The Roanoker May/June 2017 - 81

Bob Fetzer
Pheasant Ridge (and other developments on the mountains
near Tanglewood Mall) is a missed opportunity to celebrate the

nable Abyss. Too much prime downtown real estate is dedicated to a cavernous black hole that could be bubbling with businesses and downtown
living. Most upper floors have been vacant for decades.

beauty of the mountains and honor the legacy of the Blue Ridge

Lora Katz

Parkway. The huge, plain brick blocks don't relate to nature or
their environment.

The Taubman is either a beautiful piece of sculpture, or an albatross,

Riverside Park (Carilion and Virginia Tech) had the opportunity

depending on who is speaking. I believe that it is both. It is a beautiful piece

to create a world-class facility whose architecture reflected the

of sculpture to me, but like a piece of sculpture, museum efficiency is not

cutting-edge research going on inside its walls. The site does not

an agenda item. My question has always been whether the board should

offer a campus feel and placing the buildings right at the street

have spent less and still had a beautiful piece of architecture. They could

makes it seem that they are turning their backs on the community.

have set up an endowment to fund its needs into the future.

Nothing in the development, from the medical office buildings to

No. 2 is more of a development than a building, but what originally

the apartment complex across the street, reflects the quality of

started as Slate Hill and is now South Peak, could not be more of an eyesore.

life that is Roanoke's greatest asset.

What were they thinking? How did the county allow this?

Bill Hume

Steve Sunderman

Every time South 16 at the Bridges is brought up in conver-

Taubman Museum is my pick because its modernistic design is quite

sation, the phrase "shipping containers" is discussed. While the

foreign to the traditional-looking architecture of the downtown district. I

architecture is utilized throughout this country as a progressive

have found it interesting during my career that many of our best buildings

design aesthetic, I am not sure that Roanoke was the best place

are initially controversial for the locals.

to introduce this in such a large scale.

I object to any new building or major renovation that does not incorporate high performance design and building strategies (green building) as

John Dorlini

a means to provide comfortable and healthy environments.

South Peak and its large, patched-up retaining wall is my pick.

Husain Alam

But I hear the view of Tanglewood Mall's roof looks amazing.

There will be people in Roanoke who will hate the Taubman to its core

John Garland
The former First National Exchange Bank building, mostly oc-

because to them it doesn't respect history. We will never be able to change
their minds.

cupied by Carilion, is the former site of the American Theater, an

The Verizon Building is a former marble stone-clad building that is now

architectural masterpiece for the ages. It was torn down in 1973

clad with an insulated metal skin. Should we preserve the old fabric of our

to build the rectangular monolith.

rich architecture and history? The Verizon building brings this question to

Campbell Court city bus terminal is a building I call the Abomi-

Present: Roanoke's Municipal Building speaks of the present
and qualifies for a nice architectural building example. The city's
recent reopening of the front doors with a fresh look sends such
a message to the citizens of Roanoke, and talks about the current
attitudes of our local city government looking more at the present
and future of our city.
Future: The Taubman Museum, as a municipal building, deviated from the status quo and its modern/contemporary architectural statement is definitely a forward thinking/future thinking
response by the architect. The building's location adjacent to the
Interstate sends a huge message (liked or disliked) to passersby that
the city is not stuck in the past.

RICHARD RIFE, PARTNER, RIFE + WOOD ARCHITECTS
Past: The Hotel Roanoke's history parallels Roanoke's history
in many ways. Built in the city's heady formative years, it reflected
Roanoke's aspirations to be more than just a roughneck railroad
town. It went through some rough times during the 1870s and
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our city leaders, business owners, and residents.

'80s and finally closed. This period of decline paralleled the railroad's declining presence in Roanoke. Then it tied its star to Virginia Tech and was re-imagined, renovated and reopened in 1995,
presaging Roanoke's efforts at economic transformation with the
Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute.
Present: The Roanoke Star. This beloved structure, for all of
its kitsch, is uniquely ours, remaining the symbol of Roanoke.
It's still one of the coolest places around to visit on a warm summer evening.
Future: Raleigh Court Neighborhood is a living example of Traditional Neighborhood Design, the kind of old-fashioned neighborhood that architects and city planners are now trying to design
from scratch. It offers its residents a wonderful modernized Norman Rockwell quality of life.
Future 2: The Airport Terminal is nearly 30 years old and has
aged well. I've always liked the design, with its airplane wing canopies, its glass exterior façade and its brick interior façade. It's a design that points to the future while still reflecting the past.
MAY/JUNE 2017 | 81

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