October 2004 | Eyesore

Commentary on architectural blunders in monthly serial.

The new Marriot Courtyard in Saratoga Springs, a hotel designed to look like a forensic pathology lab. You can practically smell the formaldyhyde out in the parking lot. Now some folks might say, "no fair, that's the side of the building." Yes, it is, but it also happens to be most conspicuously visible side from any possible vantage point. This building was rigorously vetted by the city planning board and design review commission. We are hostages to our own miserably low standards.