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Exterior


Last Update: 2/27/2007 9:29 am
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 This is our new home! Since August 13, 1957, the site of our building at 1720 Gilbert Avenue was occupied by the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History. On May 6, 1986 the voters in Hamilton County passed a bond issue setting in motion a move of the Museum to its current home in the Union Terminal.
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    		 Before the Museum of Natural History this piece of land belonged to the Cincinnati Art Museum. It might be coincidental, but still even today this site has strong ties to the Art Museum. Our own architect Peter Hoyt from KZF Design worked on the recently unveiled Cincinnati Wing at the Art Museum.
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    		 The impressive glass and steel building was constructed by Turner Construction in 18 months -- a record time considering the requirements and complexity of the project. Similar structures usually take 24 months or more to complete.
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    		 The Channel 9 sign and WCPO call letters can be seen from far away even at night, when they become illuminated.
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    		 Our main entrance at 1720 Gilbert Avenue. In the distance you can see the Baldwin Piano Company office complex. Since 1890, the Baldwin Piano Company Building housed the assembly department, administrative offices and laboratories. The world-renown piano company remained at the site until March 1986.
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    		 A small roof over the main door protects guests from rain and snow. You have to activate an intercom, located on the right side of the door, to gain access to the station.
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    		 The Elsinore Tower was built in 1883 as a valve house for the Eden Park Reservoir and as a spectacular entrance to the park, with stone steps leading up the hill to the Art Museum.
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    		 A tunnel beneath the tower housed two original 35" water pipes stamped 1878. They were connected to the reservoir in Eden Park. The city replaced them in 2004 with one 72" pipe, which still supplies all the drinking water to the city.
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    		 The construction of the tower was prompted by the Water Works Department, which wanted to improve the park’s landscape. A design competition was called and a young architect Samuel Hannaford (1860-1936) won the contest.
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    		 The tower is reminiscent of the Danish Kronborg Castle and the town of Elsinore made famous as a setting for William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet."
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    		 It's not known if this tower still exists in Denmark but it certainly brings a bit of the "Old World" to Cincinnati. By the way, you may be familiar with Hannaford’s other designs such as Music Hall, City Hall, The Cincinnatian Hotel, The Main U.S. Post Office Building and the Lombardy Building.
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    		 TR Gear Inc. provided landscaping design for our property. Part of their challenge was to incorporate the old tower with the modern building.
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    		 A small walkway leads from the guest parking lot, under the tower, to the front of the building.
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    		 Three flags fly in front of the main entrance. The American flag, the POW-MIA flag and the blue flag of E.W. Scripps company.
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    		 In-ground architectural lights around the tower provide a dramatic effect at night, while the beautiful low shrubs and small trees nestled among concrete paths offer a warm invitation during the day.
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    		 A large row of windows belongs to the news conference room. A dark driveway leads back to the news vans parking lot in the back of the building.
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    		 There are 298 windows facing Gilbert Avenue. They were custom-made by WallTech & Company of Cincinnati.
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    		 There is a small balcony adjacent to the bistro, which is used during some live weather and news reports.
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    		 Each window is designed in 16:9 ratio, not coincidentally the same ratio as high-definition televisions!
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    		 The window panels consist of two sheets of glass. In between each sheet, small ceramic squares were infused to deflect light and heat. A similar design technology was used on a large "glass curtain" of the Aronoff Center.
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    		 There are ten parking spots for our guests. Additional metered spaces are available in the front of the building.
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    		 This view was taken from a nature walk that leads from our building directly to the Cincinnati Art Museum. The walk is part of the 1883 Eden Park entrance. These original 133 small steps are connected by patches of grassy areas in a dense, lush, wooded park.
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    		 From the pathway you can see all of the news vans and satellite trucks parked securely behind the building.
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    		 The side view of the building reveals one of the back-up generators, which provide emergency power to the whole station.
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    		 The landscaping design includes a stone waterfall, which fills up quickly on rainy days.
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    ©2007 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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