City unearths sidewalk lights

[Townsend]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070608_238_A1_hUnex60111

My friends working at 5th and Boston are wondering why Boston isn't shut down to hurry this along.  I saw the area, no usable sidewalks at all.  People are walking in traffic to get to work.

[sgrizzle]

The property owners would throw a fit if you shut down auto traffic. Only traffic they care about.

I want them to restore the skylights.

[Steve]

I read the article in this morning's paper, but it was very sketchy.  Were these uncovered shafts actually skylights to let in natural light to the basement, or were they ventilation shafts?  As I recall, the article only mentioned the skylights early on, and then shifted focus for the remainder 3/4ths of the article to construction.  There was no definate proof presented that these were originally basement skylights, only speculation.

[patric]

Ive visited some larger cities where it was not at all unusual to have sections of sidewalk made of glass bricks, and at night to be able to see a glow coming up from beneath them from the rooms below.

Surely someone will figure out what an architectural treasure we've stumbled across, and will modify their plans to restore it rather than cover it over with concrete.

[bacjz00]

quote:Originally posted by patric

Surely someone will figure out what an architectural treasure we've stumbled across, and will modify their plans to restore it rather than cover it over with concrete.

Please do tell...how is it that you've come to the automatic conclusion that these skylights are now "architectural treasures"??

[patric]

If they are anything like the "glass sidewalk" I described earlier they might be worth preserving, but if your point is that I havent actually seen the ones at the Kennedy building yet, that is so.  Might be a nice, historically significant touch to the streetscape (much more so that a sucky reproduction Acorn light in your face) and an opportunity that shouldnt be overlooked.

[sgrizzle]

Sounds to me like any glass/glass bricks are gone since they are talking about concrete falling into a basement, not into a window.

[AngieB]

I would guess they won't replace the skylights in the sidewalk. They'd be pretty, though!

If they did, some jerk would break through, enter the building, hurt himself and sue the city.

[TurismoDreamin]

quote:Originally posted by bacjz00

quote:Originally posted by patric

Surely someone will figure out what an architectural treasure we've stumbled across, and will modify their plans to restore it rather than cover it over with concrete.

Please do tell...how is it that you've come to the automatic conclusion that these skylights are now "architectural treasures"??

It's for all the [ahem] business men in downtown who can look up womens skirts on their lunch break...sad sad..

[LilMikey]

quote:Originally posted by TurismoDreamin

quote:Originally posted by bacjz00

quote:Originally posted by patric

Surely someone will figure out what an architectural treasure we've stumbled across, and will modify their plans to restore it rather than cover it over with concrete.

Please do tell...how is it that you've come to the automatic conclusion that these skylights are now "architectural treasures"??

It's for all the [ahem] business men in downtown who can look up womens skirts on their lunch break...sad sad..

Mmmmmmmmmmmm.