Apple's Revised Plans for New Flagship San Francisco Store Will Keep Fountain, Tweak Facades

[peterdevries]

I'm sorry to hear that, though I wonder if the slavishness to dogma and ideology that we are now suffering through in the US translates to any other county.

Well, it seems we are moving backwards in some way here in The Netherlands. We used to be seen as a very tolerant society, and actually the Dutch by themselves still are. Gay marriage e.g. is not disputed and normal, including adoption etc within same-sex marriages.

But the general tolerance to other cultures has also invited cultures within The Netherlands that are less tolerant of these lifestyles and have caused much problems in recent times. It has become more dangerous to be openly gay in Amsterdam (I'm talking about holding hands) as you stand the possibility of being beaten. I'm heterosexual myself, but a gay colleague of mine who doesn't need to walk beside a man to be identified as gay, is now afraid to go out. Sad times.

This translates into other aspects also, but homosexuality is a really good example for this.

 

[Pietro25]

Thanks Apple!

Good for Apple for listening to the people of San Francisco. It's our city. That fountain is regarded very fondly by the people who live here.

After the new store is built, I am quite sure the employees will enjoy gazing out the window and seeing the fountain. It will make a nice contrast to the sleek machine-made Apple products. The fountain is a testimony to the beauty and creativity of human hands.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Well, it seems we are moving backwards in some way here in The Netherlands. We used to be seen as a very tolerant society, and actually the Dutch by themselves still are. Gay marriage e.g. is not disputed and normal, including adoption etc within same-sex marriages.

I've been hearing about the backlash against tolerance, so to speak, in your country.

Here, the country is being divided along both ideological and geographical lines. We've always had some of that (fought a civil war for those reasons, after all), but with the political structure of the country changing over the last 30 years an entrenched "us vs. them" mentality has emerged. San Francisco became the capital "them" city for people with a certain belief system. For these folks, everything that happens in the city must be spun as just another example of how fundamentally wrong-headed it is. Sad, but true.

 

[calaverasgrande]

anything would be an improvement. That corner is ugly as hell as it is now. I am not partial to that sculpture, but pretty much all public art is hideous if you think about it.
If nothing else the scuplture will benefit from a cleaning and not being on those fugly red brick stairs.

 

[JoeG4]

IMHO in 40 years that building will probably seem as tacky to public opinion as the Levis building does now.

 

[tongxinshe]

Good for Apple for listening to the people of San Francisco. It's our city. That fountain is regarded very fondly by the people who live here.

After the new store is built, I am quite sure the employees will enjoy gazing out the window and seeing the fountain. It will make a nice contrast to the sleek machine-made Apple products. The fountain is a testimony to the beauty and creativity of human hands.

On the contrary, if there is a vote, I bet by far the majority will say "Please destroy it!" Everyone I talked to think that it is a disgusting "sculpture".

 

[AidenShaw]

I've been hearing about the backlash against tolerance, so to speak, in your country.

Here, the country is being divided along both ideological and geographical lines. We've always had some of that (fought a civil war for those reasons, after all), but with the political structure of the country changing over the last 30 years an entrenched "us vs. them" mentality has emerged. San Francisco became the capital "them" city for people with a certain belief system. For these folks, everything that happens in the city must be spun as just another example of how fundamentally wrong-headed it is. Sad, but true.

Yes, compare:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_values

"San Francisco values" is a term often used pejoratively and as an ad hominem phrase to refer to cultural, social and moral attributes associated with the city of San Francisco, California's liberal politics and pluralist culture.

Often values and expressions that are marked less popular among social conservatives, such as gay pride, the anti-war movement, or secular values generally, are invoked by users to frame their argument.[

with:

http://www.conservapedia.com/San_Francisco_values

The phrase San Francisco values refers to the general moral degradation present in San Francisco and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. By extension, it has been used to describe liberal areas and politicians who exemplify these values, under the guise of "progressiveness". These values follow very strong liberal tendencies and grew out of the Hippie culture that flocked to this city in the 60s and 70s.

San Francisco values include: legalization of marijuana, gay rights, pro-abortion, gun control, environmentalism, anti-military, New Age spirituality, political correctness, support of illegal immigrants, and heavy government regulation of business or even socialist and anarchist tendencies.

 

[sunspot42]

Fondly?

Good for Apple for listening to the people of San Francisco. It's our city. That fountain is regarded very fondly by the people who live here.

I call B.S. I live here, and think it's a filthy eyesore. I don't know anybody who feels otherwise.

If we're lucky, at least Apple will hose the bum urine off the reeking wreck. That's more than the current owners of the property can apparently be bothered to do...

 

[gnasher729]

The fountain, whether you like it or not is an important part of San Francisco heritage and history. The person who made it, Ruth Asawa who recently passed away was a well known and beloved local artist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Asawa)

Here's the question: Was that fountain an important part of San Francisco heritage and history, and was Ruth Asawa a well known local artist, before Apple's plans for a new store were published? I don't know. Did schools take school children to the fountain? Did people show it proudly to visitors of the town? Just wondering.

 

[msimpson]

I've been hearing about the backlash against tolerance, so to speak, in your country.

Here, the country is being divided along both ideological and geographical lines. We've always had some of that (fought a civil war for those reasons, after all), but with the political structure of the country changing over the last 30 years an entrenched "us vs. them" mentality has emerged. San Francisco became the capital "them" city for people with a certain belief system. For these folks, everything that happens in the city must be spun as just another example of how fundamentally wrong-headed it is. Sad, but true.

You seem to talk like you are an all knowing expert, or just blathering nonsense you heard on your favorite political information source. Do tell, are you one of the "us" or one of the "them".

Could there possibly be another group called the "rest of us" who are not "us sheeple" or "them sheeple"? San Francisco is only a capital to those people who live in a tiny world in their mind and actually think that the rest of the world actually gives a damn what San Francisco does.

"the rest of us" get along with our lives

 

[Zews]

Here's the question: Was that fountain an important part of San Francisco heritage and history, and was Ruth Asawa a well known local artist, before Apple's plans for a new store were published? I don't know. Did schools take school children to the fountain? Did people show it proudly to visitors of the town? Just wondering.

Yes and yes. A simple Google search would have taught you that.

 

[IJ Reilly]

You seem to talk like you are an all knowing expert, or just blathering nonsense you heard on your favorite political information source. Do tell, are you one of the "us" or one of the "them".

Could there possibly be another group called the "rest of us" who are not "us sheeple" or "them sheeple"? San Francisco is only a capital to those people who live in a tiny world in their mind and actually think that the rest of the world actually gives a damn what San Francisco does.

"the rest of us" get along with our lives

Niether, but nice try anyway. Well, not so nice at all, really.

----------

Yes and yes. A simple Google search would have taught you that.

Or by reading a few posts in this thread. Interesting how information can get in the way of an opinion. Maybe that's why so many people avoid it.

 

[Nevaborn]

Its the most hideous thing I have ever seen. It is art because its a creation born by the imagination of one for the enjoyment of others and some do enjoy it...however I don't and agree it should of been moved to another more suitable location like all art is from time to time.

 

[ldkaplan]

I'm glad they are finding a compromise.

I think it likely that many of the people saying how 'ugly' this fountain is have not seen it in real life. It is hard to appreciate it from a single photo...it's something that you have to see in real life.

It is almost a carton look at many scenes that make SF famous. There are about 40 bronze plaques that make up the statue, each of them a scene. Some that I remember are Lombard Street, China Town, the Ferry Building, the Golden Gate bridge and Saint Peter and Pauls Church.

The artist, Ruth Asawa, was very interesting. She was actually in an Internment camp during WWII, like most of California's Japanese. She died this month.

One of the things she did when building these large works is got help from children. The art was made out of bread dough, something I think popular in the 70s for art because I remember my mother making sculptures from dough. I assume she had a lot of help from San Francisco citizens in building this.

For those that love to bash the art without having looked at it, I recommend googling some pictures of the statue that show the details. Also, take a look at her site for some history of the artist.

Hopefully, she was aware of the deal before she passed.

 

[Pietro25]

I call B.S. I live here, and think it's a filthy eyesore. I don't know anybody who feels otherwise.

If we're lucky, at least Apple will hose the bum urine off the reeking wreck. That's more than the current owners of the property can apparently be bothered to do...

You techies don't know anything about art. Bunch a Yahoos!

 

[sunspot42]

Don't know anything about art...

That eyesore is the sculptural equivalent of this wreck:

Only the painting isn't dripping with bum urine.

I dare you to lick that sculpture!

 

[Pietro25]

That eyesore is the sculptural equivalent of this wreck:

Only the painting isn't dripping with bum urine.

I dare you to lick that sculpture!

Bum urine... Licking....

You make my case so well.