Slightly OT - This Building Offends My Senses

[DerbyDad03]

During my weekend travels, I was eating at a luxurious sidewalk cafe, also known as the Two Rivers Burrito Co., a taco joint in Westfield, MA. As I enjoyed my gourmet meal, I looked across the street at the City Hotel.

At first glance I simply said "That's an ugly building". After a very short time I realize why it was so visually unpleasing.

The tree partially blocks the building but if you look closely you'll see that the third floor windows have no alignment with the second floor windows, plus none of the windows on either floor are spaced in any kind of symmetrical manner in relation to each other . The rectangles near the top (old windows or vents perhaps?) also don't line up nicely with anything below them.

Aside from strange layout of the windows in relation to each other, both set of windows are shifted to one side of building, touching the trim on one side, with a 6'-8' gap on the other.

You should be able to walk around via this Google Map link. (the taco joint is directly behind you)

I wonder if the building was renovated on the inside for a maximum/better room layout and they let the exterior be damned, ending up however it had to based on the interior. I almost tossed my tacos just looking at it. ;-)

[Unquestionably Confused]

It certainly is one, fugly building. Too bad that we can't take a stroll around back to see what that looks like.

Considering the three different entrance styles exhibited, I'm wondering if the building is actually comprised of three individual buildings that were eventually joined together by a unifying redo of the facade.

To me, that's about the only answer that makes any sense. Why they would do it shall remain forevermore a mystery. As great a mystery as the f**ked up layout of the windows.

[krw]

I don't think so. The floors look perfectly aligned. I wouldn't expect three buildings to be aligned that well. The buildings around it aren't. Also, if you go down the street (to the right), you can see that the odd window spacing goes down the side of the building, as well. It looks like the third floor was added. Maybe apartments were added to the top floor of the commercial building for income. Perhaps the windows were put where they made "sense" for the interior, without considering the exterior looks.

It really is fugly.

[DerbyDad03]

This view, along the side of the building, shows a similar spacing issue with the windows. I still leaning toward interior renovation with businesses on the first floor and rooms/apartments on the top floors.

The only info I can find is related to the bar on the first floor. I'm betting on low rent apartments upstairs. The city of Westfield seems to be a mix of very nice businesses and homes alongside very run down businesses and homes.

[Clare Snyder]

Butt ugly - but Ill bet there used to be another building to the left, attached to it - that made it more symetrical

[Clare Snyder]

If so, looks like 2 or 3 windows were filled in when the facade was unified.

[Ed Pawlowski]

The tree could use a trimming too. Both are ugly

[Unquestionably Confused]

[snip]

Yeah, I took a look at that and also did what I should have done before opining the three building routine. I took a close look at the overhead satellite view of the building. Appears to be just the one building. Also was able to grab an oblique view of the back in "bird's eye view"

I think that we can safely assuming it is one f**king ugly building and that's about all.

[Unquestionably Confused]

Ed, the city placed that tree there and spent a ton of money watering it and fertilizing it in an attempt to beautify the downtown area. Didn't work as we can still see the hotel!

[Leon]

You need to get a hold of those responsible and ask why you were not consulted before the building process. ;~) I'm on a long list myself.

[Larry Kraus]

It's a government building, probably designed by a committee.

What did you expect?

[-MIKE-]

Nobody cares about style, proportion, scale, or symmetry anymore because basically, no one hires architects anymore. Once general contractors got their own PCs with home design software, well, "Why do we need to pay that snobby guy in the suit anymore and put up with his bitching about us staying on the plans?"

I think that alone is to blame for the loss of all semblance of style, beauty, character, and most certainly, art in the majority of homes built this century.

This architect has a great blog about the rise of McMansions and fall of architectural style in the suburban sprawl of America. He even has a post dedicated to the county I live in.

[Larry Kraus]

My bad - it's a hotel.

[Bill]

That was interesting. Engineering and industrialization have also been enemies of style. Consider a common chair.

[DerbyDad03]

Actually, it's not a hotel anymore. I just called and got some info, but not enough. The person who answered did not know much more history than the following:

The "City Hotel" is the name of the bar on the first floor.

The building has been in the same family since 1912. It used to be a fancy restaurant and hotel, but now it's a bar downstairs and monthly rentals upstairs. She called them "rooms" and said that there were "4 guys renting them". Based on the size of the building, that sounds more like 4 apartments than "rooms" but it was tough to get much more out of her. I got the impression that she may have been a patron, not an employee.

I mentioned the exterior and asked if perhaps it had been renovated to look like it does now but she had no idea. I may called the city tomorrow and see if I can get anything out of them.

Based on the little info that I got - used to be a hotel and now it's monthly rentals - I'm sticking with my original assumption: They renovated the interior to turn it into income property and let the exterior be damned. I seriously doubt that they are commanding high rents.

The address of the City Hotel is 43 Elm St. This document lists that address as nothing more than a "commercial block" but it appears to have a "MA Historical Commission Designation". Maybe I should call them.

[OFWW]

From your pic versus google's, someone fixed up and repainted the outside, looks a lot better than it did.

While it is just a mundane, but functional bldg, I just take it for what it is. Looks like the bottom store was converted to another apartment rental. My 2 cents.