722 replies to this topic

[sdwright.vic]

Yates/Wharf building is still there.

I think the Wharf Street building is still there as well.

[HB]

A large portion of the Post office is still standing too..and also the Times building which was dismantled and 2 facades rebuilt

[aastra]

Yes, some of these were horrific remodeling jobs as opposed to outright demolitions, but the original architecture is nevertheless long gone.

 

From this:

 

*****

 

To this:

 

*****

 

The Google street view...

Edited by aastra, 02 August 2017 - 06:17 PM.

[HB]

The post off ice has much of teh original in place but the corner was gone when the Customs building went in the rest is pretty much original

[aastra]

 

I think the Wharf Street building is still there as well.

 

The one shown below? It's gone, it was one of the buildings where the park is now. You can see it at the right edge of this Flickr pic:
https://www.flickr.c...N04/3918333596/

 

[sdwright.vic]

Correct! It looked like another that one on the other side that had it's face pulled off.

[Bingo]

That is the same hydro pole in both photos right down to the fire alarm  call box.

 

Yes, some of these were horrific remodeling jobs as opposed to outright demolitions, but the original architecture is nevertheless long gone.

 

From this:

 

*****

 

To this:

 

*****

 

The Google street view...

 

[aastra]

Did you ever consider that those pics might have been taken on the same day? Less than 8 minutes apart?*

 

*They weren't, but did you ever consider it?

[Rob Randall]

Did you ever consider that those pics might have been taken on the same day? Less than 8 minutes apart?*

 

*They weren't, but did you ever consider it?

 

Like those bathfitters commercials: "From this to this--in minutes!"

 

Is your old building suffering from a cluttered buildup of ornamentation? Call us and we'll turn that old Victorian bric-a-brac into a sleek modern building in minutes!

[Bingo]

Did you ever consider that those pics might have been taken on the same day? Less than 8 minutes apart?*

 

*They weren't, but did you ever consider it?

 

No, but the bottom picture could have been taken one week before the bricklayers went to work.

Say...that looks like the car that Bonnie and Clyde used prior to the bullet holes modification.

[aastra]

Before and after (but before the subsequent before and after):

 

pic from http://search-bcarch...bcmuseum.bc.ca/

 

 

pic from http://staff.royalbc...ural-artifacts/

[aastra]

That "architectural artifacts" entry mentions false tops on old buildings, and there's a pic of 1222 Douglas.

 

pic from http://staff.royalbc...ural-artifacts/

 

So is this the main reason why a few different buildings eventually received haircuts over the years? Because the upper parts of the facade were just for show?

 

 

Another very large pic here...

[Rob Randall]

Today's trend is to add a top storey and set it back so it can't be seen from the street so it looks one storey shorter. Back then they added a fake facade to make it look one storey taller.

[Benezet]

If I have it right, Victoria’s city engineer recommended (or obligated?) the removal of building cornices and presumably parapets and false facades after the Alaska earthquake of 1946.

[Nparker]

Today's trend is to add a top storey and set it back so it can't be seen from the street so it looks one storey shorter. Back then they added a fake facade to make it look one storey taller.

At what point did Victorians develop their fear of tall buildings, or even buildings that pretend to be tall? It's certainly not a global phenomenon, so I am genuinely curious as to why height is such an issue when it comes to buildings in this region.

[aastra]

I didn't realize the city archives has a good pic of the missing building at Pandora and Broad on their website. Methinks this property is ripe for a fine building in the 6-8 story range.

 

pic from https://archives.vic...-pandora-avenue

 

[Nparker]

Whatever was the impetus to build shorter than what was historically on so many downtown sites? What an awesome and vibrant ground floor that original building had. The current structure is "grody to the max".

[G-Man]

Ugh. That makes me sad. Were people excited and smiling the day that wrecking ball swung?

[Rob Randall]

I was trying to search the old address with no luck. I wonder if it burned down.

[aastra]

I had assumed it was taken out as an unofficial extension of the Centennial Square mission to erase "blight" around city hall, but I might be way off on that. There was a parking lot there for a while afterward, which would seem to be consistent with my assumption.