tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post1796684937839104660..comments2024-03-18T06:43:33.435-04:00Comments on A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books: IKEA 1, Breuer 1/2John Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14842328320680692310noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-54116775111551062012-09-24T23:08:51.599-04:002012-09-24T23:08:51.599-04:00This doesn't surprise me. New Haven is dirt p...This doesn't surprise me. New Haven is dirt poor and desperate for industry. Yale is the biggest employer in town, but it's a not-for-profit and doesn't pay tax on its educational buildings and dorms. (And to be fair to Yale, the university does pay tax on its rental properties, even though Federal exempts them. Plus, employing half the city has to earn some thanks.) Ever since New Haven's gun factories went out of business, the city has been hurting BIG TIME. These days, most of the guns in New Haven are used from crime, not for the U.S. Army. So I am sure the city was willing to do pretty much anything IKEA wanted to get that store plopped down right at the junction of I-93 and I-95.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-4947977481611381572009-04-15T19:37:00.000-04:002009-04-15T19:37:00.000-04:00It looks like they are doing work inside the Pirel...It looks like they are doing work inside the Pirelli building again. When I was up at IKEA today, I saw a water truck and some other equipment, and I noticed that there are a series of open accesses on one side of the building.<br /><br />While I will agree that the building is now a shadow of its former self, I'm glad at least some of it was saved. I continue to hope that someone will find the money and determination to place the building back into some kind of service.<br /><br />Personally, I would love to rent office space in that building.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15702428064539549338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-9163750550252978332008-08-24T21:05:00.000-04:002008-08-24T21:05:00.000-04:00Thanks for all the very good comments. It's easy t...Thanks for all the very good comments. It's easy to see that this was a shame, and certainly a missed opportunity to be creative with something so trivial as a parking lot.John Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14842328320680692310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-77899505585619586572008-08-21T14:10:00.000-04:002008-08-21T14:10:00.000-04:00I visited the New Haven IKEA store yesterday durin...I visited the New Haven IKEA store yesterday during a commute to Boston. By chance I happened upon this post today. <BR/><BR/>I'm glad the building still remains. It was very nice to contemplate the architecture of the office building through the huge windows of the IKEA resturante. But the relationship of the two buildings is very awkward and confusing, even when you first view the pair from the highway. <BR/><BR/>I definately think that IKEA could have taken some sort of care in creating a more cohesive existence of the two structures instead of completely swallowing the Pirelli Building.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-26450438279335317922008-08-18T22:51:00.000-04:002008-08-18T22:51:00.000-04:00Well, I agree that this is a sad development, but ...Well, I agree that this is a sad development, but I don't really blame IKEA. I'm just guessing here, but I'm betting that New Haven was desperate for the tax revenue, and without a very strong push for preservation this is what you get.<BR/><BR/>I do blame IKEA for the horrible sign, though. Frankly, with the sign, the missing part of the building and the lost green space it seems like it'd be kinder just to tear it down completely. In its current state it just reminds me of an injured animal. Ugh.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08434654840392380474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-90276155514018226752008-08-18T22:40:00.000-04:002008-08-18T22:40:00.000-04:00During the years I lived in New Haven (a city unus...During the years I lived in New Haven (a city unusually long on great buildings) this was always one of my favorites. What a pity. But what would one expect from a company dedicated to churning out crappy disposable furniture.Timothy Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12462499479411820987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-90628995733682453802008-08-18T08:37:00.000-04:002008-08-18T08:37:00.000-04:00This is very interesting (though in a sad way.) I ...This is very interesting (though in a sad way.) I live in Switzerland, and it appears that the IKEA stores here are subject to far more stringent building laws. So, it's not inherently IKEA policy, but the region they're in. Here, they've been touting their "Minergie" building in a place called Spreitenbach, complete with signs on all the toilets about how rainwater is used to flush them.<BR/><BR/>More about the IKEA Spreitenbach building (only English write-up I could find) <A HREF="http://www.atel.eu/en/group/our_values/tailormade/energy_efficiency_ikea.jsp" REL="nofollow">here</A>.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03348318649247181165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-82074762525658242802008-08-18T03:48:00.000-04:002008-08-18T03:48:00.000-04:00I always thought that these kind of things only ha...I always thought that these kind of things only happened in third world countries like mine (Honduras) where every authority, specially if it's a government one, can be bought easily, without any respect towards historical or important buildings or monuments. It's so sad...marcelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05077148954327353964noreply@blogger.com