The postcard of the day is really two postcards. Both are of the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco (Embarcadero Center). They are from 30 or so years ago, and I found them the other day going through my dad's papers. I've never been to San Francisco, but I think my dad went there on a business trip, and probably stayed at the Hyatt.According to one web page, "It was built in 1972, designed by notorious architect John Portman. ". That was my guess, as I knew John Portman designed other Hyatts, and also Detroit's iconic Renaissance Center. Navigating inside the "RenCen" is confusing at best. John Portman could be said to be a leader in the Cardassian architecture movement: the RenCen especially has odd geometry and a nonhuman scale. Watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is good preparation for moving about in the RenCen concourse.
Fans of old science-fiction might recognize one of Portman's other well-known designs, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, in Los Angeles, California. It is rather similar to the Renaissance Center. It appeared in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and I remember it quite well as the city of Atlantium in the 1970s TV show "Fantastic Journey" .
The inside of the San Francisco Hyatt Regency is seen in the postcard below. It is similar to the other hollow Hyatts I have seen, including the glass bubble elevators that zoom up and down on the outside of the wall (seen in the back corner). This interior has a definite Logan's Run look about it. This hollow interior is 18 stories hall. I remembered that as a kid, Hyatts like this were fun to stay at and explore.
I love those glass bubble elevators, but some people I know dislike and are afraid of them. Has anyone been on such elevators, or is anyone familiar with Hyatts like these?
7 comments:
I've never been on an elevator like that but as long as I can see out, I don't care about much else. It tends to limit my time on regular elevators though. Getting stuck in one is not a fun experience, hence the phobia/fear/whatever you want to call it.
I have been in the San Francisco Hyatt Regency elevator and actually spent the night there in one of the rooms when it was bran spanking new.
Not a fan of the elevator at all... do not like heights and glass elevators freak me out. This brings back a very good memory. Thanks.
Jennifer: Not many elevators let you see out. But these do.
Ananda: I was at the Dearborn one when it was brand spanking new. And they had a monorail too. Even cooler. It was a Logan's Run weekend (I'm pretty sure we did this not long after the movie came out). The mall connected to the monorail also had glass-bubble Wonkavaters.
Some places have these glass bubble elevators on the outside wall. I've been in a skyscraper that had this. I suppose that would be even scarier for you.
Oh my gosh... I could not do that and maintain any sort of calm! They would have to peel me off of the floor, a gibbering puddle.
But if you ride a wonkavator to the top, you inherit the chocolate factory.
I've never bee to the Hyatt, but I used to live in San Francisco. You should visit there if you get a chance. It's one of my favorite cities.
Churlita: So, what's the best thing to see there? Knowing that I am as likely to see it, in the next few years anyway, as I am to see Minas Tirith.
Post a Comment