62 replies to this topic

[Scaper]

I took some progress photos of Shutters today. It is totally coming along well. I really like the curved portions of the buildings. I think it will look much nicer once the buildings are painted White.

Anyways, enjoy.

[Holden West]

Shutters as seen from Old Town. Madoff claims Victorians will be "shocked" to see how the finished product mars the western views.

[aastra]

I'm shocked...that you can hardly see the thing!

[HOMBRE]

i dunno bout this one, the s curved section isn't that fantastic looking.

i don't really like it, seems like it faces the wrong way on the long way.

atleast these were my observations from a walk on the causeway.

[gumgum]

Today:























From across the harbour:

[gumgum]

I gotta say, it looks immense in person.
If you haven't seen it recently, take the time to check it out.
I'm sure what I think about it...but I think I like it.

[aastra]

I presume you're referring to the C-shaped section because in those pics the taller wing looks anything but immense. Facing the edge like that, it looks positively tiny.

Can't say I'm a fan of those external staircases, but then that's the Songhees for you.

[aastra]

From this angle I really think it would have looked much better if the C-shaped fatscraper portion had been two separate buildings. In other words, insert a narrow channel of blue sky right overhead of that silly pink Songhees doll's house. And then add three or four stories to the leftmost Shutters building.

[gumgum]

Go see it in person aastra and you'll understand what I mean about immense. The pics don't do it justice.

[gumgum]

Pretty sure those stairs will be enclosed.

[G-Man]

I love it it as far as suburban condo buildings go.

[zoomer]

it's looking pretty dang nifty to me, should look better when all
the landscaping is completed. My favourite part, besides
the curve... the white paint!

looks clean, shiny, tropical, cruise ship like!! Which is just the
angle they are trying to sell with the vacation home, spa,
outdoor pool selling pitch. thank goodness they didn't pick
one of the 57 varieties of beige!

[Holden West]

Watergate Hotel, Washington, D.C.

[gumgum]

Just hope the white paint doesn't get all green and mossy. But the technology with paint these days, hopefully it will be okay for at least ten years.
There was boxes of 12" stone tiles at my feet at one point as I was sniffing around - they were imported from Portugal. I'm sure that was one of the selling points - but we have perfectly great natural stone tile from Canada...why can' we help out the environment and our Canadian economy and buy within the country?

[gumgum]

Today:

[Mike K.]

Fantastic shots, gum. I'll put them up in the MCP progress photos.

[aastra]

Great pics. I think we can see certain elements of the Falls in there. I still say Shutters needed a bit more colour somewhere. It seems to me some of the details were a natural wood tone in the renderings. Anyway...

I like it a lot. I think it's exactly the sort of challenge the Songhees needed. And I also think the back side is excellent as far as back sides go on one-sided resort-style buildings. With the townhouses there and the beautiful glassed in stairways, it's probably not even fair to refer to it as a back side. There's no trace of the artistic neglect evident in the back side of your typical Songhees complex.

The first bozo who criticizes Shutters for being "cookie-cutter" gets a smack in the chops.

[Icebergalley]

I paddled back from the Strait after dark on Tue.

It was great to see so many of the apartments occupied...

The perpendicular to the harbour one though was still dark..

[Baro]

now THAT is how to gracefully handle a non-core stairwell.

[m0nkyman]

Westbank just continues to impress me. Somehow they've taken what is basically a crap design and ended up with a building I don't hate. That's impressive.