ARCHITECTURE
Downtown gets a new icon
By Barry A. Muskat; photos by kc kratt

The Avant is comfortable in its new skin. The outdated building was stripped down to its steel skeleton and reborn as a stunning glass tower.
It’s the most exciting project to hit Buffalo’s urban core in years. The creators of the Avant have transformed a dated, asbestos-ridden office building, stripped it down to its steel grid, and brought it back to life as an absolutely stunning glass tower. The project is exciting for its aesthetic and image as well as for the panache and vitality it brings to a continually improving downtown core.

This vibrant complex is visionary. Although the format exists in other metropolitan venues, it hadn’t yet been successfully done in Buffalo. This isn’t a nine-to-five office building peopled by workers who desert the urban ship and head for suburbia when their shift ends. Here’s a complex in the heart of the city with a pulse that beats 24/7.

The tower, occupying the full city block bordered by Delaware, South Elmwood, West Huron, and Carey, includes a hotel, offices, residential, and services in a sophisticated setting. This was formerly the Dulski Federal Building. Designed in the 1960s, its original construction was plagued by delays and cost overruns, and even in its prime the sixteen-story result could never be considered as one of the proud moments in our city’s architectural history.

An entrance portico and approach was created to bring a new appeal. Hotel, offices, and residences—each has its own defined entrance and lobby.

The view from the south shows Avant’s signature lettering and glass skin. The central core houses nine high-speed elevators in a structure that does not steal space from the tower’s spacious floorplates.
It was only when Uniland Development began to dismantle the building’s outer concrete shell (in January 2008) that the building’s elegant clean lines and enormous, uninterrupted floor plates became apparent to the public. When the Avant’s signature glass façade started to be installed (May 2008), onlookers could see a major impact on the Buffalo skyline.

Mike Montante, Uniland’s vice president, describes the Avant as a “sustainably designed twenty-four-hour, mixed-use vertical community.” He recalls, “From the time this project was announced, people said at each stage it will never happen. Now they are saying I can’t believe it happened here.” He adds, “We took a large risk, but took it both on our belief in what the city can become and that there are residents, tenants, and travelers who will invest in that belief.” Montante sees each of the three primary functions (office, hotel, condos) drawing the benefits of shared cost and amenities from the other two.

Initially, an architectural design competition asked for proposals, which were submitted in late 2006. The winning entry was the design by Stieglitz Snyder Architecture. The firm described the original building as a nondescript entity that, despite its size, caused it to largely disappear over time, like background noise. They envisioned a unique and bold architectural statement that could represent the future of the city, conveying excitement, vigor, and confidence in Buffalo’s central business district. Their design introduced a curvilinear geometry. Curved elements were used in the new entrance lobby, canopy, landscape design, and, most sensationally, in the sexy bump-out of the Delaware Avenue façade that lends a whole new silhouette to the building. This dramatic element brings sensuality and interest to the largely rectilinear tower.

Embassy Suites occupies the first seven floors of the Avant. The two-story lobby welcomes visitors and an elegant staircase ascends to the second floor pool, health club, and amenities.

Bob Shepard, a design partner with Stieglitz Snyder, discusses the challenge of pinning down a design for a multi-use building in a retrofit situation that could serve the different stakeholders (hotel entity, developer, condominium, offices). With the entire skin being glass, the biggest challenge from a technical standpoint was the design of a curtain wall system. They employed a unitized curtain wall that is panelized. By having the glazing done in a manufacturing setting, there’s better quality control; it also allows construction to occur year-round. Shepard describes the advantages: “From an interior standpoint, for the building occupants, this provides uninterrupted panoramic views and daylighting throughout all occupied spaces in the building.”

The first seven floors are occupied by Embassy Suites (part of the family of Hilton hotels). John Gurren, hotel manager, notes that this is the only all-suite, full-service hotel in the city. Indeed, each of the suites includes two full rooms (not just alcoves), spacious and quite handsomely appointed. “That’s what makes it unique in Buffalo,” Gurren says, adding that it’s great to see the energy and excitement the hotel has received. Della Terra, Avant’s fine dining restaurant, is open to the public and features Northern Italian cuisine and a beautiful wine list. Other amenities include a pool and fitness center, an expresso bar, and quick-service food options. The conference facility is also booking private functions and can accommodate groups from ten to 250.

All hotel lodgings are actually suites of two spacious rooms that are handsomely appointed.
Damon Morey’s office space.
One of the Avant’s sensational views.
A central corridor leads to the principal conference room for Damon Morey, whose occupants enjoy unimpeded views north toward the city and beyond. This is one of eleven conference rooms, each of which is named in memory of a distinguished former member of the firm.
Then there are five floors of class A office space. Two are occupied by Damon Morey, an established law firm that previously occupied eight floors in an older office building. Initially concerned about operating in the enormous 25,000-square-foot floor plates of the building, members of the firm now seem absolutely delighted with every aspect of their stunning new offices and marvel at their spaciousness and functionality.

The move gave the firm the opportunity to analyze their needs. Floor space in the new plan was dedicated to accommodate the actual use, thereby generating a smaller law library and less room dedicated to filing and paperwork. More conference rooms were built than in their prior offices, but their size was reduced to reflect their usage. The new layout allows for interaction and synergy between co-workers from different disciplines whose paths never crossed when they were on separate floors. An elegant conference room commands center stage and northern views. Peter Marlette, managing partner, notes that the new offices build on the firm’s success: “In a way, the new offices have been almost transformational. Our people are even more excited and enthusiastic about the direction the firm is headed. We are seeing better and better candidates wanting to join us. We couldn’t be more pleased with what we have been able to accomplish, and the new space is definitely a big part of our continuing success.”

The top three floors of the Avant will house eagerly anticipated luxury condominiums, including penthouse units with twenty-foot ceilings. The first residents will take occupancy at about the time this article appears, and the apartments will be the subject of a Spree article this spring when they are ready for photography.

The building is cleverly zoned so that each of its uses (hotel, office, residence) has its own distinct entrance and lobby, elevators, and security. Each space in the building, no matter its use, benefits from the incredible views. Here is a full skin of glass that washes every space with floor-to-ceiling, wall-to wall panoramas that look out on the city in all directions. Whether gazing north, south, east, or west, every view is sensational, whether it’s toward Lake Erie, Niagara Falls, City Hall, the new Court House, or the church steeples and neighborhoods of Buffalo’s West Side.

The Avant is the right project for this city at the right time. It could stand proud in any city, but here it beautifully fills a leadership void, reigniting the hopes for Buffalonians who were so optimistic about the promise of Issa’s Statler and then so disappointed by its failure. The Avant has aimed equally high and has been successful in each of its missions.

Barry A. Muskat is Spree’s architecture critic. He loves the energy of the city and the optimism that the Avant brings to its downtown core.


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