The North Platform Fiasco – Andante Cantabile
When we left off our sad story of The Great North Platform Disaster, the “improvement” project of 1993 was underway. The original brick paving, simple and functional for decades, had been ripped out and new elements “designed” by local landscape architect Steve Rose were being constructed. But astute Fullertonians who were watching soon came to see that something was amiss with the new “design.” Really and truly amiss.
A new, massive block wall was was built directly in front of the existing fence, creating a weird, inacessable strip of land ultimately to be landscaped! The columns of triangular truss shade canopies were actually placed inside the wall, so that the back half projected over the empty space, accomplishing nothing.
The waste of material in this completely unnecessary wall was obvious, but it was the foolish misdesign of the canopies that really resonated with the public. What on earth was the point of a shade canopy that extended over an area that nobody could even get to?
But the ludicrous and superfluous wall was just the beginning. The true scope of the calamity on the platform was unfolding for all to see.
What is the point of showing all these old pictures? In the first place it’s all a matter of opinion. In the second place this is ancient history. Even if mistakes were made (and I’m not saying they were) it could never happen again.
Is that a cheap bottle of wine I see on the wall in the first picture? Is this how the RDA cooks up their zany ideas, fueled with rotgut? Or have the local winos already moved in at this point? Perhaps they are one and the same?
Trust you to sniff out the booze, Peabody. But calm down. That bottle was all drunk up 16 years ago!
Chamber Star, it’s obvious your a nincompoop. Haven’t you ever learned that smart people learn from past mistakes?