Impressive new images of 7272 Wisconsin project in Bethesda (Photos)

An impressive new set of renderings of Carr Properties' future 7272 Wisconsin development may inspire more optimism than the hole currently occupying the site. Click on any image to enlarge for greater detail. One view looking down from the office building across Elm Street gives the best and most-detailed view yet of the pedestrian plaza around the Purple Line station entrance. People can be seen through the transparent walls of the office building, whose tenants will include WTTG Fox 5. A pool of water and patches of green dot the plaza and sidewalk area.

A lobby space with a staircase features an abstract wall design that resembles tall library bookshelves. Icicle-like modern lighting fixtures dangle from the high ceiling.

The view along Elm Street gives a preview of what the garage entrances there, which will include a circular drop-off inside the building, will look like.

A new day in Bethesda dawns on a rooftop space, where one man reads the morning paper, while others sit inside a glassed-in structure with tables and chairs with dramatic lighting and a high ceiling.

Finally, a vision of how the new development will interface with the adjoining JBG Smith and Federal Realty properties is shown. The triangular green patch was just purchased at great expense by Montgomery County, but its future is far from certain. Everything from the low standards MoCo uses for parks, to the "secret" plan to extend the Purple Line to Westbard and Sumner, could end up sabotaging this promising public space at the corner of Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues. Hard to see in this particular rendering is the staircase that will make a pedestrian connection between Elm Street and this Woodmont plaza area, which architect Robert Sponseller predicted would remind one of "a nice Italian villa with that graceful staircase."

All renderings courtesy Shalom Baranes Associates, Architects
All rights reserved

New renderings of development that will replace the Apex Building in Bethesda

A couple of new renderings of Carr Properties' proposed mixed-use development at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue have been released. These are the first photo-realistic images to have been shown so far. The preliminary plan for the development, which will replace the Apex Building, was approved by the Montgomery County Planning Board last Thursday.

Close-up of plaza at
corner of Wisconsin Avenue
and Elm Street that will provide
access to Purple Line and
Red Line rail stations, as well
as public and patio dining spaces

Renderings courtesy
Shalom Baranes Associates, architects
Carr Properties, developer
All rights reserved

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.