Eyesore

Bad Elster, Saxony, Germany in April 2008. Wettiner Hof Hotel is awaiting renovation- locally it is known as the Schandfleck- (the Eyesore).

The Peter the Great Statue in Moscow is one of the largest statues in the world, but in November 2008, it was voted the tenth ugliest building in the world by Virtual Tourist.^[1]

An eyesore is an unpleasant view. Its technical usage is as an alternative perspective to the notion of landmark. Common examples include dilapidated buildings, graffiti, litter, polluted areas and excessive commercial signage such as billboards. Some eyesores may be a matter of opinion such as controversial modern architecture (see also spite house), pylons or wind turbines.^[2][3] Natural eyesores include feces, mud and weeds.^[4]

Effect on property values

In the USA, the National Association of Realtors says an eyesore can shave about 10% off the value of a nearby listing.^[5] However, a dilapidated fixer-upper can be a good investment because renovations provide a good rate of return.^[6]

Remediation

Clean-up programmes to improve or remove eyesores are often started by local bodies or even national governments. These are frequently called Operation Eyesore.^[7] High-profile international events such as the Olympic Games usually trigger such activity.^[8]

Others contend that it is best to nip such problems in the bud by addressing them while they are small, since signs of neglect encourage anti-social behaviour such as vandalism and fly-tipping. This strategy is known as fixing broken windows.

Controversy

Whether some constructions are eyesores is a matter of controversial opinion which may change over time. Public opinion on eyesores typically surrounds landmarks.

Notable Examples of Divided Opinion

Federation Square has divided opinion in Melbourne.^[9]

• Eiffel Tower - Parisians wanted it pulled down as an eyesore but it is now the world's top landmark.^[10]
• Golden Gate Bridge was controversial ahead of its construction, it being said in The Wasp that it "would prove an eye-sore to those now living ... certainly mar if not utterly destroy the natural charm of the harbor famed throughout the world."^[11][12] It is now considered a notable landmark.^[13]
• Millennium Dome - the ugliest building in the world in a poll of architects.^[14]
• Federation Square - despite being hailed an iconic landmark by many, it has equally been rejected by many notable Australians as an eyesore.^[9] Ironically it was designed to replace a building regarded by many as Melbourne's greatest eyesore, the Gas and Fuel Towers^[15], as part of a worldwide competition. Despite winning the competition, the design was plagued with criticism and the Western Shard (proposed as an optical device designed to frame and enlarge St Pauls Cathedral similarly to Saint Peter's Square) was requested to be shortened from winning plans by state premier Steve Bracks during its construction citing it being an eyesore. The Australian Financial Review later reported that Melburnians have learned to love the building, citing the record number of people using and visiting the landmark.^[16]
• Wind farms - thought to be the worst eyesore by readers of Country Life but liked by others.^[17]
• Boston's Government Center^[18], where City Hall has been called "The World's Ugliest Building"^[19].
• One Rincon Hill - Situated just south of San Francisco's Financial District, this high-rise condominium surrounded by shorter buildings has generated some mixed reviews.

Notable Examples of Undisputed Eyesores

Spencer Street Power Station. Regarded for many years as Melbourne's worst eyesore, it was finally demolished in 2008.^[20]

• Brisbane Transit Centre and Riverside Expressway - have been called eyesores and planning debacles by University of Queensland Associate Professor of Architecture Peter Skinner.^[21]
• Spencer Street Power Station, Victoria - an asbestos ridden landmark regarded by many as Melbourne's biggest eyesore.^[20] It was finally demolished in 2008.
• Cahill Expressway in Sydney - regarded by many as a major planning mistake.^[22]
• Riverside Plaza in Minneapolis Minnesota^[23]
• Embarcadero Freeway - Along The Embarcadero in San Francisco, this double-decker elevated freeway blocked The Embarcadero's view and shadowed the boulevard under it. When it was demolished in 1991, the long-abandoned Ferry Building and the boulevard under the freeway were restored.
• The Hole In The Road in Sheffield England, filled in in 1994.
• City-Center in Helsinki, colloquially known as Makkaratalo (Sausage House) because of the concrete sausage-like railing circling the third floor parking lot. Voted undisputedly as the ugliest building in Helsinki

See also

• Aesthetics
• Brownfield site
• Local ordinances
• NIMBY
• Redevelopment
• Spite fence
• Town planning
• Ugliness
• Urban blight

References