I've a new MD I've been visiting, which has taken me into the heart of The Crossings, the massive professional/commercial development on the west side of Willow Creek Road as you approach the creek crossing (hence, obviously enough, the name.)
My first observation has to do with the keynote style, which appears to be some sort of retro 1920s quasi-Egyptian-renaissance architecture. It's those columns that do the trick. But very modern Prescott, too, with plenty of stone work. Definitely not ticky-tacky.
What I hadn't realized was the scale of the development. It's huge. Room for lots of doctors, shrinks, financial advisors (if any are left six months from now) and similar professionals. I believe that there's even a gallery in one of those buildings, if you can find it in the middle of a lot of buildings that look very much alike. BTW, the mesa and the houses in the background of the picture below are across Willow Creek Road from the development.
Proper arid country landscaping, featuring a variety of decorative grasses, attractive in winter as well as in greener seasons. Very handsome individually, but the total arrangement is perhaps all a little too deliberate for my tastes.
As I said, the size of The Crossings is close to overwhelming -- and yet they continue to build! I wonder what its fate, what it will look like 20 or 40 or 75 years from now. Like so many carefully planned developments, it lacks the spark of individuality. Likely a thumbs down from Jane Jacobs, she of
The Life and Death of Great American Cities.
My first observation has to do with the keynote style, which appears to be some sort of retro 1920s quasi-Egyptian-renaissance architecture. It's those columns that do the trick. But very modern Prescott, too, with plenty of stone work. Definitely not ticky-tacky.
What I hadn't realized was the scale of the development. It's huge. Room for lots of doctors, shrinks, financial advisors (if any are left six months from now) and similar professionals. I believe that there's even a gallery in one of those buildings, if you can find it in the middle of a lot of buildings that look very much alike. BTW, the mesa and the houses in the background of the picture below are across Willow Creek Road from the development.
Proper arid country landscaping, featuring a variety of decorative grasses, attractive in winter as well as in greener seasons. Very handsome individually, but the total arrangement is perhaps all a little too deliberate for my tastes.
As I said, the size of The Crossings is close to overwhelming -- and yet they continue to build! I wonder what its fate, what it will look like 20 or 40 or 75 years from now. Like so many carefully planned developments, it lacks the spark of individuality. Likely a thumbs down from Jane Jacobs, she of The Life and Death of Great American Cities.
Posts
12 comments:
I've driven through their parking lots a few times, and I thought they were trying for Craftsman, or something along the Arts & Crafts style.
Who knows? LOL
~Anon in AV.
The straw coloured grasses above are similar to our spinifex grass, a miserable, clumpy,, silica-bearing, scratchy growth that is common all over the deserty bush. It does lend colour to an otherwise hematite red countryside. though.
Hermano
Nice to see construction is taking place. Except for the folks that live there. Things can't be all bad.
Its amazing what you can do with lick n' stick rocks and concrete tile Julie, we created a Californian look. Or should I say they did,(the Californians.)
The scale of development does indeed look massive.
It's surprising isn't it how when anything is built on a large scale the uniformity comes across much more strongly, and how it then becomes difficult for any individuality to show through.
The grass does lend life to the surroundings.
The crossings has always looked to me like something that "just growed" not knowing or caring what style it is..it just exists.. creeping inevitably outward from the edges, like some form of lumpy fungus engulfing everything in it's path.
Brighter note..I love your shadow grass picture! Very arty..
And I wonder if you've seen the covered bridge on the back side of this development?
anon av -- actually, we are talking about the same thing -- the 10s & 20s neo-Egyptian style.
bro -- not surprised that OZ grows ferocious grasses. Not surprised at all.
steve -- no residents there -- strictly for business/professional use. I wonder if we have enough doctors and lawyers to rent all that space! Maybe they'll have to remodel & move people in.
style -- so the rocks are a SuperGlue job -- I should have guessed as much. Then they probably will have come unstuck before 70 years have passed.
anil -- the uniformity is quite overwhelming.
LindaG -- is it a cutesy-poo covered bridge or something with a little history?
The bridge is very cutsie poo, but I rather like it.
Uh, wow-- are there really that many prospective tenants for these? Were there ever?
I think the buildings have a nice early 20th. bungalow look, welcome relief from that mirrored glass fad. Maybe the landscaping will fill in a little and soften the effect.
My quibble: couldn't they have added some solar power, passive or otherwise? Easier to build new than to bolt on later.
melanie -- my question too -- that's just one helluva lot of office space out there. And you're right -- they could have built in a bit of solar while they were about ti!
There are quite a few residences on the other side of that bridge. They may not be part of the main development, but some are nice. The landscaping at the main entrance on the slope down to the road looks almost natural. I like that part.
ddd -- I'm not familiar with that neighborhood. Will have to take a look one of these days.
Post a Comment