Monday, June 21, 1999

Village hall has look of town square

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Amberley's center to be done in 2000

BY CHRISTINE WOLFF
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The adminstration building for Amberley Village will be completed in January. Architects created its multiple roof lines to mimic a small village. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        AMBERLEY VILLAGE — It's an eye-fooler — one building that looks like a small village.

        The illusion is part of the design for the new village hall, under construction on Ridge Road at the site of the demolished old building.

        Accomplished with varying roof shapes and slopes, the design lets one building give the impression of a cluster.

        “There is no "downtown Amberley,' no Main Street,” said Bernard Boraten, manager of the mostly residential village. “The (village) hall is the center of Amberley Village. So they played with the roofs. It reminds you of a little storybook village.”

        The curved building, set against lush trees and a nature trail, will house the administrative offices, police station and firehouse.

        Begun in fall 1998, the $3.9 million facility is on schedule to be completed in January.

        It replaces a 1940s building which gained four additions that turned it into a hodgepodge of small offices and hallways. Most of a large maintenance garage behind the old building that dominated the site also was demolished.

        Covering about 22,100 square feet, the new building sits on 3¹/₄ acres. Blending it with the village park flanking it was the architect's challenge.

        “It's a large building so we wanted to break up the potential mass into pieces, and at the same time, to give a feeling of the outdoors,” said David Ross, the director of design for Cole and Russell Architects, downtown Cincinnati. “We wanted a certain civic presence but wanted it to be a friendly building, too.”

        Vines draped on trellises will crown walkways leading to the main entrance. Vaulted ceilings in the vestibule and in the 82-seat council chambers — the building's centerpiece — contain high windows that let in light without glare.

        Soft-red brick and white limestone-like trim form the outside walls. Inside, colors will be earthy, with dark stained wood accents.

        The roof will be green, resembling aged copper, Mr. Ross said. A hose-drying tower for the fire department has a pointed roof.

        The building also contains a walk-in basement with a large community room that will offer residents and employees a gathering space they didn't have before, Mr. Boraten said.

        The building's roof was completed this month, giving passersby a better picture of the package.

        “People standing in front looking at it are saying they see the "village,'” Mr. Boraten said.

        “It looks like we hit the mark.”

       

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