Thursday, June 18, 2009

AR(c)TIC in OC?

2009.06.hubam

Design aside, this is one exciting building. HOK's above image for a new regional transit hub in "downtown" Anaheim represents a major step forward for Southern California. Intended to be built by 2013, the building will connect Metrolink, Amtrak, Disney monorail, local transit and high speed rail underneath a vaulted roof inspired by the rail stations of days past. Can this building really be designed for Orange County? (Check out the map below)


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The pedestrian neighborhood this hub will serve is as speculative as pedestrians in Orange County. But who says a parking lot sandwiched between a freeway and a dry drainage ditch today, across the freeway from Angel Stadium and next door to Honda center, can't be the planner's pedestrian paradise of tomorrow? Maybe it's name says it all: ARTIC (Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center). Don't kid yourself, there's no ice in the OC.

BUT, there will be ice in the OC!!

As a not so side note: This hub and it's immediate neighborhood will tie into Anaheim's Platinum Triangle (I know cheesy right?), a partially built, partially under construction, partially stalled by economics project that's attempting to bring some dense, mixed use, walkable urbanism to the area between the 5 and 57 freeways that is Angel Stadium, Honda Center, Convention center and Disneyland adjacent.

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