That big thing downtown **

The new Thom Mayne-designed Caltrans headquarters on Main Street (between First and Second streets) opens this week. The building remains for me an acquired taste. It's too blocky and visually pretentious for a sorry corner of the Civic Center where the now-razed Kosher Burrito projected the proper tone — but that's just me. The Daily News' lead Sunday story complains that Caltrans got this job done on time and on budget, unlike — for example — its freeway work. Says David Fleming, the Latham & Watkins counsel who is the DN's designated voice on most everything:

"The reason it's on time and on budget is because Caltrans isn't building it. Had Caltrans been building it, it'd take twice as long and (cost) twice as much..."

Eli Broad disagrees about the architecture, by the way, but then he should like it. He contributed $2 million and the space in front is named the Eli and Edythe Broad Plaza.

* Critiqued: Photos and comment on the building at Archinect here and here. Also, Eric Richardson at eWorld discusses the building and an interview with the architect.

** Better description than mine: At Joyrides Without Maps . Also, the link to the artist's rendering above is fixed.