The Controversy Over Building Signage

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ม.ค. 2025

ความคิดเห็น • 662

  • @robbertom
    @robbertom ปีที่แล้ว +587

    Seattle doesn't allow signs or names on their skyscrapers, a unique requirement that you don't really notice until you head to another city and remember...

    • @markgorbett9752
      @markgorbett9752 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      Same with Honolulu. Billboards aren’t even allowed on the islands

    • @NickyG790
      @NickyG790 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Bellevue, across the lake, on the other hand does allow signs/names on their high rises.

    • @hockeymikey
      @hockeymikey ปีที่แล้ว +16

      I'd be okay with this for every city. All signs on skyscrapers are trashy.

    • @Blacksunshine636
      @Blacksunshine636 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I never realized that!!!

    • @mark123655
      @mark123655 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Agree. You first get to Honolulu and you realise something is different, just takes a while to put your finger on it.

  • @samisagiraffe9394
    @samisagiraffe9394 ปีที่แล้ว +176

    Fun fact about barber signs in South Korea. The traditional spinning blue and red barber signs are often used in Korea to denote that the business isn’t a real barbershop, but actually a brothel-like situation. Some foreigners, not knowing this, have had some interesting experiences just trying to get a haircut.

    • @peteranon8455
      @peteranon8455 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Ah, idiocracy's "nice haircut."

    • @MarlonBitoy
      @MarlonBitoy ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@peteranon8455 “full body latte”

    • @lzh4950
      @lzh4950 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Some of my countrymen were meanwhile complaining about some new public housing apartment blocks whose elevator/lift lobbies were completely painted in red (supposedly inspired by tropical fruits like rambutans & dragonfruits) as it reminded them of the red lamps traditionally placed outside brothels

    • @kennixox262
      @kennixox262 ปีที่แล้ว

      "Happy Ending GI?"

    • @JF_Auran_Music_OFC
      @JF_Auran_Music_OFC ปีที่แล้ว

      Are they legal?

  • @JuanAdam12
    @JuanAdam12 ปีที่แล้ว +132

    I live in Chicago, I have an unobstructed view of the skyline from about 3 miles away to the west/northwest and I will make this objective statement about the Trump building:
    This building reflects the sunlight in the evening hours so beautifully, changing its appearance literally by the second, as no other building in Chicago does-not even the Vista. It is spectacular.

    • @THE-COOL-GIRL-CHANNEL
      @THE-COOL-GIRL-CHANNEL ปีที่แล้ว +4

      RIGHT ON*

    • @cecilecoonrod4146
      @cecilecoonrod4146 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      You made this sound so beautiful I tried to find a video…

    • @philipdillon83
      @philipdillon83 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      The skyscraper itself os actually beautiful and has an interesting teir design. But having a monkeys name on it is cringe.

    • @frankpassi9812
      @frankpassi9812 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      this is very much still your subjective opinion lol

    • @cecilecoonrod4146
      @cecilecoonrod4146 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      The building would not exist if not for the person whose name is on it. If the sign board committee passed the sign as being within regulations there is nothing else to be said. Wether it is beautiful or not is in the eye of the beholder and 100 years from now it will be judged on its artistic/architectural merits alone ( wether from images or life we won’t know).

  • @sillyhead5
    @sillyhead5 ปีที่แล้ว +146

    Please do more full-length interviews with subject-matter experts in the architecture space. You're uniquely positioned and skilled to get a lot out of such people.

    • @stewarthicks
      @stewarthicks  ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Working on it. It's tough to work in with my schedule.

  • @Flying_Skier
    @Flying_Skier ปีที่แล้ว +39

    On a somewhat related note, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and Vermont have statewide bans on billboards which I really appreciate. I get surprised every time I go somewhere that allows them

  • @lisakilmer2667
    @lisakilmer2667 ปีที่แล้ว +76

    Very interesting conversation. I love Chicago's elegant, low-signage appearance. The buildings are the focal point. By contrast I strongly recoil at spaces like Times Square, but respond to a shopping walk as I do to extreme Christmas light displays.

    • @RoySATX
      @RoySATX ปีที่แล้ว

      IMHO there are no extreme Christmas light displays. Some are tacky, some lack creativity or execution skills, but extreme implies there is an upper limit that's been crossed and that's just not so, not short of blinding!

  • @BlownMacTruck
    @BlownMacTruck ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Nitpick: please use “1/5th the size” when something is supposed to be smaller, not “5x smaller”. 2:24 for reference.

  • @gregspov
    @gregspov ปีที่แล้ว +128

    It's also interesting to see when signage becomes part of a location's aesthetic identity. Up until recently San Francisco had a wonderful illuminated Coca-Cola sign that seemed to be a fixture on the skyline, now that it is gone and we only have boring billboards advertising how to get great ROI on your next tech project there definitely is a feeling of artistic loss. There is also a museum of signs in the Praga district of Warsaw, Poland that preserves and explores the aesthetic history of neon that developed in that city during the communist era. BTW - as a native Chicagoan I can only hope that those abominable 20 foot high letters on the riverfront come down someday.

    • @bradleyhove4177
      @bradleyhove4177 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I find this really interesting. We have something similar in Philly - The PSFS neon sign is such an important part of the skyline that when they converted to LED they spend lots of effort to make sure that the LEDs perfectly replicated the warm neon glow.

    • @thevikingbear2343
      @thevikingbear2343 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      There is, in NY, a Pepsi Cola Sign in Long Island City that you can see from Manhattan. That sign was the wall sign of a giant Pepsi Cola factory that got demolished, but the sign had become so beloved that it was a historical landmark. When the factory was demolished, the sign had to be replaced by a free standing sign in the same size and the same font as the original one. Now it stands in the middle of a park, still visible from Manhattan.

    • @fuzzylon
      @fuzzylon ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@thevikingbear2343 A similar thing happened in West London on the highway in from Heathrow airport - There used to be a factory making Lucozade (a British soft drink) and when the factory was demolished a replica sign replaced it in a nearby location also visible from the highway. Unfortunately, I think even the replica is gone now.

    • @jasontempest4233
      @jasontempest4233 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The GIGANTIC neon Coca Cola sign in Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia has a Heritage Listing on it, which means it cannot be removed.

    • @rockland2
      @rockland2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@bradleyhove4177 the Mobil Pegasus in Dallas Texas is a famed advertising sign loved by the locals.

  • @unknowntexan4570
    @unknowntexan4570 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    They aren't fooling anyone. The whole series of complaints are hypocritical and petty. If it had another company name, they wouldn't care. Petty and cultic response to a dumb sign.

  • @silverXnoise
    @silverXnoise ปีที่แล้ว +45

    I really enjoyed this video. As someone trained in media production and who’s worked in marketing and digital signage, I have an appreciation for their utility, and even aesthetics when applied thoughtfully.
    One quick tip, if you read this-try staggering your audio tracks so that they lead the video in transitions that move between different scenes. It frequently helps make cuts smoother, and can prime viewers expectations so that cuts from one location to another feel more seamless. Keep up the great work, I love your channel!

    • @whostolemunchkin
      @whostolemunchkin ปีที่แล้ว +6

      It's called a J cut, for anyone that's curious

  • @Beeline_N
    @Beeline_N ปีที่แล้ว +64

    This video made me think of the cyberpunk genre. Was wondering if you could do an analysis on futuristic architecture in fiction and how you see architecture evolving in the future.

    • @JustANervousWreck
      @JustANervousWreck ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yes this is a really cool idea

    • @ccnomad
      @ccnomad ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Yessss! Looking forward to an episode featuring Blade Runner as a case study :)

    • @malaquiasalfaro81
      @malaquiasalfaro81 ปีที่แล้ว

      Do it !!!!

    • @1224chrisng
      @1224chrisng ปีที่แล้ว +2

      that Cyberpunk aesthetic is actually inspired by movies from Hong Kong. Today, Hong Kong still has these signs but they're being replaced by LEDs instead of neon

  • @scpatl4now
    @scpatl4now ปีที่แล้ว +44

    I think I can offer some expertise on this subject. I owned a sign company for many years that fabricated neon for signs. We actually did several restorations as well. While I think sign ordinances are necessary and you should have to get a permit if for no other reason to prove your sign is safe and you know what you are doing, but my problem with them is that it severely constrains creativity. Almost any iconic sign you can think of (at least in Atlanta) would not be able to be permitted with today's rules. That just leads to a one size fits all cookie cutter channel letter suburban type sign. We subcontracted on a couple of signs on the top of skyscrapers that were also pretty generic. There were so many times I could envision an iconic sign that the client would have loved that would have been beautiful, only to know that they would never be allowed to be permitted.

    • @stewarthicks
      @stewarthicks  ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Very interesting! Thank you for your thoughts.

    • @cecilecoonrod4146
      @cecilecoonrod4146 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Surely Chicago has some kind of sign ordinance!!

    • @scpatl4now
      @scpatl4now ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@cecilecoonrod4146 I am 100% sure they do. Can you imagine the fire hazard of just anyone throwing a sign up on a building without someone approving the electrical? You'd have stuff burning down left and right (and Chicago has a bit of history when it comes to fire)

    • @unl987
      @unl987 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @cecile - Chicago does, and it was discussed in this video.

    • @scpatl4now
      @scpatl4now ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@FavoriteThings606 I am not a fan of those signs either. Neon just looks classier and has that nostalgic feel when done right.

  • @WurkNProgrez
    @WurkNProgrez ปีที่แล้ว +150

    Oh "The Sign".
    This was an unusual chapter in Chicago's architecture saga. Everyone hated the sign and I don't remember a single resident ever coming out to defend the sign either. In fact, they seemed to hate the sign due to all the drama it was causing, like huge protests outside their home.
    Despite all of that, the reasons for why the sign was allowed to remain made total sense. Several years later, the value of the tower's homes have dropped considerably and there were conspiracy theories that there was somewhat of a quiet-mass exodus.
    Either way, to this day, "The Sign" remains.

    • @vokay
      @vokay ปีที่แล้ว +14

      It makes sense that the real-estate of the tower would drop, considering the average upper-class chicagoans ideological demographics, but I wouldn't have thought it would be drastic enough to warrant a mass exodus.

    • @CortexNewsService
      @CortexNewsService ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@vokay When him losing re-election hit the news, Chicagoans actually celebrated in the streets. His one rally there got cancelled because confrontations between his supporters and opponents almost turned into a riot. He is REALLY hated there.

    • @davidsubotin7122
      @davidsubotin7122 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@CortexNewsService which makes sense since Chicago is a shit hole

    • @MrAlexander336
      @MrAlexander336 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I think they should replace the sign too

    • @alexandrep4913
      @alexandrep4913 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@vokay It didn't. It's not everyone, not even close. Most people commenting are just lying about how much effect this had because people are just emotional beings.

  • @jandraelune1
    @jandraelune1 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    It's not just 1 Times Square that is empty, but at least half the building space around that square is empty. The ground floor and like 2-3 floors up are occupied, but above that is empty.

  • @tapbanister
    @tapbanister ปีที่แล้ว +30

    I actually know 3 people who no longer live in that building once Donald Trump became president. Politics played a major role in them leaving. I personally like how it looks, besides the giant sign, both inside and out. The homes are beautiful.

    • @CortexNewsService
      @CortexNewsService ปีที่แล้ว +13

      That's the sad thing. It is a beautiful building that does really add to the skyline. But that sign...

    • @jamesmcinnis208
      @jamesmcinnis208 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      "actually"

    • @JohnFromAccounting
      @JohnFromAccounting ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@CortexNewsService It's not as if it reads DEATH, so I can't understand what's so bad about it. If a building had a huge KENNEDY sign and was owned by the Kennedy family, I wouldn't mind it either.

    • @warreneckels4945
      @warreneckels4945 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@JohnFromAccounting Trump is the symbol of everything wrong with the places whose people migrated/fled to Chicago, and Trump uses Chicago as the symbol of everything wrong with the country. The two despise each other.

    • @CortexNewsService
      @CortexNewsService ปีที่แล้ว

      @@JohnFromAccounting remember how much he ragged on Chicago before and after the election? Because Chicago does.

  • @ttt69420
    @ttt69420 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    They don't like it because of the name.
    While it is a somewhat interesting cultural and municipal bylaw issue, the only reason people specifically care about this one is because of what it says.

    • @green29373
      @green29373 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It was completed in 2009 before he was president. Signage makes a city feel cheap imo, no matter what it says.

  • @jamessergeant2136
    @jamessergeant2136 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    The Oxo Tower on London’s south bank - built in the late 1920s - has windows in the shape of the letters O X O in order to get round the ban on building signs.

  • @bradleydilks6376
    @bradleydilks6376 ปีที่แล้ว +31

    Another recent example you might find interesting is the Truist tower in Charlotte NC. It’s a beautiful Art Deco inspired building that they just slapped on the sign at the top when the bank bought the building. They also added additional lighting that cheapens the look of the building.

    • @skyekehoe1670
      @skyekehoe1670 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      It's really sad because it was one of the most beautiful buildings in Charlotte and then they just slapped a massive logo on it

    • @scpatl4now
      @scpatl4now ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Just as an FYI...the blame may not be Truist's but the city of Charlotte and their sign ordinance. Cities like Charlotte and Atlanta are pretty specific in what they will allow and that really isn't very much

  • @gtv6chuck
    @gtv6chuck ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I miss the "Pan Am" on top of the former Pan Am Building in NYC, which has now been replaced by "Met Life", which doesn't look as good. I think that even if Trump had made the sign smaller or put it elsewhere on the building they still would have complained just because it was Donald Trump. When I lived in NYC I thought his building's signs were garish as much as the gold and marble inside his eponymous tower, but there was a reason for his signs, which has made him a billionaire.

  • @kor2525
    @kor2525 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Oh man, please don't ever stop making these videos. I started watching before I started studying architecture, I'm now in my fourth semester and these videos are what keep me going when I haven't slept and want to give up.

  • @wayfarin
    @wayfarin ปีที่แล้ว +3

    since he wasn't convicted of any of those offenses, how did the city plan on banning the sign on that basis?

  • @lukemalm9190
    @lukemalm9190 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I think of signs along interstate. Recently driving north on I-25 from Denver up to Wyoming, it is a much nicer drive in CO than WY based on all the billboards out there.

  • @JJarosze9595
    @JJarosze9595 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    as a resident of NY the blinding lights of times square is not a pleasant experience- I would not call it perfect despite the interesting history. I much prefer the type of signage youll see in Asia or in chinatowns around the US which still tend to rely on neon or non-light based signage. Most LED lit signs are too bright and abrasive

    • @txquartz
      @txquartz ปีที่แล้ว

      Almost every sign in Chicago's Chinatown is LED and as well in Taiwan and China when I lived there. But the difference is most of the signs are not going for sheer brightness but rather depth of color.

  • @xternalpunk
    @xternalpunk ปีที่แล้ว +28

    It's not some bright neon sign so I don't think it's that bad.
    The signs take my eyes off the ground which is usually disgusting. So in a way the signage in big cities can be nice.

  • @Chicagofigure
    @Chicagofigure ปีที่แล้ว +26

    Wasn't the tower completed in 2009? I can distinctly remember taking a picture of the tower without the letters when I first moved to Chicago in 2011.

    • @timmmahhhh
      @timmmahhhh ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Yes they came later, people loved the tower without them.

    • @davidritchie1272
      @davidritchie1272 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      The marketing agency for commercial property in the building uses only those photos of the building before signage. The t-word is automatic death to any potential lease agreement. Note the eternal emptiness of the retail floors at the base.

    • @davidritchie1272
      @davidritchie1272 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      To elaborate a little on the above comment, the planned retail floors at the river level ought to be prime, desirable space, sandwiched as they are between the Riverwalk and The Magnificent Mile, yet no-one in Chicago is willing to move into them. Makes me proud of my city.

    • @TahoeRealm
      @TahoeRealm ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@timmmahhhh Half the people love the tower with them

    • @eric_has_no_idea
      @eric_has_no_idea ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@davidritchie1272 they are having occupancy issues beyond the norm for downtown.
      Lots of places have changed their address to 401 N. Wabash.

  • @reese4077
    @reese4077 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Truthfully, these reactions are an exaggeration. The sign is at least well made and blends accordingly with the building. This is less about architecture and more so on the content of his character. I'd argue the Salesforce sign significantly more noisy and disrupts the environment

    • @txquartz
      @txquartz ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Don't forget Salesforce wanted to put a 20-story TV screen on theirs and that almost got approved until the political backlash to Trump made them pass the no signs on the river ordinance.

    • @reese4077
      @reese4077 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@txquartz lol didn't know of that

    • @David49305
      @David49305 ปีที่แล้ว

      The sign distracts from the building, but, more interestingly, the man's ego makes it more unappealing to look at.

  • @ramdynebix
    @ramdynebix ปีที่แล้ว +13

    People forget (or don’t know) how much of modern city centers used to be absolutely covered in signage, for instance between 1900 and 1950. It’s only in the last few decades that we started to look at the buildings behind them again.

  • @johnyoung5820
    @johnyoung5820 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Great video, Stewart. I consider myself an architecture dilettante, having earned the degree but never having used it since I chose flying and technology as my career path. You cover a fascinating myriad of topics not touched in my five years of studying statics, steel, concrete, arch & art history and designing countless row houses, community centers and museum spaces. I'm currently an adjunct teaching technology to business students, but if I was teaching a studio class in architecture school, your videos would be on my list of required viewing.
    That said, Kamin says the quiet part out loud as to the real reason for the resistance to the Trump sign and arguments about place and scale are pretextual. In reality, the sign here isn't meant to denote a place or function, but rather serves as a monument to someone who is arguably a megalomaniac. All of Trump's properties exhibit aesthetically jarring signage. I'm sure someone somewhere has studied the psychology of signage, but it doesn't take much imagination to make the connection between the style and the man.

  • @timothyjudd7918
    @timothyjudd7918 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    In my opinion, one of the most unfortunate examples is the sign on top of the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles. The decorative and sculptural crown is one of the most distinctive features of this building, designed by Henry Cobb. The sign is a blight on the crown which throws off its symmetry at certain angles. The effect is cluttered and tacky.

  • @MN12warbird
    @MN12warbird ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love how the sears tower, for all its notoriety has never had a sign adorned to it stating its name. I love how its architecture says everything words cannot. It took the trump tower to understand why that fact puts sears above it. It stood nearly 40 years before losing its title as worlds tallest and in those 40 years till this day, still no sign.
    If that isnt staying power, despite the fact its not the tallest building anymore, then idk what is..
    Its like looking at a camaro a Silverado and across the top is banner saying Chevrolet. Like gee thanks like i didn't know chevy makes cars n trucks.... just as we don't need a sign to tell us whose building im protesting in front of...

  • @JackLe1127
    @JackLe1127 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    8:30 I believe those giant signs are LED signs (where each pixel is a whole LED or a panel of one). LCDs are not gonna be cost effective to put outside.

  • @leobuckey
    @leobuckey ปีที่แล้ว +14

    imo the backlash is mainly personal/political. People don’t like the message of the sign more than they don’t like the sign. So, they critique sign’s aesthetics.

  • @DZstudios.
    @DZstudios. ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I have never been to Chicago, but that view of The Tower reminded me of a mix of Venice and Rome, with a huge Las Vegas sign

  • @saulgoodman2018
    @saulgoodman2018 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Times square is basically ads, not signs.

  • @ws1814
    @ws1814 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    First of all, it the regulators/council approve and the clients want the TRUMP sign on, then it doesn’t matter what the architect or some architecture critic or some ransom people want. The same way your neighbors can’t tell you to do what with your house( assuming you are not breaking any codes).
    Also shouldn’t Chicago worry about all the murders and crimes instead of a sign on a building???

    • @scpatl4now
      @scpatl4now ปีที่แล้ว

      You have obviously never lived under the tyranny of an HOA my friend... 🤣🤣🤣 🙄 😒

  • @rott921
    @rott921 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Great video. I do take issue with the notion that skylines should be like a 'polite dinner party' and not something else. It was presented as if the viewer would agree, but why? Why not something more boisterous, or uniform?
    Also there are a lot of other examples of copious signage and other building effects in east Asia where it seems to allow for more creativity. Like the old neon of Hong Kong, or the colorful lights on the buildings in chongqing.

    • @BlownMacTruck
      @BlownMacTruck ปีที่แล้ว

      I missed it. Where in the video does it say that skylines should be like a “polite dinner party”?

    • @Distress.
      @Distress. ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@BlownMacTruck the part where the whole video complains about a sign that is normal in pretty much every city.

    • @BlownMacTruck
      @BlownMacTruck ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Distress. What? That was nowhere. Cite your source.

    • @donaldfoley7581
      @donaldfoley7581 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@BlownMacTruck At 3:48.

    • @BlownMacTruck
      @BlownMacTruck ปีที่แล้ว

      @@donaldfoley7581 That’s not really what he said.

  • @TheShortStory
    @TheShortStory ปีที่แล้ว +6

    A conversation of signs and place always brings my mind to Hong Kong. For people who grew up there, the neon-sign-lined streets were home, of course, but photos from tourists and journalists, as well as movies shot during its heydays in the '80s to early '00s, inexorably tied the name of the city to neon signs. (A conversation about Hong Kong's function as direct inspiration for cyberpunk and anime is a worthwhile digression.) Yet walk down Nathan Road today and you will find nearly none of the overhanging neon signs immortalised on the silver screen and holiday photo albums. The city is still brightly lit with advertisements, to be sure, but they are LEDs which create quite a different effect. The reason is that since the handover, the government refused to issue permits for overhanging neon signeage (which were almost always put up without permission), and offered no avenue to legalize existing signs. So, one by one, businesses were issued takedown notices. And so, Hong Kong lost its most famous visual identifier. Irony of ironies is that after the city's reputation suffered from the crushing of its pro-democracy protests, and desperate to recover from Covid's effects on tourism, government-supported tourist traps evoke neon signs, roadside eateries, and all the symbols of "old Hong Kong" it has been working so eagerly to rub out.

    • @dmr8914
      @dmr8914 ปีที่แล้ว

      HK has a cheap over-rated light show that makes the whole city just a tourist attraction with no soul. However, TOTALLY support the democracy protests.

  • @lando_jm4609
    @lando_jm4609 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Something about how you said "if you liked this video, you might also like this video about flat roofs." And I did. Wow I'm such an architecture nerd. :P

  • @primalconvoy
    @primalconvoy ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The neon museum remins me of "Fallout New Vegas", both the general decor around the game's scenery and in two areas; the neon sign repair shop in New/Las Vegas proper, and the walled-in neon sign "graveyard" which surrounds a vault, inhabited by raiders (itself a previous neon sign repair yard).

  • @JonSteitzer
    @JonSteitzer ปีที่แล้ว +3

    that's wild that the buildings behind the signs in times square are unoccupied. Crazy.

    • @sharksport01
      @sharksport01 ปีที่แล้ว

      Cheap apartments for rent.

  • @6Oko6Demona6
    @6Oko6Demona6 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    I think they hate more that the sign says trump than the sign itself. Sadly. I'm fine with it, it doesn't stand out.

    • @David49305
      @David49305 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The sign was first an issue when the building was built, long before Trump was as disliked as he is now. People don't want to look at signs. Its distracting and takes away from building aesthetics.

  • @SequoiaElisabeth
    @SequoiaElisabeth ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Reading over the comments, I find this topic to be so subjective. The owner of the building should be able to do as they please within reason. Safety comes first. An ugly sign or unpopular connotation carries its own price.

  • @FerdinandCesarano
    @FerdinandCesarano ปีที่แล้ว

    2:23 - There is no such thing as "five times smaller", as something that is one time smaller than something else has a size of zero. You should have said "one-fifth the size".

  • @MikeyColon
    @MikeyColon ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Signs and advertising are ugly and annoying - regardless of the brand. But I'd rather hear people in Chicago address the super high crime rate vs dopey signs.

  • @saulgoodman2018
    @saulgoodman2018 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Signs are useful. It let's you know where you are, and where you're going.

  • @SarahRenz59
    @SarahRenz59 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I was happy to see Blair Kamin make an appearance, and look forward to the longer video. I enjoyed reading Blair's columns in the Chicago Tribune.

  • @freischutz898
    @freischutz898 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    This is stupid... its his building so as long is not obscene or a hazard he should be able to put anything in there

  • @jimbla9921
    @jimbla9921 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I enjoyed this video as it extended to aspects of architecture or art that we don't necessary consider in school or it the field as a whole.
    it's ironic that at times that the sign outshines or even outlives the structure that it is associated with.
    ... I feel like murals of the past with perhaps multiple layers of messages also can lend to the recognition

  • @netposerx
    @netposerx ปีที่แล้ว +13

    If it was a name other than "Trump" these critics would be silent.

    • @13minutestomidnight
      @13minutestomidnight 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      No, it would still be obnoxious and an eyesore anyway - That's why they still intervened legally to stop other signage doing the same. Being "Trump" just made things worse.

  • @73caddydaddy93
    @73caddydaddy93 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I don't see it as that much of an issue. Taking the divisiveness out of the equation, it's a pretty clean signage that isn't tied into any fads of a specific period, and it's not blinking or changing color so it blends in pretty well. If the color temperature of the signs lighting was a little warmer it wouldn't even be noticed in the sea of lighted windows in the surrounding buildings.

  • @Steelers1180
    @Steelers1180 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    It is his building, he should be allowed to put where ever he wants to. If it wasn't Trump would it be an argument?

    • @David49305
      @David49305 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      That isn't how the world works. There are codes and standards that developers have to follow. No one gets to do whatever they want, and they shouldn't! And, remember, this all happened long before he ran for president.

    • @David49305
      @David49305 ปีที่แล้ว

      what?@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587

    • @green29373
      @green29373 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Do your research before commenting. The building was completed in 2009, far before he was president. Signage is ugly in general in my opinion and ruins the look of the building in general. This is the problem with political bases, they just blame you for ‘targeting their perfect god’.

  • @_Breakdown
    @_Breakdown ปีที่แล้ว +4

    *He built the building. He owns the building. When the critics purchase land for millions, raise $500 million to build, secure 30-40% of the tenants upfront, hire an architect, hire engineers, construction contractors, real estate marketers and property managers - then they can name the building whatever they want.*

  • @lancemillward1912
    @lancemillward1912 ปีที่แล้ว

    Melbourne has pop up restaurants that have no names but rely on social media to relay their purpose.

  • @marcchapman6812
    @marcchapman6812 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Kansas City’s Western Auto sign is a great example of a sign becoming a part of the city.

    • @CortexNewsService
      @CortexNewsService ปีที่แล้ว

      Chicago does have stuff like that as well, like the Santa Fe rail sign on the Michigan Avenue streetwall or the Marshal Field's clock. both are actually protected with landmark status.

  • @Jay-bw3fl
    @Jay-bw3fl ปีที่แล้ว +6

    6:05 tripping on his words because he knows it’s a double standard and he’s only saying it because he doesn’t like trump yet doesn’t want to be politically incorrect by trash talking the signs of a minority business. Lol sad

  • @jmac3327
    @jmac3327 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The brief history of signage was enjoyable and illuminating. The centering of the discussion on the Trump sign was rather embarrassing as it focused upon the distaste for the personality and not architectural aesthetics, which, by any measure are entirely subjective. Many architects derive pleasure from the work of Mendes da Rocha, while a portion of the public finds it irremediably hideous. Some may decry Times Square as a cesspool of vulgar commercialism and sensory overload, while others take delight in the visual scintillation and the crowds wandering through the area.

  • @RTTRn
    @RTTRn ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Just imagine the Trump tower was called the Obama tower. How different the sentiment would be 🤦‍♂️

  • @jeffreyImmel8
    @jeffreyImmel8 ปีที่แล้ว

    I work for a civil engineering consulting firm and for the past year I’ve attended planning commission & or zoning board of appeals meetings to argue just for signs. We were arguing on behalf of our client (big box retail store) and it was often a tough fight. I couldn’t understand why people were so against signs in a massive parking lot.
    I’ve tried to explain to people why I have to go to these meetings and it was always so difficult. Now I’ll just send them this video!

  • @JohnFromAccounting
    @JohnFromAccounting ปีที่แล้ว +8

    The Trump Tower in Chicago exemplifies American capitalism. It's all about building bigger and better than anyone else, sticking your name on it to make sure nobody forgets who you are. Trump Tower has its place in Chicago, and it will stay there for a long time.

  • @CaptainXJ
    @CaptainXJ ปีที่แล้ว

    Reminds me of where I live for some reason liquor stores are just covered in signs. It looks awful but the idea of government telling you what you can and can't do with your own property is even worse.

  • @christopherstephenjenksbsg4944
    @christopherstephenjenksbsg4944 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    I lived in Boston for about ten years starting in 1977, and the Citgo sign in Kenmore Square was one of the identifying features of the city, appearing in nearly every shot of Red Sox games at Fenway Park. In those days it was a neon sign, and it often malfunctioned, with portions of the sign burnt out or not "performing" properly for months at a time. I understand it has now been replaced with an LED version of the same sign, which is much more reliable, but the old sign had its quirky charm -- a symbol of a kind of down-and-dirty Boston -- the Boston of those who live there rather than the Boston of tourists and the Freedom Trail.
    I have rather the same feelings about Times Square. It was down and dirty when I was growing up. It reminded me of Paul Simon's song "The Boxer" with its "come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue" line. That Times Square was dirty and dangerous, but it was "Real" in a way that the current flashy, cleaned-up version of Times Square is not. Maybe this is a case of misplaced nostalgia on my part, but I like the old version of Times Square better.

    • @scpatl4now
      @scpatl4now ปีที่แล้ว +5

      The thing with very old neon signs is that they are
      1. Very expensive to work on because you have to bring them up to current local electrical codes
      2. Neon tubes as they age change in color so when you swap out a new one it will sometimes stick out like a sore thumb, meaning you have to replace all of them that are the same color (unless it is a clear tube that has no coating which is the standard orange color of a clear tube pumped with neon gas).
      Number one is usually the most expensive though since you would not believe what a wiring rats nest some of these older signs look like.

    • @christopherstephenjenksbsg4944
      @christopherstephenjenksbsg4944 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@scpatl4now Thanks. I was unaware of these details. That makes a lot of sense.

    • @scpatl4now
      @scpatl4now ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@christopherstephenjenksbsg4944 It's a shame they went to LEDs though. They just aren't the same, and an iconic sign like that should have been preserved.

    • @petemavus2948
      @petemavus2948 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@scpatl4now I find all the new types of lighting harsh and without nuance, sign of the times maybe🤣

  • @ABB14-11
    @ABB14-11 ปีที่แล้ว

    This came just in time! My client wants the facade to be filled with signages for the 30 shops inside

  • @douglasfur3808
    @douglasfur3808 ปีที่แล้ว

    The philosophical discussion of signs and the difference between things as things in themselves has been around at least 1000years.
    A building that is weak in character as a thing needs a sign.
    The retroactive stretching of language theory to apply it to the built environment, at best, confuses the relationship of sign to thing.
    "Signs cannot help in understanding things as such, because they do not signify anything unless a person already knows about the concept/thing it signifies. He has so famously claimed, "Nothing is learned through its signs" (Augustine 166). He further explains it to his son that "When a sign is given to me, it can teach me nothing if it finds me ignorant of the thing of which it is the sign; but if I'm not ignorant, what do I learn through the sign?" (Augustine 166).

  • @skyscraperfan
    @skyscraperfan ปีที่แล้ว +30

    The "special" thing about Trump Tower Chicago is that is one of the least energy efficient skyscrapers built in the last decade. While "green" buildings are the trend, this tower is exactly the opposite.

    • @JohnFromAccounting
      @JohnFromAccounting ปีที่แล้ว +7

      What do you expect when building glass walls? Its a giant greenhouse.

    • @skyscraperfan
      @skyscraperfan ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@JohnFromAccounting The Bank of America Tower in New York City also is a glass building, but that one is a green building.

    • @mkoury83
      @mkoury83 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Wasn’t built in the last decade. Any examples of how it is not energy, efficient? Or is this just a feeling you have?

    • @JohnFromAccounting
      @JohnFromAccounting ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@skyscraperfan There are no green buildings with primarily glass except for actual greenhouses. The WTC was a much greener design by limiting the amount of heat through radiation that could enter, thus reducing the cost of air conditioning. Less glass = easier to keep cool.

    • @jamesmoore1532
      @jamesmoore1532 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Building construction started in 2005, it opened in 09. As for energy efficiency was it the Architect, developer, or city code that is to blame?

  • @silencesays228
    @silencesays228 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Do you think it might be possible that at some time in the future that huge LCD screens on the exterior of the building could be used to project images of architecture that can be changed to suit mood or trends?
    Regarding legacy signs, a building in my neighborhood was recently renovated and a sign from around 100 years ago was found. The owners of the building kept the sign and changed the name of the business to match. The neighborhood is happy with the result.

  • @awsomenesscaleb
    @awsomenesscaleb ปีที่แล้ว +18

    I've never seen a single Trump yard sign while living in Chicago these past five years, but the city has the largest Trump sign in the world displayed prominently in the heart of downtown. The irony is pretty rich.

    • @MK-rl8cf
      @MK-rl8cf ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I bet he’s proud every day he managed to slap his name in this city for all those reasons you just described..

    • @JohnFromAccounting
      @JohnFromAccounting ปีที่แล้ว +4

      He's a New Yorker, and he brought his New Yorkness to Chicago. I imagine he had a really big grin when it got approved.

    • @BlownMacTruck
      @BlownMacTruck ปีที่แล้ว +2

      That’s not “the heart” of downtown. It’s not even downtown. And no one cares that his name is on the building. No one takes it as some sort of stand against people who don’t like him. It’s simply viewed as tacky.
      But of course people like you always views these things as simplistic “stick it to the libs!” type situations, so of course you think this way.

    • @matthewweflen
      @matthewweflen ปีที่แล้ว

      He's like a baboon, defecating to mark his territory.

    • @sharksport01
      @sharksport01 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I wish it said LIGHTFOOT.

  • @joetrey215
    @joetrey215 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I think the "TRUMP" signs looks orders of magnitude better than the "Chicago Sun-Times Chicago Daily News" sign that used to be there.

  • @180_S
    @180_S ปีที่แล้ว

    Your best video yet! Keep up the good work

  • @clintmailahn6034
    @clintmailahn6034 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Stewart I appreciate your videos. They have inspired me to figure out why architecture from the 1870s - 1920s was so naturally beautiful. - If you are looking for content - A home I come across was the Rose Terrace built by the auto maker widow wife. Anna Dodge. There is a TH-cam video on it. I did a Linked In post and here is what it said. ----- Rose Terrace. Built to last 200+ years. Demolished just 42 years later. Built by the widow of one of the Dodge brothers. Completed in 1934. Anna Thompson Dodge was worth equivalent to 2 Billion Dollars when her husband died in 1919. She purchased lavish things like yachts, servants, and art work. Anna died in 1970. The home was willed to her next of kin. However did not leave money for up keep and taxes. The home went on the market for just over a million and had no takers. With back taxes and lack of up keep over 6 years the home was torn down in 1976. Anna spent all the money and left nothing for the next generation but a home they could not afford. I think about this. How I spend my money and how Congress spends our money. ------ Thank you. Clint

  • @thevikingbear2343
    @thevikingbear2343 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The Coca Cola sign in Times Square is one of the signs that is beloved throughout generations, but is is regularly replaced by a newer Coca Cola sign as styles change. Nobody seems bothered by the sign being replaced, just that the new sign is still a Coca Cola sign.

  • @dagwould
    @dagwould ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What a great sign! The architecture 'critic' just gives us a non-sequitur as to his view that it is inappropriate. It's not; its a wonderful theatrical gesture, flamboyant, bold, assertive...perfect Trump. Perfect for stuck-up Chicago. Buildings and their settings are not static, anonymous 'pieces of architecture' as though they are walk-in sculptures; they are social contributions of individuals...they can do with them what they like. IMO.

  • @RANDALLBRIGGS
    @RANDALLBRIGGS ปีที่แล้ว +2

    So, in the episode about the controversies over houses that don't fit into their neighborhoods, the opinions of the residents of the neighborhood were dismissed as shortsighted. Here, on the issue of downtown building signage, it is recommended that public opinion be given great consideration. So how is it supposed to be? Does public opinion count, or does it not? Or does it count downtown, but not in a residential area?
    Here's what I suspect. It's not that the sign is too big or too garish or too low (all of which I think it is, BTW), but rather that the sign says TRUMP. For the record, I don't like the sign and I despise Trump. But I think there's an inconsistency here. Would the sign be OK if it said OBAMA? Or BIDEN? Or CLINTON? If those names would be OK, then maybe the real issue is not the size or the placement of the sign, but rather whose name it bears. And that raises some sticky questions.

  • @thesilentone4024
    @thesilentone4024 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    People also hate change for some reason but the name was to say hey I made this not to hinder or hurt people with his name.
    Question can you talk about the benefits of thirsty concrete.
    Like reduce flooding and sand mining helping ecosystems and reduced noise pollution by 20 to 30% depending on the thickness.
    Ps las vegas sweeps its streets weekly to monthly and on the back theres a vacuum.
    Thirsty cement you can only use a vacuum to clean em so very little changes will be needed for the sweepers to make em work for the new road.

  • @stevencipriano3962
    @stevencipriano3962 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I think the Salesforce sign is just as intrusive as the Trump sign...especially at night

  • @Sam-qn4ly
    @Sam-qn4ly ปีที่แล้ว +4

    this whole thing seems like a pretty huge cope. What happened to just not liking something? Now we need to create legislation that probably violates the 1st amendment all while giving the guy much more attention.

  • @nonoluigi
    @nonoluigi ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Good subject. I missed hearing any reference to Klingman’s on-topic theory of “Brandscapes,.”

    • @stewarthicks
      @stewarthicks  ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Oh, that's new to me. I'll check it out! Thanks for the reference.

  • @lessdanthree
    @lessdanthree ปีที่แล้ว +1

    i work in media and video mapping, growing up i wanted to be someone that would change how we see the world around us. Although i know it can be cool to have video all over a building , that to me is like special event otherwise I honestly hate the idea of video signs all over. My new job is working with smart displays and fine art. I think if signs are going to be apart of future or even if it gets to how like futuristic renders of say floating signs and hologram type signs, we should shift into them being more works of art. Maybe in a way like how you're saying with the evolution of barber shop poles or the tavern signs, go backwards a little even if digital signs are a thing, and make it more artistic rather than in your face. like it would be great to walk on a street and maybe it looks like a bunch of fireflies and nice lights above you but from across the street it's actually all spelling out the businesses, but as a pedestrian otherwise it would look like you're just in a nice fantasy city or something until you see that. Or in the future with the use of AR tech it can just look like pretty atmospheric lights but with our phones or glasses we see what businesses are and can turn that on and off so that we're not distracted by ugly ads and signs all over...

  • @crystalross7943
    @crystalross7943 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I think the Trump sign suited the building. It wasn't gold or neon, it was steel grey just like the rest of the riverfront. And what is twenty feet on a skyscraper? Not much. I like places with sign, they are landmarks when traveling.

  • @Michaelengelmann
    @Michaelengelmann ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Yea. It’s a shame bc I loved the DCEU & that movie was great IMO. And he could’ve said “I’ll fight Shazam but Cavill is still Superman “
    He seriously had the pull to do this IMO & I hope he still can. They already reconned the first Shazam suit in the sequel.
    And why did they even feel the need to do that? Every time an MCU character has a new outfit there’s no retcons. 🙄🤦🏽‍♂️

  • @MisledNeNick
    @MisledNeNick ปีที่แล้ว

    The lil phone chime at 4:26 derailed my focus on the video so hard.

  • @davidrogers8030
    @davidrogers8030 ปีที่แล้ว

    Maybe public advertising should be banned to mitigate road safety distractions, and that to children for mental health reasons. It would save a fortune.

  • @wilurbean
    @wilurbean ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is hilarious
    A bunch of narcissistic self entitled architects and critics are mad, not because it's a sign, not because it's a large sign, not because of its placement, but because of the name on it.
    Everything else is dishonest cope and it's on display in the B-roll which shows dozens of other similarly sized and placed signs which are loved by the critics and praised by architects.
    Disregarding that the city thinks it has the right to limit self self expression... the architects complaining design horrendous and ugly modern/brutalist style buildings made of glass steel and wood.

  • @SuperNicktendo
    @SuperNicktendo ปีที่แล้ว

    I think the sign was in retaliation to him being forced to add antennas to the top. The original design didn't have them but Daley refused to allow the building without them.
    Suggestion for another topic. The antennas are pretty iconic and don't count towards the buildings official height

  • @wadeguidry6675
    @wadeguidry6675 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Adrian Smith is an architect? He also plays lead guitar for Iron Maiden! Very talented indeed.

  • @packardcaribien
    @packardcaribien ปีที่แล้ว +31

    Eh. If someone owns a building they should be able to put their name/logo on it. If you remove Trump and imagine if it was Bill Gates or someone else less controversial.... The argument becomes a lot weaker, only based in aesthetics.

    • @HVACSoldier
      @HVACSoldier ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Exactly. IF an airline bought the building, and put 24 foot letters at the top of the building, hardly anyone would have a problem with it.

    • @moover123
      @moover123 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Noone should be allowed to put TRUMP on a building

    • @sub_bacchus
      @sub_bacchus ปีที่แล้ว +4

      eh, it would be super tacky whatever person / brand it represented

    • @gumbyshrimp2606
      @gumbyshrimp2606 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@sub_bacchus if it was a Macy’s sign people would think it was “classy@

    • @HVACSoldier
      @HVACSoldier ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@gumbyshrimp2606 Basically, IF it had a name that people on the left liked, there wouldn’t be ANY debate on the size of the letters.

  • @TahoeRealm
    @TahoeRealm ปีที่แล้ว +15

    It’s a beautiful building for sure. A great addition to the river. I have spent a lot of time in Chicago and there is a corner on the other side of the river where people take pictures with the Trump sign behind them. Half the people are giving it the finger and half the people are loving it.

    • @jrveley08
      @jrveley08 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      It's a very tasteful sign, classy font, simple, compliments the building very well, it's not a conflicting style or color, and it represents a brand, not a person. There are just too many babies in the world full of hate. If it had another name or word it wouldn't be an issue, even though it would still be a sign.

    • @TahoeRealm
      @TahoeRealm ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@jrveley08 agree 100% - well said

    • @dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587
      @dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      ​@@jrveley08 If sign letters were 50ft high not 20ft and said Obama not Trump same people would love it. Same "critic" would call it an 8th wonder of the world lol

  • @jamesslate1026
    @jamesslate1026 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great interview with Blair Kamin. I have read his reviews in the Tribune for years, but had no idea what he looked like. I can think of an example in Chicago that expresses the adage that "good wine needs no bush". Ikram Goldberg has her eponymous boutique on East Huron in River North. Though the front façade has her signature red colour, there's no sign. Either you know and appreciate her exclusive clothing, or you don't need to shop there.

  • @clusterstage
    @clusterstage ปีที่แล้ว +2

    2:23 imagine if the sign wasn't in English letters.

  • @fobfob
    @fobfob ปีที่แล้ว

    For those who visited Hong Kong in the 80's and after 2000s, will know how a city actually be lighten up by signs and how the same streets can be so low profiled without the signs...

  • @ocko8011
    @ocko8011 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Architecture is all about feelings. Of course this particular sign would piss off certain people.

  • @PghPA81
    @PghPA81 ปีที่แล้ว

    I live in Pittsburgh that has in recent years failed at keeping signs out of our skyline. This in a city of buildings that needed no signs to declare their meaning, the US Steel building (Harrison, Abramovitz & Abbe) made of exposed corten steel and the PPG (Pittsburgh Plate Glass) building (Philip Johnson) a post modern gothic expression in glass. No sign needed when the architecture tells the story.

  • @ElarBela
    @ElarBela ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What a great joy to be getting mid-western perspective and examples rather than the usual east coast.

  • @corentinguillo5577
    @corentinguillo5577 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Buildings in my city (Paris, France) don't have signs. But I like it this way

  • @TheMaxx111
    @TheMaxx111 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The TRUMP sign is the most iconic and beautiful part of Chicago.

  • @RoySATX
    @RoySATX ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Misleading video titles are a rather HUGE problem as well. This video isn't about signage, it's about Trump. All other things being the same, if instead of Trump the letters spelled out Biden, Pelosi. or Obama I am certain very few if any of these people would see it as an issue and instead would be arguing that any opposition was racist or misogynistic.

  • @fimbulsummer
    @fimbulsummer ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Thanks Stewart! Very interesting video. Time Squares seems like my personal nightmare - crowds, noise and overstimulation everywhere.

  • @tbradtbrad
    @tbradtbrad ปีที่แล้ว

    The opening shot is deceptive.
    As it zooms in, it cuts to the side of the building where the sign is which is not where the shot begins.
    Just saying...

  • @ws1814
    @ws1814 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    It’s a silver sign on a shiny reflective building. It’s even legally approved. Gosh, stop whining.

  • @DougWilliams06
    @DougWilliams06 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Buddy... you must be my neighbor because your videos show everywhere I go in Chicago.

    • @PLuMUK54
      @PLuMUK54 ปีที่แล้ว

      Perhaps Stewart Hicks is stalking you 😳

  • @TheLanceFrazier
    @TheLanceFrazier ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Price to build a skyscraper $$$$$$
    A branded sign half the size of a football field $$$
    The cost to live RENT FREE in the minds of so many smug elites... PRICELESS!

    • @Pisti846
      @Pisti846 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yup!