Comments on: The new Brower Center in Berkeley

By: Barbara Seaton

Barbara Seaton — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:42:06 +0000

Sally’s article made me want to travel right out to CA to experience the Brower Center for myself. Despite the excellent photos and descriptive material, I found it difficult to visualize the entirety. But as a longtime Sierra Club member, I appreciated the architects’ intent in honoring Brower.

By: Gina Phelan

Gina Phelan — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:56:09 +0000

A quick response to Dorothy’s comment about the height of the Brower Center: it was built up to Berkeley’s zoning maximum.

By: Sally Woodbridge

Sally Woodbridge — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:07:42 +0000

I appreciate Jay’s and Dorothy’s comments because they add different points of view to my article, and that is always welcome. We need more public discussion to better inform both the general public and the design community.

By: Dorothy Walker

Dorothy Walker — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:50:19 +0000

Unfortunately, this innovative and impressive building and the adjacent housing underutilized an important site in City ownership near a BART station and across from the mass of the University’s Edwards Track Stadium. If it were several floors taller, this development would be even more “green”, its architecture more impressive, and it would have a more appropriate scale and create a better sense of place. With a larger vision, this site could have led the way demonstrating how a few taller buildings could transform Berkeley’s Downtown and support transit oriented development.

By: jay claiborne

jay claiborne — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:22:59 +0000

A very informative and illuminating essay that helps me appreciate the building as it might be experienced without the oppressive closeness of the Oxford Plaza Apartments. Unfortunately, from the street the building cannot be understood as it is from Tim Griffith’s excellent photography and Woodbridge’s narrative. The view from the nearby upper level of a campus building shows the Brower Center as it should be seen. Fortunately,when Gather Restaurant is open, there is more of the spirit that the article describes. Perhaps if and when the area on the west side of Edwards Stadium across the street is free of its intrusive building and relandscaped, the Brower Center will appear more as it is described than as it is at present, which is a bit like walking past a Greek temple on a narrow infill lot in a declining downtown.

By: Suzanne Harris

Suzanne Harris — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:45 +0000

Very impressive. Great Photos.