Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This is Albuquerque. with world renown architecture and land scape's put them together what do you get? not denver not philly but ALBUQUERQUE we need something that shows our culture in a new modern way, why not acouple of towers that would set is apart from all the other city's
I'm a professional photographer here in Albuquerque, so I've tried to photograph Albuquerque's "downtown" skyline from many angles over the years.
You first have to understand that our downtown area is "in" the Rio Grande River Valley, approximately 4,800ft. elevation. I live on the far eastern edge of Albuquerque, just below Tramway Blvd. "My" elevation here is 5,723ft, or so the wonderful, "Google Earth" specifically says. (If you haven't downloaded Google Earth...DO! It's spectacular, and free!)
So, from my front window, which looks west, the tops of the highest buildings in the city's center are just about on a line with me, at "my" ground level. Passing by it on either I-25, or I-40...leaves anything but a great impression.
Remember too, you are in a very old part of our country...with deep Native American, and Spanish/Mexican roots. Both, are highly respected here, and that is why you see so many flat-roofed (Pueblo-style) homes. The Pueblo's culture, like all Native Americans, is one of conforming to Mother Nature, not forcing Mother Nature to conform to us...a la the European attitude. Considering what's happening with Global Warming...maybe we should have been listening to them? Sorry, got preachy! :-)
In line with this though is old Santa Fe, which has always had strict building guidelines in the central Historic District. No building may be over so many feet high...no matter how much the hotel chain is willing to pay! This is just a long way around saying Albuquerque, while a metropolitan city of half-a-million, also feels the need to conform to values that came long before most of our ancestors ever set foot in North America. When in Rome....
Anyone who's visited New Mexico, realizes very quickly that, like Dorothy opinioned..."We're not in Kansas anymore Toto!" Or, New York, or Georgia!
Have a good one!
P.S. Our view of the Sandias turning "watermellon" red just after sunset, replaces the need for an ordinary "skyline" view of a city. :-)
The Pueblo's culture, like all Native Americans, is one of conforming to Mother Nature, not forcing Mother Nature to conform to us...a la the European attitude.
That old saw... All traditional (pre-modern) folk architecture whether Native American, European, Asian or African serves the same purpose. To protect it's inhabitants from the elements using locally obtained materials in an environmentally appropriate way.
A flat-roofed adobe is no more appropriate to the cold, wet climes of England than a pitched roof timber-frame house is to the southwest. Unless you want to build that house above 8,000 feet where there is timber, cold, and wet!
Now if you want to reduce the 10,000 year history of European architecture to the modernist (i.e. counter natural) movement of the past 70 years or so then disclaim your comparisons!
I wouldn't doubt the 30 story "Residence at Packard Place" just yet. Blue Dot Corp waste no time when going from concept to design to construction. I would think this might actually happen and relatively soon.
I think our downtown looks terrible for the size of our city,when compared to other cities our size and some smaller its kinda embarrasing.Its a dead downtown with a small sorry excuse for a skyline,to outsiders the city may feel suburban and shows a lack of money in our city without a good looking good sized city core.I love this city I just wish someone smarter controlled it.
I agree, but it should be noted that ABQ has more mid and high-rises than Tucson, and El Paso which are both bigger in size. We also beat Colorado Springs, Boise, Fresno, Bakersfield, and many others in the 500-1,000,000 population range. So yes it is sad, but we are better off than many others. Hopefully 2008 we'll see the start of construction for two 30+ story towers:
The Chant Tower (30 stories)
The Residence at Packard Place (30-45 stories)
I agree, but it should be noted that ABQ has more mid and high-rises than Tucson, and El Paso which are both bigger in size. We also beat Colorado Springs, Boise, Fresno, Bakersfield, and many others in the 500-1,000,000 population range. So yes it is sad, but we are better off than many others. Hopefully 2008 we'll see the start of construction for two 30+ story towers:
The Chant Tower (30 stories)
The Residence at Packard Place (30-45 stories)
Tucson Metro is bigger than Albuquerque's at 970,000 or so, however the Albuquerque Metro is larger than El Paso's Metro which has around 740,000.
Albuquerque's metro sits around 840,000 at this point.
And I agree Albuquerque has all the cities you listed beat by a long shot when it comes to high-rises.
finmqa1, do you happen to have a link to any site/article regarding the Chant Tower? I found a stub on wikipedia, but I was looking for something more in depth. Thanks.
I like Albuquerque the way it is. I think it would destroy its character to put a Six Flags and skyscrapers (even adobe ones) in. I may be moving there from Ft Worth, and I don't want to move into a homogenized big-city atmosphere. I want to move to Albuquerque, not Dallas, New Mexico.
A six Flags is what the youth in albuquerque need! its not distroying its character..people need to stop coming up with excuses like "it will ruin the view of the mountains and the stars"?! wtf? first of all the view of the mountains will always be there those mountains are 11,000+ feet in elevation. And the excuse about the stars? what the hell... go out into your backyard and you can see the stars from there. Having taller skyscrapers and better buildings isnt such a bad idea! Albuquerque is growing so fast wheather or not you like it, and i'm glad there building that 40 story skysraper its what we need, were not a little city anymore!
I was born and raised here and i'm proud of that fact, and if people arent in for the whole "development thing" then leave go somewhere else its 2008 for christ sake!
Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. What makes you think Albuq. doesn't look like a "real" city? Albuq. is one of the most beautiful and interesting looking cities in the country. I've been in Vegas for most of the past 43 years, and saw it grow from less than 200,000 to nearly 2 million. Most of that happened in just the last 20 years. Now they are building high rises all over town and they don't exactly enhance the looks of things. It makes me sad to see how this town has been ruined. It has mostly been a California invasion and I see they are now trying to take over Albuquerque too. Californians have done to Nevada what they did to their own state...they took a virtual paradise and destroyed it. You're next Albuquerque.
What? Most of the citizens in albuquerque dont mind more high rises many surveys have been taken. Las Vegas is a great city i love the development there thats what las vegas neeed they have a metro of two million why shouldnt they have tall buildings? Were going to be approching a million pretty soon i think its time they step it up to make it look nice. Albuquerque downtown is nice dont get me wrong but we need more high rises its what any great all-american city has..and i'm 29 now i have seen albuquerque grow and expand out like a weed, i'm for that! i wanna see that happen with rio rancho too! like i said before the views of the mountains will always be there. Not even a skyscraper of 100 stories can block the sandia mountain view.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Albuquerque's City Skyline? Where did it go? :-)
