The style of the "Cultural Education Center" there reminds me of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in LA (early 1960s) -- monumental architecture on an elevated stone plaza, with a fountain and sculpture in front and parking beneath. It was also designed at the behest of a rich old cultural icon (Rockefeller in Albany, Dorothy "Buffy" Chandler in LA).
As you point out, one of the problems of this architectural style is that the resulting building is totally disconnected from the surrounding streetscape. It took decades for the area around the Chandler Pavilion in LA to gain back some significant buildings that had a relation to the street.
It turns out it's actually a net minus for the area if the people going to the building just park underneath, go up, do their business, and exit. The resulting bubble creates an obstacle for organic development nearby.
The style of the "Cultural Education Center" there reminds me of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in LA (early 1960s) -- monumental architecture on an elevated stone plaza, with a fountain and sculpture in front and parking beneath. It was also designed at the behest of a rich old cultural icon (Rockefeller in Albany, Dorothy "Buffy" Chandler in LA).
As you point out, one of the problems of this architectural style is that the resulting building is totally disconnected from the surrounding streetscape. It took decades for the area around the Chandler Pavilion in LA to gain back some significant buildings that had a relation to the street.
It turns out it's actually a net minus for the area if the people going to the building just park underneath, go up, do their business, and exit. The resulting bubble creates an obstacle for organic development nearby.