1287 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

When I returned from Seattle on the Clipper on Sunday, I noticed how much 750 Pandora stands out on the skyline. 

 

Are any of the better photographers about town able to capture some images of the "glass elevator wall"? 

[aastra]

I agree that it really stands out in the typical shot from cruise ships at Ogden Point or from the various James Bay hotels. It's like a big modern cube on top of the old town. I have no problem with it, but I feel compelled to note that this one should be generating a ton of skyline-related outrage from the usual suspects, more so than any modern building probably since the CIBC building. And yet as far as I'm aware nobody has made any fuss about it.

 

View from Harbour Towers...

 

Anyway, if Victorians have no problem with the presence of this blocky modern form on the skyline then there's sure no reason to be concerned about the Hudson tower. Or anything else, really.

[Nparker]

... if Victorians have no problem with the presence of this blocky modern form on the skyline then there's sure no reason to be concerned about the Hudson tower. Or anything else, really.

Except that 750 Pandora didn't dare breach the Godly-endowed downtown Victoria height limit, regardless of how visible it is. When it comes to the decisions of this Council, height (or lack thereof) seems to be the #1 concern. Form, massing, finishing materials, setbacks, etc. all come in a distant second place. Propose a short ugly building (downtown) and it will encounter little opposition. Design a tall, stunningly beautiful building and expect hellfire to rain down from at least half of Council.

[jonny]

Yes aastra, but it's only 13 floors. In Victoria, we only care about the floor count. If it was 13 floors and 200m tall (huge floors, I know) would we even notice?

[Gary H]

They've put some dramatic wooden beams at the top of the skylight.  And no wonder the crane had to be so tall, they keep piling more stuff on the roof.  

 

 

 

 

 

[jonny]

The other day it looked like they were putting windows on the roof...

[johnk]

Kind of overwhelms city hall in telephoto shots.

[Nparker]

Kind of overwhelms city hall in telephoto shots.

Is that a bad thing?

[sdwright.vic]

Yeah, really is it? Our City Hall building is pretty mickey mouse. If it didn't say city hall on it, would you really know that's what it was?

[Nparker]

Now City Hall is a building I wish could be lovingly restored to its original state, with the removal of the hideous 1960s addition of course. I worry that the red paint is the only thing holding it together though. It probably wouldn't function very well as a 21st century public administration building once restored. Perhaps it could become the city archives and an entirely new city hall building could be constructed as part of a redeveloped of Centennial Square.

[sdwright.vic]

So I grew up in a area just like Victoria... this is their core cities city hall. A city with a population today of 140,489 and a met population of 799,232.

Oh, they have no Ikea either.

Attached Images

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Edited by sdwright.vic, 25 September 2017 - 06:04 AM.

[lanforod]

So I grew up in a area just like Victoria... this is their core cities city hall. A city with a population today of 140,489 and a met population of 799,232.

Oh, they gave no Ikea either.

 

Jeez, theres 3 Ikeas within 2 hours drive, one of them just 1 hour drive... oh, and no moat to cross with an expensive ferry first.

[Coreyburger]

It probably wouldn't function very well as a 21st century public administration building once restored.

 

Uhh, have you been upstairs to the development centre recently? It functions quite well as a 21st century public admin building. The challenge the city has is space - departments are spread around between city hall, the building across Centennial Square, across Pandora and up Douglas. A modern office building in place of the parkade on Fisgard would solve that

[johnk]

Is that a bad thing?

Maybe from that perspective only. Now I'm curious to have a walk-around.

[sdwright.vic]

Jeez, theres 3 Ikeas within 2 hours drive, one of them just 1 hour drive... oh, and no moat to cross with an expensive ferry first.

Gee the Ikea comment was a joke/sarcasm.

It was more about the comparison of city halls.

[lanforod]

and my post was another complaint about a lack of Ikea here

[Gary H]

Framing for the glass skylight is going in...

 

 

 

[aastra]

Pic from the south:

https://www.flickr.c...on/37168542110/

[aastra]

More pics from below:

https://www.flickr.c...on/37147501610/
https://www.flickr.c...on/37147498840/

[aastra]

(this is a reply to the post by sdwright.vic above)

 

I'm seeing a superficial resemblance between Dayton's city hall and Victoria's old YMCA building. Similar side entrances, and the windows on the third floor of Victoria's building resemble the windows on the ground level of Dayton's building:

 

pic from http://search-bcarch...lanshard-street

 

**********

 

pic from https://www.emporis....l-dayton-oh-usa

Edited by aastra, 03 October 2017 - 12:41 PM.