Not Much To Like 10.03.2007 | 1 Comment(s)

I really dislike the Mansion House complex on Fourth Street. No one will ever convince me that there is some architectual value or interest in any of the Mansion House's 3 identical towers. The brown cladding is depressing & dated, the balconies that hang off the buildings ruin the lines of said buildings and the vertical blinds that hang in the windows make each tower look like a shabby hotel or dorm.



The retail space that fronts 4th street is also a problem. It's set too far back from the street and the area between the storefront and the street feels very...tunnel like, you don't feel connected to the streetscape. The fountain out front is pretty boring and underutilized, I guess that has something to do with the fact that it's in the middle of the entrance/exits of the complex's parking garage.

With all these faults built into the design, you'd think the management of the Mansion House complex would do something to spruce up its appearance, but no, not even that is done. The balconies need painting, there are no street trees and only a feeble, half-hearted effort appears to have been made to spruce up the area in front of the fountain, which I assume is the Mansion House's main entry. This space is the worst, with no relationship to the street, this area is nothing but a sea of concrete and cars...why put a fountain there?





One redeeming quality of Mansion House is its raised green space area. It's a nice, hidden refuge from the chaos and poor planning below.



The cleaning staff at the Mansion House also deserves credit. They do an excellent job of keeping the sidewalks litter free. Most days you won't find a spot of litter on the sidewalks in front of the MH.

I don't know, I just can't appreciate much about this development. It looks dated, but worst of all, the buildings themselves look tired. Despite that, I have a feeling if more thought was put into the aesthetics of the streetscape and pedestrian areas, Mansion House could look a lot better. I suppose it just takes a bit of money and a concerned building owner.

By  H, at 11:19 PM

I understand the concerns about the aesthetics, but I lived there for years and loved the apartment. The views are tremendous and the location is unbeatable. Overall, the modern designs don't bother me, as it is a specific period of architecture. Better maintenance would make the complex feel a lot better, as well as street trees.