Jump to content

      



























Photo

[Downtown Victoria] Atrium Building (BC Ferries headquarters) | Office | 7-storeys | Built - completed in October 2010

Office Commercial

  • Please log in to reply
1048 replies to this topic

#61 zoomer

zoomer
  • Member
  • 2,144 posts
  • LocationVictoria - Downtown

Posted 11 October 2007 - 09:15 PM

As Ms. B said, very suburban office park feel to this building. The larger pics do it a bit more justice; brick is a good choice for the bands, but, the horizontal bands are still a big problem for reasons aastra mentioned. Seriously, we can do much better than this, or I should say, we should expect much better than this in Victoria. A mediocre proposal at best, and just because it "meets the street" we shouldn't waive all other considerations, as that should be the starting point.

It reminds me too much of another Blanshard street office complex, the Jack Davis building. They both present a blank wall to the public and are very uninviting. Sure this Atrium building is built right to the sidewalk, but it might as well be set back 20 feet as it's turning it's back anyways.




#62 aastra

aastra
  • Member
  • 20,650 posts

Posted 11 October 2007 - 09:43 PM

Interesting comparison.

#63 gumgum

gumgum
  • Member
  • 7,069 posts

Posted 11 October 2007 - 10:00 PM

^^Maybe that's why i dislike it so much.??

#64 Galvanized

Galvanized
  • Member
  • 1,196 posts

Posted 11 October 2007 - 10:58 PM

I actually don't mind it, I especially like the zero setback even though it looks like it belongs at Selkirk.
Past President of Victoria's Flâneur Union Local 1862

#65 Holden West

Holden West

    Va va voom!

  • Member
  • 9,058 posts

Posted 11 October 2007 - 11:36 PM

I like it. I wonder if the Johnson/Blanshard corner needs more embellishment or something.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#66 Mike K.

Mike K.
  • Administrator
  • 83,177 posts

Posted 12 October 2007 - 09:23 AM

Clearly we'll need high-res and detailed renderings to put some concerns aside...or not.

Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.


#67 G-Man

G-Man

    Senior Case Officer

  • Moderator
  • 13,800 posts

Posted 14 October 2007 - 09:49 AM

Geez go away for a week and I miss out on a proposal like this.

So my two bits - I was feeling iffy on the massing before but now that I see it I like it.

But as others have said that is where it ends the cladding needs some work. When did we adopt yellow brick as the official brick of choice? I must have missed that meeting. I completely agree with the comparisons of the Richard Blanshard building and Jack Davis.

I love the setback or lack there of but wonder what purpose or use the atrium will fill? The two similar examples of the library and Sussex Building are both lacking some quality to make them destinations.

Also suggestions on possible tenants or uses for the bottom floor. I still think a live theatre or independant movie theatre would be great like the Brava buildings in Vancouver.

Holden - I think that there should be additional emphasis on the Yates and Blanshard corner as this is the logical cornerstone point.

Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com 

 

It has a whole new look!

 


#68 Nparker

Nparker
  • Member
  • 40,407 posts

Posted 15 October 2007 - 08:39 AM

I am split on this proposal.

On the one hand, the Jawls have a reputation of quality projects. Despite the lack of height at the Selkirk Waterfront, for the most part the overall look and feel of this area is pretty good, especially by Victoria standards.

On the other hand, I would have liked to have seen a push for something taller at this location, if for no other reason than to break up the visual monotony of the the east side of Blanshard Street. Is NOTHING on this side ever going to exceed 7 stories? If not, why???? I can also see the similarties with the Jack Davis Building, and the legacy of that ultimate fatscraper will be felt for decades, so I'd rather not see the same mistakes repeated again.

The bottom line is that Yates/Blanshard is a high-profile location, and whatever ultimately gets build here deserves to be of the highest quality possible, and based on the images thus far rendered for this project, I am not yet convinced. I'll play wait and see for a while, since so many other projects are still in the planning stages and the downtown of October 2007 will not be the one of 2011 or whenever this project is realized.

#69 Lover Fighter

Lover Fighter
  • Member
  • 653 posts

Posted 15 October 2007 - 09:50 AM

I quite like the scale of this proposal, but the top of the atrium looks way too boxy. I hope they can refine the proposal a bit before it is built. The facade definitely looks outdated as well, but I am not against the density of the project or the cool idea of the atrium.

#70 Mike K.

Mike K.
  • Administrator
  • 83,177 posts

Posted 15 October 2007 - 10:07 AM

I too do not mind the scale and the density, but I would have thought D'ambrosio would design something similar to Selkirk Waterfront's Gatehouse.

Are bands of bricks really the best material to use? Must he emphasize the bands so much? I'd much prefer bands of glass than bands of bricks.

Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.


#71 zoomer

zoomer
  • Member
  • 2,144 posts
  • LocationVictoria - Downtown

Posted 28 October 2007 - 09:06 AM

I too do not mind the scale and the density, but I would have thought D'ambrosio would design something similar to Selkirk Waterfront's Gatehouse.

Are bands of bricks really the best material to use? Must he emphasize the bands so much? I'd much prefer bands of glass than bands of bricks.


Speaking of bands of glass, I agree, and although I'm not crazy about this London building below either, it's breaks up the horizontal mass better than D'ambrosio's design, while maintaining the much beloved horizontal bands.

Perhaps the glass bands could glow at night, or be like a lcd display. A graceful curve or two would enhance the design as well. BTW, the pic below is from Olga at SSP:



#72 G-Man

G-Man

    Senior Case Officer

  • Moderator
  • 13,800 posts

Posted 28 October 2007 - 09:10 AM

Change the bands to brick and that could be the same building. Kind of lets you know what we are getting into.

Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com 

 

It has a whole new look!

 


#73 zoomer

zoomer
  • Member
  • 2,144 posts
  • LocationVictoria - Downtown

Posted 28 October 2007 - 09:14 AM

/\... a cold uninviting wall as you turn the corner? With a couple redeeming features thrown in so it's not a total failure? :?

#74 G-Man

G-Man

    Senior Case Officer

  • Moderator
  • 13,800 posts

Posted 28 October 2007 - 09:17 AM

Yup...

Though that building is totally killed by its ground floor. Put a nice tenant space on the corner and something to emphasize it on the top and it would work... kind of...

Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com 

 

It has a whole new look!

 


#75 Ms. B. Havin

Ms. B. Havin
  • Member
  • 5,052 posts

Posted 28 October 2007 - 09:37 AM



That building has much more "verticality" (due to the way the windows are framed) than the proposed Atrium does. Maybe that's why it looks a bit more interesting? But I agree it's a pretty cold uninviting wall nonetheless...
When you buy a game, you buy the rules. Play happens in the space between the rules.

#76 D.L.

D.L.
  • Member
  • 7,786 posts

Posted 28 October 2007 - 11:12 AM

The building we will be getting uses brick, concrete, and wood extensively on the facade which will give it a much warmer feel than that London building.

#77 aastra

aastra
  • Member
  • 20,650 posts

Posted 28 October 2007 - 03:02 PM

Though that building is totally killed by its ground floor.


So certain are you that the Atrium Building's ground floor will be good? Aren't there pillars in that rendering? (It's hard to tell.) Where there are pillars, there will likely be those awkward cave-like spaces that Victoria's architectural revisionists seem to favour.

 

Edit looking back in 2019: this building ended up having very good commercial spaces.


Edited by aastra, 15 April 2019 - 02:26 PM.


#78 aastra

aastra
  • Member
  • 20,650 posts

Posted 06 November 2007 - 05:25 PM

Check out the First Nations University in Regina:





#79 Holden West

Holden West

    Va va voom!

  • Member
  • 9,058 posts

Posted 06 November 2007 - 05:37 PM

Nice find.

Why do I hear a voice saying, "O.K., spread 'em!" when I look at that comparison?

#80 G-Man

G-Man

    Senior Case Officer

  • Moderator
  • 13,800 posts

Posted 20 November 2007 - 10:59 AM

Site testing going on today.

You're not quite at the end of this discussion topic!

Use the page links at the lower-left to go to the next page to read additional posts.
 



0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users