Big Contest (276-Stories High)
Days May Be Numbered For Naked Concrete Walls At Tower Plaza
Big Contest! (26 Stories High)
By Dan McLeister
(News Staff Reporter)
What should be done with the 26-story high sheet of concrete on the east and west walls of the Tower Plaza Apartments at 555 E. William?
A contest with a $500 first prize is being held to find the best design idea for the end walls of the building.
Color, texture changes or materials applied to the walls are among the alternatives according to Ted Wold, a resident of Tower Plaza who is helping to coordinate the contest. "New and imaginative solutions are being encouraged."
The building is an eye-sore, Wolf said. "This is 1974. A new building in an educational center should be forward and leading and take a step ahead. I hope the design could be tied into the Sesquicentennial and become a landmark."
The opinion from the general public is almost evenly divided on whether to cover up the concrete, according to Ronald Hall, manager of the 300 apartment structure. Some people say it is ugly and others say don't cover it up, he said.
Original plans by the owner, the William Street Co., called for marble sides, but that idea was dropped due to cost, Hall said. At one time there were plans to paint the walls, probably white to reflect the sun's rays, he said.
Sections of the concrete walls have been repaired three times by the contractor, Hall noted. But the condition has come back again so the owners are seeking to do a more permanent repair this time, he said. "We are looking for some method that will make the surface look good and provide longevity. Painting is temporary."
The design idea does not have to be tied into the Sesquicentennial, Hall said. The budget could be anything up to $50,000, the manager said. He noted that an original estimate for painting was $20,000.
Wolf said he hoped that what is done at Tower Plaza would serve as an example for the owners of other city buildings which could use a similar treatment. It could become a symbol for the city, he said. This effort is different because it is an attempt to dress up a new building, Wolf said.
Wolf said the design might be a three dimensional sculpture. The surface could be crushed stone,fiberglass or plastic, he said. The surface could be some kind of textured, colored finish, according to Wolf. "I think cubes or arches would be acceptable."
Work on the other two sides, which include a large number of windows, will depend on the final design for the end walls, Wolf said. An architect will tie it altogether, he said. The north-south walls include grey glass and bronze spandrel-panels.
All entries are due at the Tower Plaza office no later than March 30. The submissions will be reviewed by representatives of the owner, architect and jurors representing art and architecture, Wolf said. Winners will be announced on April 15. Second prize is $250 and third prize is $100.
The competition is open to art and architecture students and others as well as interested qualified persons, Wolf said. He said posters have been distributed to the U-M, Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Wayne, University of Detroit, Oakland Community College and Cranbrook Art Academy.
The owners of the building, in order to conform with interior decor and high degree of maintenance, are faced with a major exterior renovation for the surfaces presently of reinforced concrete, Wolf said. In order to eliminate or reduce future maintenance a new finish is being considered.
Work is scheduled during the summer of 1974, which will coincide with the Ann Arbor Sesquicentennial, Wolf said.
The William Street Co. is a partnership which includes general partner Peter Kleinpell of Flint, whose wife is a member of the Mott family. Other partners are Harding Mott and John Stegeman of Ann Arbor.
Construction was completed in March, 1969. The technique used was then a rather novel slip-form, continuous pour,reinforced concrete structure, Wolf said. Difficulties were encountered during the pouring process and defective concrete finishes were produced.