978 replies to this topic

[jklymak]

The Wave and 860 View are poor examples of city planning from so many fronts, certainly a midblock walkway is part of that.

[aastra]

This building is part Jukebox, part Aria:
http://www.carolinar...-riverplace.php

The Jukebox developer should take a hint. An easy and attractive way to break up a long/monotonous facade is with a clean, glassy section.

[sebberry]

Can't be that hard to put a decent looking walkway in there..

http://maps.google.c...,287.27,,0,8.91

I still maintain that it is much too bulky looking, almost institutional. And the drawing of the blue PT Cruiser in front doesn't help.

[G-Man]

This building is part Jukebox, part Aria:
http://www.carolinar...-riverplace.php

The Jukebox developer should take a hint. An easy and attractive way to break up a long/monotonous facade is with a clean, glassy section.

You are not serious are you? That building is the most suburban building I have seen in a while. I guess it would fit in perfectly with the crap across the street.

[Baro]

yeah I'm not seeing any comparison to the size or setting. The linked building has no street interaction at all. We need to compare this design to other 0-setback wall-to-wall style buildings.

[aastra]

No comparison:




picture from http://www.carolinar...-riverplace.php


picture from http://www.carolinar...-riverplace.php

[Ms. B. Havin]

^ Oh, I see now that you were referring to floor-to-ceiling glass in the rounded components. Is that right? If so, I agree - a change to make those things glassy would make them look less like farm silos (which they do now - they look very weird right now, actually). The street presence looks a bit better, too (imo), but that's only because I think we might end up overserved with retail space (which then sits empty). The tall windows in your example could be more attractive than empty storefronts.

[Baro]

Ah now I see it. Not digging the site/street interaction on the other one though, very suburban. But I agree retail might not be the best for that location. Would love to see some real intimate street-embracing townhouses along there. More glass is also always good (why does victoria hate glass?)

I just noticed something, it looks like the roof outline of a second rounded tower sticking out just at the top right of the render. A round mechanical penthouse or maybe there is another cylinder going down the back?

This spot might actually be ok for a mid-block walkway, at least on paper I can see why city hall wants it. In their mind, (on paper) regent's park is a mid-block walkway since the city required the landscaping and walkway to be open to the public. With a mid block going to fort there might actually be a reason for 2-3 humans within the city limits to walk through there to perhaps get to a shop on fort street, maybe. Better than the 0 humans that would use the capital 6 walkthough.

The city has a real mid-block walkthrough agenda. In my emails with them they were adamant that mid-block walkways are critical and once their are enough of them they will be well used. I support them where they make sense, but city hall doesn't seem to be able to figure out where they make sense or not.

Pleasant Mid block lined with shops past view towers hooking up with London drugs? Great idea. Spooky dark alley only 40m in from the next street starting and ending nowhere behind capital 6? Idiotic.

[aastra]

...why does victoria hate glass?

It's certainly a new thing but it seems to be part of the anti-Vancouver backlash.

[Baro]

I've seen way too many glassy initial designs with 75% glass exterior come out with their facades 25% window 75% brick after city hall has gotten through with them. I'm surprised Victoria doesn't have some langford river-rock style bylaw about minimum % brick finish and maximum glass %. Curves are pretty shunned too. Curved glass makes Pam's head explode and can't even be mentioned or you will be forcefully removed from city hall and made to pay for the cleanup.

[sebberry]

Curved glass makes Pam's head explode and can't even be mentioned or you will be forcefully removed from city hall and made to pay for the cleanup.

I laughed out loudly at that one!

[sebberry]

I'm not sure a mid-block walkway makes sense there, but one thing I do like is the open area at St. Andrew's Square (the Investors Group building).

With View Towers just down the road, this area needs something that looks nicer than an inner-city jail. In that rendering, I see there is a large glass section just to the right of the grain elevator or whatever it is supposed to be. Opening up that area below with a couple of small eateries or whatever might be nice.

[Mike K.]

Are those stairs leading up to the retail on the west side of the building?

[Ms. B. Havin]

Are those stairs leading up to the retail on the west side of the building?

Near the blue pillar thingy? You may be right: stairs! If so, kiss the possibility of viable retail good-night 'cause nothing kills viable on-street retail faster than stairs.

[aastra]

I just want to give myself a point for mentioning the stairs on the previous page:

...what's with those little flights of stairs?

[2F2R]

>>>Curved glass makes Pam's head explode<<<

>>>I see there is a large glass section just to the right of the grain elevator or whatever it is supposed to be<<<

Or whatever it is supposed to be ... yuk yuk yuk and LOL !!!

[groceryalerts]

I love the whole idea behind Harris Green but it doesn't seem to work with these developers.

Lets get some green space back like the units across the street.

[D.L.]

Are you kidding? Towers in the park like that don't belong downtown.

[Baro]

Yeah, we need more zero-setback buildings and less suburban garbage like regent's park. Green space belongs on the roof not on the street level in an urban setting.

[jklymak]

Has anyone, ever, seen anyone on the grounds of regents park? There are all these lawns and gardens and benches, but rarely anyone enjoying them. Ditto for the humboldt open space. I'm all for spacing towers out, but keep the lower floors vibrant.