I like where the City is heading with MLK, but that first stab at a design is NOT appealing. The upper glass floors look plopped on top as an afterthought. Also, why just two floors? Why not three, or four?

The interior design comp looks good though.

by Circle Thomas on Sep 20, 2012 9:17 am • link • report

Irony again seems to elude Mr. Kennicott when he talks about the rational layout of the MLK Library and then says that carving a "donut hole" into the center "exposes the rationalism of Mies's design almost like a slice through geological layers of rock". Almost. For most of us the words "rational layout" conjours up visions of a well ordered and functioning floor plan. Then why does this building need an atrium to function better? Becasue Mies's often repeated mantra of "form follows function" was just verbal decoration meant to distract from the fact that his buildings where never about function, and all about style. Although to be fair, Modernists only use the s-word when criticising others, for their own styles they tend to prefer the term "formal language".

Mies was no different than many traditional architects who stuffed every kind of function behind their facades, especially in an urban context. The difference is that most traditional styled facades actually humanize the street by providing detail and scale, unlike his ubiquitous glass grids. Somehow, Mr. Kennicott sense that, or else he wouldn't feel the need to describe the library's loggia as "classically inspired". He notes that even though the library is "widely respected among architecture enthusiasts", it's not universally loved. I'll venture to guess that the enthusiasts are modernists ideologues like Mr. Kennicott who had to be taught to like buildings like this through decorative words while the librarians and patrons who didn't take Modernism 101 in school are the ones holding back their love.

Save this building for the historical artifact it surely is, as the product of the man most responsible for the glass grids that have dehumanized many an American Downtown. Save this building as a monument of when architecture completely left the user behind, as a mere spectator of the architect's genious. But spare us the word salad that's constantly being employed to justify a building that not only functions horribly, but gives nothing to the street.

by Thayer-D on Sep 20, 2012 9:18 am • link • report

What is the purpose of the green paint on I st? I thought it was used in other places to mark merge areas. Is this just to emphasize the bike lane?

by Josh on Sep 20, 2012 9:20 am • link • report

Happy b-day Capital Bikeshare. I think we are going to hit my prediction of two million rides for this year.

by H Street LL on Sep 20, 2012 9:32 am • link • report

Re: MLK library. To me it seems like it would be a colossal waste of taxpayer money to make the kind of renovations shown in the rendering, if the city plans to maintain the status quo on the issue of homeless citizens camping out in the library and out front. No one is going to want to go there, no matter how nice the renovations are, if you have to deal with that. I think the plan to sell it to a private group and lease the library back to the city makes more sense. And for those who love the architecture aspect of the building (blegh!), they can rest easy since the building has historic status.

by I. Rex on Sep 20, 2012 9:37 am • link • report

When iOS6 was announced, I was pretty optimistic that they'd have AppleMaps ready for launch, and the skeptics were just haters...but I admit I was wrong, and it does indeed look like Apple dropped the ball here. That doesn't mean they won't be able to develop their maps into a quality product, but their rush to oust Google left them with no option but to put out a half-baked product.

My AT&T contract ran out just as the iPhone5 rumors were starting to come out...didn't look like enough of an update to justify the expense, so I made the switch to Android while there were some serious back-to-school deals this summer. Since AppleMaps have proven to be terrible, I'm glad I made the switch. Having a 4.7" full HD display now helps too :D

P.S. Love the new captcha, but having to write out the full name for DCA is kinda annoying...

by MM on Sep 20, 2012 9:43 am • link • report

So...is the green paint the only bike improvements DDOT has done this year? I don't recall any other projects. Have I missed something? Work still not started on the L St. lane that should be, by now, completed.

by thump on Sep 20, 2012 9:58 am • link • report

So will I not be able to download a version of Google Maps? It's one thing to force a new inferior product as the new default, it's much worse if they don't allow people to opt out. Effing Apple.

by TM on Sep 20, 2012 10:05 am • link • report

I love the green painted bike lanes! Especially grateful to have them on I street. I get a little nervous being in the bike lane on I Street near South Capitol Street. The cars there don't seem to respect them as much, so making it stand out more should help.

by I. Rex on Sep 20, 2012 10:08 am • link • report

@TM: That depends on if Google makes an app for iOS... and it's approved. Apple never used the Google Maps and Google Navigation Android users were familiar with.

by selxic on Sep 20, 2012 10:32 am • link • report

ios 6 maps - Google maps will still be available through the web (i.e. safari on iStuff). Even though that's more of a pain in the ass, at least access to the transit info is not lost.

I also wonder if Google will develop a 3rd-party stand alone app for google maps. I speculated about that once before on GGW (last time this came up), and someone else said that Apple probably would not allow such an app to be available. I find that difficult to believe. After all, there is already a stand alone app for Google Earth, and the Apple default apps still include the Youtube viewer. Of course Youtube is owned by Google.

by J. Walker on Sep 20, 2012 10:34 am • link • report

The DC Council voted down the proposed tax break for tech company investors.

Wohoo! No special tax breaks!

CaBi opens in Alexandria on the system's 2nd birthday.

I love biking to Braddock and King St from DC.

Does anybody know why all the traffic lights are being put in the middle of the side walk/bike path along the "transit way" redo of US-1 north of Potomac Ave?

by Jasper on Sep 20, 2012 10:34 am • link • report

@TM

Google supposedly is working an a GoogleMaps app that will be available for download in the App Store. For the time being, however, if you update to iOS6, your only built-in choice is AppleMaps.

Google's Maps app for Android is freaking awesome, so if they put out a similar product for iOS, the whole dustup will become a non-issue and won't keep people from jumping into iOS6. But I have a feeling Google will want to use the Maps issue as a selling point for Android and almost certainly will cripple a lot of features in their iOS app to maintain Android's advantage in this area.

by MM on Sep 20, 2012 10:37 am • link • report

J. Walker: I read that Apple also took YouTube off the default apps, but you can still download it.

by David Alpert on Sep 20, 2012 10:47 am • link • report

My girlfriend and I recently visited Southern California and I went to the Santa Monica public library. DC would do well to borrow from the example of this library. It had a very pleasant outside courtyard with a cafe (a similar cafe could enable the DC library to generate revenue and attract residents and visitors). The Santa Monica library was a nice public space where people can sit and read, even if they don't borrow or check out the library's material. With the ongoing debate about how libraries can remain relevant, this is a way for them to do so.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80004228@N05/7962183572/in/set-72157631480044032

by Ben on Sep 20, 2012 10:59 am • link • report

"Almost. For most of us the words "rational layout" conjours up visions of a well ordered and functioning floor plan. Then why does this building need an atrium to function better?"

er, MLK library is great, but could be greater?

by AWalkerInTheCity on Sep 20, 2012 11:10 am • link • report

Then I stand corrected. But my point still stands - I find it hard to believe that Apple would forbid a Google maps app.

by J. Walker on Sep 20, 2012 11:12 am • link • report

Google has a web-app for iOS that provides transit directions, and there are plenty of iOS apps (linked to through the Apple mapping app) that provide transit directions, so the above statement is just false.

Also where's the disclosure statement?

by Phil on Sep 20, 2012 11:28 am • link • report

Also, no way that Apple bans Google Maps from the App Store. That would be a major red flag for antitrust regulators. Apple tried to ban Skype and Google Voice on the basis that they duplicated pre-existing functions of the phone, and once DoJ's antitrust division took an interest they reversed course very quickly.

That and there are already a variety of non-Apple mapping apps on the App Store.

by Phil on Sep 20, 2012 11:31 am • link • report

thump, work began on L street - which includes the cycletrack - in early August. Also DDOT has opened a bridge on the Anacostia trail, several miles of bike lanes and will open the improved 11th Street Bridge with a better bike/ped lane. Plus a lot of design work on the Anacostia and South Capitol Street trails.

by David C on Sep 20, 2012 1:24 pm • link • report

The Porter Street speed-camera was taken down for one simple reason:

It was no longer producing enough revenue-generating tickets to be cost-effective.

by ceefer66 on Sep 20, 2012 6:41 pm • link • report