1048 replies to this topic

[Rob Randall]

Landscaping plan:

[Nparker]

So is it actually 2 buildings built AROUND an atrium?

[Holden West]

The amount of glass makes it look that way. Note the visible hallways in the photo of the Yates atrium. There's only one elevator core yet you can walk around the perimeter of every floor.

[Nparker]

After posting my previous message, and taking another look, I was able to see that in fact it was ONE building with large glass openings on Yates and Blanshard. Nevertheless, this is the most fatscraper design to come along since the Jack Davis Building. Have we learned nothing?

[Baro]

I really don't have a problem with the massing, I just think the design needs a bit more work to become what it wants to be. It's wanting to be modern and curvey, but it's coming off as a suburban late 70's "office park" style thing.

[Ms. B. Havin]

Consider it a 70s office park re-play:


See Mark Luthringer's Ridgemont Typologies (you'll find the suburban office buildings on p.2).

[amor de cosmos]

I think this building looks fine. If the square corners on the roof were rounded off a bit that build would look much better imho.

[Ms. B. Havin]

... it's coming off as a suburban late 70's "office park" style thing.

Which is why it looks so out of place downtown.

[Nparker]

I guess I must be alone in my disdain for horizontal banding and downtown buildings whose footprints vastly exceed their heights. Am I the only one who thinks we can do better than another Jack Davis Building on Blanshard Street? This current design needs to get banished to the suburbs where it belongs. Preferably the suburbs of Duncan.

[aastra]

Say what? My impression is that the gripes outnumber the kudos by a fair bit. You are not alone.

[G-Man]

I don't mind the density, form and height.

However I don't like the actual final design.

[G-Man]

Article in today's TC hints that the occupant of this building will be BC Ferries. They are currently housed in their Fort Street Building and the Wang Building (owned by Mohan Jawl).

[aastra]

Isn't the Wang Building completely vacant? It sure looks like it from the highway/Blanshard side.

[Holden West]

Article in today's TC hints that the occupant of this building will be BC Ferries. They are currently housed in their Fort Street Building and the Wang Building (owned by Mohan Jawl).

I wouldn't be surprised. BC Ferries has been itching to vacate the old Fort St. building for a long time and Jawl owns both the Wang and Atrium buildings (there's only the Radius and GG as alternatives). I'm sure if you added up the space they use in their existing buildings it would add up to the Atrium space. They'd probably prefer a building to themselves as opposed to sharing.

[D.L.]

Is BC Ferries Victoria's largest corporate HQ?

[G-Man]

^ Maybe Money Mart?

BC Govt is kind of like a massive corporation:)

[Pyroteknik]

I kind of like the design.. especially if the covered courtyard within is considered public space. I'll be living across the street from this and I think that would be an attractive neighbourhood feature. I especially like the glass "atrium" feature joining the buildings. Though I do think also this would be a suitable location for one or two narrow 15+ floor structures.

[Mike K.]

Apparently BC Ferries will be the anchor tenant of this project.

[amor de cosmos]

I think i'm starting to change my mind about this project after taking a closer look at the '70s office park' pics.

[Nparker]

Well I can only hope the "fatrium" (aka Jack Davis 2009), can redeem itself with a good use of finishing materials and a highly interactive street presence (meaning NO setbacks), I have hope that the Jawls will do a good job, since I like much of the Selkirk development (despite the fact that it should have had a higher density housing component). This one is a "wait and see" project for me.