ABQ PLAZAS: First Plaza

ALBUQUERQUE PLAZAS

First Plaza

Link to photo journal.

Some buildings look much smaller than their actual size, particularly when they are built horizontal, instead of straight up into the sky. The First Plaza in Downtown Albuquerque is an example. Over 300,000 square feet, yet it is a rather unassuming building complex. It is classified as a low rise set of buildings-- only six floors above ground, and another story below. It measures less than 90 feet above ground, making it short even by southwestern standards.

 Constructed mid-century, the buildings lack much ornament or detail. However, the public spaces around the buildings are some of the best in Albuquerque.  Rare is the mid-century downtown office complex that strives to make people feel welcome. That invites the public to just hang out around the buildings.

First Plaza’s central outdoor plaza faces east toward Second Street. Unlike Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza, First Plaza uses several techniques to make the expanse more inviting.

Walking from the Andaluz Hotel and entering from the SE corner, planters with trees greet pedestrians, mimicking walking into a partial woods, creating a sense of safety instead of exposure. The planters are short enough and spaced far enough apart that people don’t have to worry about someone hiding behind one either. Which is always an issue in an urban area.

 Tables with chairs are spread out around the entire complex. In the summer umbrellas bring welcome shade. Strong winds and harsh sun aren’t a problem. More seating is provided along grassy areas in the center. People are more welcomed at First Plaza than in many of the so-called public areas of Downtown.

 In the middle of the central outdoor plaza is an oasis, surrounded by grass and trees. The center is a fountain which is crossed by a sidewalk bridge. From a distance the fountain resembles a typical office complex affair with three column structures on one side and jets of water spraying up into the air on the other. Such fountains can be found in office complexes around the world.

 What makes First Plaza unique is that when the fountain is reached up close, it more closely resembles a Japanese garden and bridge, rather than a sterile monument. It becomes a tiny place of refuge in the city.

The main entrance to the complex lacks grandeur. A modest atrium spills out in the central outdoor plaza. Still, it invites people to enter. It’s built on a scale comfortable to humans, even if the actual entrance doors are not clearly marked and take a minute to find.

 Many Downtown buildings in Albuquerque have showpiece atriums that rise two or three stories high at the entrance. Instead, First Plaza’s atrium is small and expands downward to the underground level. This is a fun walk under the city, particularly during New Mexico’s hot summers.

 Exiting back out of the Galleria mall to the street on the NW corner by Third, and across from Civic Plaza, more small plazas can be found around the perimeter of the buildings. While the architecture can most graciously be called minimal at street level, an effort was made to make pedestrians comfortable with the covered porticoes and tables for seating.

 While First Plaza is not glamorous, cutting edge, or even particularly architecturally noteworthy, the plazas surrounding the building are definitely worth a visit.