Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Design a Better Parking Garage

As those of you who read the sidebar on this site know, the purpose of this blog is to share with the world advances in computing, technology, world affairs, the struggle of the middle class in America, famous authors, computer programming, well-designed things and anything I come across that makes me want to exclaim, "Why did I not know about this before?”

Today, I have one of those well-designed things to share.  Specifically, we’re going to take a look at the design of parking garages.  I typically associate parking garages with the original Deep Throat, stagnant air, the smell of hobo urine and generally the worst part of the shopping mall experience.

Thankfully, CraigRedman and Karl Maier produced a this colorful space to park your vehicles. 

 I Like the Entryway


Too Colorful for My Henry Fordesque Tastes

Vegas Baby!

What better place could there be to find a great example of how to build a parking garage than Las Vegas?

In January of 2012, I made the pilgrimage to what I like to think of as the happiest place on Earth, Las Vegas.  Specifically, I visited the Cosmopolitan, a relatively new casino located on the Las Vegas Strip.  


A lot of casinos in Vegas really push their valet parking service at the expense of their free parking lot.  In more simplistic terms they either make their free parking lot inconvenient relative to their casino floor.  Thankfully, the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas really extends the Vegas glamor to their guest parking lot. 


Below you can relive the wonder and excitement I experienced when entering their free guest parking garage.  

So Much Excitement!
I Can't Believe Hollywood Hasn't Offered Me a Job

Designing a better parking garage might not solve the problems of famine, endless wars taking place around the world or the serious lack of bare breasted young women preparing and delivering strawberry kiwi smoothies to me whenever I clap my hands.* 

[Drawing of me clapping goes here]
See, Nothin'

Still, at the very least parking garages are large blank canvases that could be opened up to artists.

When I was leaving the parking lot, I noticed a girl in her early twenties who held up her entire crew of four people so that she could point her fancy large body Nikon camera at the wall of the parking lot to snap a photo.  Seriously, I’m not making this up: the walls of the parking garage at the Cosmopolitan are photo worthy.  

*Female applicants interested in an exciting unpaid internship position with Clean Sheets and Dirty Girls which will prepare them for either the smoothie making or sex industry are encouraged to apply by leaving their contact information in the "Comments" section below.



26 comments:

  1. If things and people around you could bring a smile, then by default chances of you supporting or aiding a war may come down. It does look like dream place, not a normal parking lot.
    I may be interested in smoothie making thing but I am going to pass the offer. ;)

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  2. That looks really good actually, maybe I'll have to visit it when going there later this year.

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  3. The colors make me feel like a child. A sick child. The design is much like the Kaiser Children's Hospital lobby in Panorama City.

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  4. I just hope they don't get ruined by all the tires and car exhausts. I think that's one reason they look dreary.

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  5. This is gorgeous, but I have to be honest, my first thought was "how much are the going to charge to park here?" I don't know how to make smoothies :)

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  6. Wow man some of these are absolutely crazy, it's never crossed my mind how it would be a good idea to put a concentrated effort into parking garages but I can see now it's a great one, the world would be so much more brighter if all parking garages looked like these, I know I'd be much more cheery!

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  7. all that blank canvas going to waste in many a car park. all that potential,,, now then - where is my smoothie maker. ?

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  8. Who knew parking garages could be something other than scary, rape caves.

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  9. Such eye candy.. I wouldn't even feel worthy

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  10. I'd hate to drive in there with a hangover...but its better than drab grey

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  11. Wow! With parking spaces like that hobos can now pee in stlye!

    If you get aplicants for the internship let me know! I might try the same thing on my site!

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  12. HMMMM. Point of your blog has been delivered, especially since I find myself wondering at exactly how blah and blase and, and...bland every parking lot and garage is.

    That...man, I've never thought about re-designing such a space!

    Something to keep filed away for later consumption and editing, y'know? Thanks for the new perspective, m'man!

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  13. If it makes you feel better, one of the parking garage roof actually collapsed (Poughkeepsie Galleria).This was a couple of years ago. The weight of the cars parked and the snow was too much. I guess the auto insurance companies of those car owners must be cursing the mall and or making them pay. The good thing is that no actual people were hurt.

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  14. wow, that parking space looks...confusing. Hehhehe. Normally I love bright colours too.

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  15. i like the blue light idea, good idea!

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  16. So cool!! If I could, I'd make my garage like that!


    http://placequotehere.blogspot.com

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  17. That colorful parking garage would make me feel like I was in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or Dr Who or something. But anyway, maybe that would be a good idea to open up parking garages to some young artists who could practice their craft there, to lively things up a bit.

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  18. Love the second photo!

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  19. Giving your visitors a different kind of parking space will surely create a buzz. It may not please everyone, but it’s still an awesome idea to change your perspective of a typical parking lot. The system used on the parking lot in Vegas was amazing. With a well-managed system like that, time consumed on finding a spot is reduced, and it’s just a great way to welcome visitors.

    Jeanie Prude

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