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Wednesday, September 05, 2012

BETHESDA'S FIRST NEW CLASS A OFFICE BUILDING IN 11 YEARS DAZZLES AFTER DARK - EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS

FUNCTION FOLLOWS
FORM WITH AMENITIES,
GREEN FEATURES IN
AKRIDGE'S SLEEK NEW
DOWNTOWN ADDRESS

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Bethesda heard quite a bit about the 7550 Wisconsin redevelopment project when it was announced.  Developer Akridge even won several awards before the work was done.  In essence, architectural firm Shalom Baranes was tasked with turning a pumpkin into Cinderella's carriage.

And I'm rather surprised to report to you that, by golly, they just may have done it.
 Granted, the building's basic shape is simply a boring box.  But check out all that glass.  After dark, this building is a 10-story stunner.    While regular readers know my preference for taller skyscrapers, shortness aside, this is the kind of design we need more of in downtown Bethesda.

The slight contrast of the ground floor with the upper levels is appropriate, given that after business hours, that retail and restaurant space will still be active.

7550's amenities include a fitness center, commuter bike storage, secure underground garage, and one other special feature - the rooftop.

I want to be on the guest list for parties on this rooftop!  Alas, the roof will not be open to the public, but only to tenants of the building.
Not only does the roof have stunning views and a nice design you can't see from street level, but it is part of the LEED Gold environmental design.  Besides being an event space, it is a landscaped green roof.
The fact that this is the first Class A office building to be delivered downtown in over a decade, speaks again to Montgomery County's crippling lack of vision and leadership.  And, of course, that poor stewardship has directed development out to White Flint, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Science City, etc., rather than in more appropriate places like downtown Bethesda and Silver Spring.

There's something odd about claiming we are going to add 100,000 people to the county, and at the same time, having 19 stories be the maximum building height in downtown Bethesda.  We should be building skyscrapers here, rather than trying to urbanize suburban neighborhoods by bulldozing homes and shopping centers.

In short, (pun intended) we need more projects of the quality of 7550 Wisconsin.  Just taller, and more Dubai than MoCo in design.
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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:16 PM

    Very cool addition to the Bethesda skyline

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  2. Anonymous6:12 PM

    How it looks at night in your pictures is not how the finished product will look. The interior is not finished and is only lit by temporary construction lighting.

    I think a 19 story limit in Bethesda is just fine. There is a master plan for a reason. I can't imagine the impact on infrastructure is there were even a 40 story building in Bethesda. It just wouldn't fit in for many reasons.

    Dubai is not at all a benchmark for sustainable development.

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    Replies
    1. Robert Dyer7:25 PM

      You're right, the outdated infrastructure of the county is a whole topic in itself that I did not touch on in this post. I wouldn't support a tall building that didn't have the infrastructure added to support it. DC is finding out the hard way what happens when you connect too many new units to an outdated sewer system. MoCo didn't even build the roads the older master plans correctly said were necessary to support the development we've already had, much less more. But it seems strange to claim an urgent need for urban apartments, and then approve small, boutique buildings near the Bethesda Metro. The status quo is allowing developers to build more projects, but the density is low enough that housing prices stay high. And why build a city out in the country - like Science City - and build short buildings in Bethesda where you actually have an urban environment and a subway? It makes no sense.

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