The City of
Phoenix, Arizona may be admired for its maverick spirit
and the beauty of the surrounding desert. But
this sprawling city of more than 350 square miles (900
square kilometers) has never been known for high-density
living. The residential redevelopment known as Orpheum
Lofts, however, sets a more urban example.
Designed by renowned local architects Lescher & Mahoney and
built in 1931, the eleven-story structure — originally known
as the Phoenix Title and Trust Building — is being
transformed into 90 loft spaces by the Denver office of
The Lawrence Group Architects.
A pristine example of the
Art Deco
style, the building has been described by one state historic
preservation official as Arizona's most significant piece of
architecture (although
Frank Lloyd Wright
fans might argue for
Taliesin West).
New Life for
Art Deco
The
Orpheum
Lofts, due for completion in June 2004,
are situated at First and Adams Streets in the Copper Square
area of downtown. This location makes it ideal as a
pioneering residential highrise for uninitiated Arizonans
accustomed to living in subdivisions a half-hour's drive
from Phoenix's urban core. "When we saw it, we just fell in
love with it," recalls Norm Sheldon of TASB, the Denver
development company behind the project.
Indeed, the brick
and terra cotta building is one of the few Art Deco projects
in the city, but Arizona's hot, dry climate has preserved
the building very well. It was only because of concerns
about asbestos and lead paint that it was not redeveloped
earlier — and because the city has little tradition of urban
living.
But TASB's work
in Denver, where the Lower Downtown area
has seen the influx of approximately 75,000 residents over
the last two decades, gave the company a vision of what
Phoenix could become.
"Downtown
Phoenix is coming alive," Sheldon contends. "We don't
have much in the line of retail, but retail will follow the
residents. Phoenix as a city didn't really start until the
mid-1950s. Prior to that they didn't have enough power to
run air conditioning. It was only about 1956 or 1957 that
they started to take off."
The architectural
detail and craftsmanship of the art deco high-rise
(originally cooled with a chilled water loop system) is
being preserved in the lobby. This includes decorative metal
detailing crafted during the Great Depression, etched glass
windows, a lavish marble and terrazzo staircase, and an
ornate lobby directory that is listed in architectural
textbooks.
"Our goal is to
preserve the original exposed brick, decorative terra cotta,
and remarkable detail in the interior, and to protect the
original exterior brick, stone, granite, terra cotta and
frame," says project architect Josh Comfort of The Lawrence
Group. Lead paint, which existed mostly on the window frames
and in acoustic tile, were carefully removed, and the
asbestos is being either removed or encapsulated.
History versus
Marketplace
Beyond the ground
floor, however, the transformation of the office building
into lofts has taken a controversial turn. The developer
originally applied for tax credits for rehabilitating a
historic building, but the credits came with a stipulation
that the original plastered ceilings and walls be preserved.
Meanwhile, TASB
extrapolated from their experience in Denver where lofts are
normally built from rehabilitated warehouses, with a
resulting aesthetic characterized by exposed brick and
concrete. Those loft owners appreciate the bare framework,
partly perhaps because it is an honest expression of the
original structure.
But at the
Orpheum
Lofts, such a skeletal appearance was not
characteristic of the original Art Deco interiors. As a
result, a conflict arose over architectural integrity versus
the perceived preferences of potential occupants. The
developer championed the cause of the exposed structure.
"I can tell you
there was a long and arduous debate over this," Comfort
explains, "with the historic preservation people on one
extreme and the owners on the other. I was very much in the
middle, but kind of skewed towards the historic
preservationist, quite frankly."
He continues:
"Understanding the quality of the building and its historic
significance, I felt that having the plastered walls and
ceilings, and designing those units with that as part of the
features — opening the space a lot and using the original
millwork and moldings — would be a very elegant way to
transform this building into quality residential units.
"We did a lot of
design work expressing how that would work. But it became
obvious pretty early on that the owners really felt that
their ability to create this kind of market in downtown
Phoenix was dependent on exposing these structural
materials."
That said, the
interior of the Orpheum Lofts is not without a
rough-hewn charm. Ceilings feature a pattern of T-shaped
concrete beams, with pebbles and other detritus of the
cement mix clearly visible. Walls are of the original red
brick, some of which is nicely smooth and geometric, but in
other areas is rather shabby.
The interior
partitions of the original office spaces were removed
because they were incompatible with the needed dimensions of
residential spaces. This demolition exposed "stripes" of
structure throughout the existing plaster walls and
ceilings. The choice between repair and removal inched
closer to removal. The developer decided to forego the
preservation tax credit and remove all the plaster.
While Comfort
worries that some residents will find disfavor with the
less-than-perfect interior shell that has been exposed, both
the architect and developer now believe that it is something
to be celebrated. "You have to convince people that
something a little unorthodox is something they should
love," Comfort says.
Ironically, now
that the original fabric is gone, we may never know for sure
whether potential occupants would have preferred historic
plaster or raw structure. "It takes a bit of flexibility and
willingness to work with the spirit of the code as opposed
to the literal requirement," Comfort says. "Inevitably the
solution, and it's more refined in some municipalities than
others, is negotiation."
Creative Code
Interpretation
As another
example of code negotiation, Sheldon recalls a problem
concerning the building's original elevators. The City of
Phoenix stipulated that a paramedic's gurney had to be able
to fit inside the elevators. But the Orpheum's elevators
were just a little bit too small. City officials suggested
building a new elevator shaft, but the existing shaft is
part of the structure, and removing it would have weakened
the Orpheum.
Another
suggestion was to put a new elevator on the outside, but
that would have marred the historic facade. Finally a fire
department official sent two people over with a gurney to
see if it would fit. They found that, by simply tilting the
gurney about 20 degrees, it could be wedged inside the
elevator. Problem solved!
"It took six
months to get that approved," Sheldon says with noticeable
frustration. "We've had our challenges, but overall the City
of Phoenix has been very generous with us."
Which is perhaps
a reason for optimism that the desert metropolis playing
host to the
Orpheum Lofts may be able to rise like its
namesake mythological bird from the ashes of sprawl toward a
more urbane and sustainable future
Article from
http://www.architectureweek.com/2003/1015/design_1-1.html
Desert Showcase
