Trump unveils gigantic Menie hotel plan
March 4 2013
Designed by Acanthus DF the $150m property is aligned with the crest of a coastal escarpment on the boundary between the areas famous sand dunes and the wooded pastoral land on higher ground to maximise views out across the beach.
Trump is at pains to stress however that the scheme will not proceed if approval is granted to an ‘industrial plant’ proposed off the Menie coast, saying: ‘if plans for the ugly industrial wind turbines proceed, we would obviously not build this hotel.’
Gregor Small of Acanthus DF, said: “With the desire to promote a coherent feel for the whole estate, the hotel, like the main clubhouse has taken its design cues from MacLeod House. There is a carefully considered balance between the desire to provide extensive glass overlooking the dunes and the offer of solidity, warmth and protection to guests.
"Traditional materials and forms combined within a clearly legible composition will exude the highest levels of quality, an insight into what can be expected by guests within. Its compact linear disposition gives impact and gravitas without resorting to outlandish height, something that would be out of keeping with its built heritage.”
Trump’s championship golf course opened its doors in July 2012.
The elongated edifice will dominate the landscape
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25 Comments
#1 Posted by urban animation on 4 Mar 2013 at 11:15 AM
Long.
#2 Posted by Monkey9000 on 4 Mar 2013 at 11:22 AM
Arguably more inappropriate to the landscape than the turbines, depending on your point of view!
#3 Posted by David on 4 Mar 2013 at 11:36 AM
I suspect this has been influenced (extremely poorly) by Turnberry Hotel. This is truly awful. Apparently though the golf course he has built is one of the finest in the world. Can't we just tell him to bugger off now that we've got that?!
#4 Posted by twaddle on 4 Mar 2013 at 11:41 AM
The golf course is undeniably an absolute beauty. Not sure about the rest of the plan...
#5 Posted by SAndals on 4 Mar 2013 at 13:14 PM
"Traditional materials and forms combined within a clearly legible composition will exude the highest levels of quality, an insight into what can be expected by guests within. Its compact linear disposition gives impact and gravitas without resorting to outlandish height, something that would be out of keeping with its built heritage.”
ARCHIBOLLOX!
ARCHIBOLLOX!
#6 Posted by wonky on 4 Mar 2013 at 14:09 PM
Sweet Lord save us in our hour of need...deliver us from the bland monotony of this grey behemoth! The only blessing might be that it will become invisible against the endless grey skies of the North East.
#7 Posted by Helen Gray on 4 Mar 2013 at 14:21 PM
The golf course is - I'm told - utterly magnificent.
Whereas this frightful slab of menacing Mocktorian institutional awfulness... it's the Trump Tower, laid on its side, with fangs.
What a missed opportunity to do something great.
Whereas this frightful slab of menacing Mocktorian institutional awfulness... it's the Trump Tower, laid on its side, with fangs.
What a missed opportunity to do something great.
#8 Posted by Stephen on 4 Mar 2013 at 17:31 PM
I'm confused; Is it the hotel or the wind turbines that Trump things is "ugly"....?
I like the "clearly legible" architect's euphemism! No kidding!!
I like the "clearly legible" architect's euphemism! No kidding!!
#9 Posted by Big Chantelle on 4 Mar 2013 at 19:06 PM
Well done Donald -- looks brilliant.
Don't listen to the moaners here as they think anything that has a traditional/classical aesthetic is the work of Satan. If you'd designed something like the Sauchiehall street centre with its magnificent concrete shards, you'd be getting praised for your 'daring' and 'edgy' approach.
It's funny how all the 'critics' here love repeating cliched phrases: "it's a missed opportunity". It's like they learned these wee daft phrases from their year 1 Motherwell polytechnic teacher who was actually only a lecturer because they couldnae 'make it' as an architect.
Anyway, I might take up golf now. And Donald, I'll be sure to check out this wee gem. I mean, what is there left for me to achieve in freestyle rollerskating now that I'm a 5 time West of Scotland champion?
Don't listen to the moaners here as they think anything that has a traditional/classical aesthetic is the work of Satan. If you'd designed something like the Sauchiehall street centre with its magnificent concrete shards, you'd be getting praised for your 'daring' and 'edgy' approach.
It's funny how all the 'critics' here love repeating cliched phrases: "it's a missed opportunity". It's like they learned these wee daft phrases from their year 1 Motherwell polytechnic teacher who was actually only a lecturer because they couldnae 'make it' as an architect.
Anyway, I might take up golf now. And Donald, I'll be sure to check out this wee gem. I mean, what is there left for me to achieve in freestyle rollerskating now that I'm a 5 time West of Scotland champion?
#10 Posted by Carol Croft on 5 Mar 2013 at 09:54 AM
"Championship" golf course?
This description is only understandable in the context of Trump's natural habitat of meaningless hyperbolic marketing terms.
This description is only understandable in the context of Trump's natural habitat of meaningless hyperbolic marketing terms.
#11 Posted by David on 5 Mar 2013 at 12:53 PM
@Big Chantelle...slightly random architect bashing I have to say...any reason why?...perhaps you could describe what you think merits any praise in the proposals outlined above?
#12 Posted by Bob Smith on 5 Mar 2013 at 13:56 PM
"Greatest golf course in the world" Can't be proven one way or the other unless someone plays all the courses on the globe. Trump knows this full well.Just another propaganda puff from Trump.
#13 Posted by Rob on 5 Mar 2013 at 13:59 PM
I love how proponents of 'traditional/classical' architecture so often try to reduce the argument down to one of old vs new. I think it is highly questionable whether any building of this size and type should be built in this location. Plus, that front elevation is brutally relentless and inelegant.
#14 Posted by Rob on 5 Mar 2013 at 14:03 PM
Mr Trump's claim that the hotel will only go ahead if the turbines are scrapped is pantomime brinkmanship. People might have taken this approach seriously once upon a time but it has become pretty tired.
#15 Posted by wonky on 5 Mar 2013 at 16:08 PM
Big Chantelle your idea of 'classical' is badly skewed - this is akin to a communist dictators conception of what 'traditional' is- if Ceausescu had ever built a golf hotel then it would have been this one. Its the sort of design that Robert Adam might have come up with if he had been addicted to Mogadon and Lanliq wine. Its like Fitzroy Square made from gruel. If that's your idea of worthwhile architecture then I am genuinely speechless.
#16 Posted by Stephen on 5 Mar 2013 at 16:19 PM
Big Chantelle. Like any good Daily Mail story your rant surrounds only a kernel of truth. You might be right that most of the people who visit this site favour contemporary design, rightly or wrongly. I don't think anyone has actually criticised the nods to tradition in the design though. On the contrary I think the gables generate quite a lot of interest... just not enough to sustain the most inappropriately massive slab-block since the Nazi's built Prora.
Actually maybe that was a precedent...
Actually maybe that was a precedent...
#17 Posted by Egbert on 5 Mar 2013 at 16:43 PM
Was going to add my own take on this but Wonky's comments above trump anything I could offer. No pun intended. Other than to say that it's staggeringly overscaled, relentlessly banal and utterly artless. What an embarrassment for Acanthus DF.
I had assumed Big Chantelle's contribution was satirical though...
I had assumed Big Chantelle's contribution was satirical though...
#18 Posted by Frank Lloyd Wrong on 6 Mar 2013 at 10:26 AM
@#16 - Come on Stephen. Bit harsh. What's this got in common with Prora?
Prora was a monstrous featureless groundscraping monilth holiday camp built for the elite Aryan race on the coast, masterminded by a global despot with a terrible haircut and ......
Aaah right. Point taken.
Suddenly, those turbines are sounding pretty appealing!
Prora was a monstrous featureless groundscraping monilth holiday camp built for the elite Aryan race on the coast, masterminded by a global despot with a terrible haircut and ......
Aaah right. Point taken.
Suddenly, those turbines are sounding pretty appealing!
#19 Posted by Egbert on 6 Mar 2013 at 10:55 AM
As an aside - UR, that windfarm article is deeply disappointing - effectively it reads as little more than a full-length opinion piece by the Trump organisation, c/o George Sorial. His hugely-biased opinions are allowed to dominate and go unchallenged. Surely an opposing voice should have been brought in for balance - at least someone as pro-wind as Turmp is anti, or someone from the Scottish Government who actually understands the policy and planning process and who can counter Sorial's ridiculous (and largely discredited) claims. If the comments on the hotel proposals are anything to go by, allying your editorial stance to Trump is unlikely to win many friends.
#20 Posted by Partick Bateman on 6 Mar 2013 at 11:13 AM
Is there any way we could grow the marram grass in the foreground long enough to sweep it over this building?
#21 Posted by Boss on 6 Mar 2013 at 12:46 PM
Acanthus DF really have sold themselves down the swan'ey. A clear illustration of why architects have to sometimes take a stance with their applicant and say 'no chance'.
They may make a fee from this proposal but their link to this project will surely burn their bridges for future commissions.
They may make a fee from this proposal but their link to this project will surely burn their bridges for future commissions.
#22 Posted by own medicine on 6 Mar 2013 at 13:52 PM
I think it should only be granted if it's entirely off grid for water and power. With all those en-suites and towels to wash this thing need's it's own power station to run... I believe wind energy may be thought a viable option in that area???
#23 Posted by SAndals on 6 Mar 2013 at 14:38 PM
"They may make a fee from this proposal but their link to this project will surely burn their bridges for future commissions"
Huge fee - considering there are only 2 window types, 6 standard details and alot of Ctrl C/Ctrl V...anyone got any idea when they are going to finish the rear elevation...?
Huge fee - considering there are only 2 window types, 6 standard details and alot of Ctrl C/Ctrl V...anyone got any idea when they are going to finish the rear elevation...?
#24 Posted by Oliver on 11 Mar 2013 at 10:51 AM
In Acanthus DF's defence, I feel that they may have not had an awful lot of say in the design of this, more that Trump and his organisation told them exactly what they wanted and left little room for manoeuvre.
My main thought for this though is that it is very, very long... Trump compensating for something maybe?
My main thought for this though is that it is very, very long... Trump compensating for something maybe?
#25 Posted by Sherry on 31 Mar 2016 at 21:38 PM
Purse I think it's sad that that beautiful landscape was destroyed by Donald Trump Golf Course and Housing Development. And he destroyed quaint little villages in that area. He is nothing but a bully
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