. They're both buildings, and even a contemporary building with contemporary architecture has to compete with the old stuff. And he never said he doesn't appreciate modern architecture; he just said he didn't appreciate the interior of the Ritz.
It's a bit too soon to judge, I feel, but he's allowed his opinion.
well I can appreciate everyone has their own preferences, I'm just saying I wasn't impressed by the Ritz's interiors (as it is now and what's to come according to the renderings)
In particular, the lobby did not have the spacious feeling that I was expecting, plus the red / orange / yellow wavey pattern carpet with the maple leaves and maple seeds on the convention floors 2 & 4 aren't much of an attractive design feature IMO
Nonetheless, judge for yourself when the building opens to the public, and in the interim here are some renderings: