541 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

...That was one of my favourite things about London (UK one) when I visited. They're very good at seamlessly fusing the old and new. 

Agreed.

[Hotel Mike]

Many European cities have had a chance to figure it out. Some of the new architecture in Amsterdam fits perfectly with the buildings from the 17th Century.

[Casual Kev]

Many European cities have had a chance to figure it out. Some of the new architecture in Amsterdam fits perfectly with the buildings from the 17th Century.

 

ew, look at this - no callbacks to the good ol' times! no heritage, no character!

 

[Hotel Mike]

^ This would be an area where there had never been buildings before. 

[Vin]

ew, look at this - no callbacks to the good ol' times! no heritage, no character!

 

This is close to what old buildings in Amsterdam look like, with a modern touch. Still fits the bill. The Yates on Yates and View Towers, on the other hand, are architectural abominations.

[Vin]

Oh I agree with that too. I'm not suggesting we copy and paste the building in various other locations. I'm just saying it would fit well at that site. I do also love more contemporary designs that mesh well with the urban fabric of heritage districts. That was one of my favourite things about London (UK one) when I visited. They're very good at seamlessly fusing the old and new. 

Same here, although London's heritage zones are a lot larger than what Victoria has, and therefore the creation of modern zones do not negatively affect the aesthetics of the old buildings. Like you said, it is still possible to see the old and new lined up side-by-side as European planners are excellent in creating the right forms. However, just imagine a View Tower built right beside the Buckingham Palace: it would be just like having more of those old ugly "flats" built behind the BC Legislature building. 

 

Quadra Street neighbourhood has quite a few heritage churches and colonial-style buildings, and this new building with the brick podium fits just nicely here, and a few more similar ones around this neighbourhood certainly would enhance the looks of the street.

Edited by Vin, 18 February 2021 - 01:15 PM.

[Rob Randall]

London's heritage zones are a lot larger than what Victoria has

 

I understand that is due to an urban renewal program implemented by the Germans, a plan that had little if any community buy-in at the time.

[Nparker]

....Quadra Street neighbourhood has quite a few heritage churches and colonial-style buildings, and this new building with the brick podium fits just nicely here, and a few more similar ones around this neighbourhood certainly would enhance the looks of the street.

So you're saying it's not possible to build a quality, contemporary style podium? I admit downtown Victoria has seen few recent examples, but repeatedly imitating historic styles is not the way to go either.

[aastra]

It's all about getting the fundamentals right. For example, if a district is about minimal setbacks, vertical windows, and noteworthy details that give each building some individual personality, etc. then new construction should be encouraged to get those fundamentals right. If masonry, terra cotta, limestone, etc. are prevalent materials then new construction should be encouraged to use those materials. The creativity and the individualization should be built upon the foundation of the fundamentals.

 

Note that I have no problem about considering exceptions and contradictions to a district's prevailing and time-honored formula when those exceptions are indeed the exception, but when exceptions are encouraged to be the rule I have a big problem with it. Methinks the long term end result of exceptions being the rule would be sameness across all districts, no more specific neighbourhood character.

 

If modern Victorians were considering new development along that canal district above, the first thing they would do is require a large setback. You know, to celebrate the lack of setbacks. The next thing they would do is require new development to be noticeably shorter than all of the existing buildings. You know, to celebrate the existing building heights. The existing buildings have large windows and a wide range of styles for the window frames? Gotcha, new buildings should have tiny windows and generic frames. And the new buildings should have generic panel cladding, and etc.

 

And so forth.

[dkuitu]

[dkuitu]

[dkuitu]

[Nparker]

The SE and SW corners of Johnson and Quadra are crying out for some good redevelopment projects.

[Promontory Kingpin]

This project is coming along even better than expected. Hopefully these folks can set the new bar for the overall standard of quality for how rental buildings should be built.

Anyone have an idea when the crane should be taken down for this one?

[Hotel Mike]

In your photo Nparker, in the top right, is the London Drugs complex. Imagine what that's all going to look like in a few years.

[Nparker]

In your photo Nparker, in the top right, is the London Drugs complex. Imagine what that's all going to look like in a few years.

It certainly should be a much changed landscape.

[dkuitu]

 

Made a little sketch. It's just a rough estimate of size. I didn't do any math for the scale.

 

 

In your photo Nparker, in the top right, is the London Drugs complex. Imagine what that's all going to look like in a few years.

 

 

[Nparker]

OMG! It's Manhattan!!   

[grantpalin]

OMG! It's Manhattan!!   

Skipping right over Vancouver I see.

[Nparker]

OMG! It's Manhattan!!   

 

Skipping right over Vancouver I see.

 

...Manhattanization is a neologism coined to describe the construction of many tall or densely situated buildings, which transforms the appearance and characterof a city to what is similar to Manhattan, the most densely populated borough of New York City. It was a pejorative word used by critics of the highrise buildingsbuilt in San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s, who claimed the skyscrapers would block views of the bay and the surrounding hills... https://en.wikipedia...anhattanization
 

For the record, I was being sarcastic, but there are locals who actually believe a few square blocks of some rather diminutive highrises will magically transform Victoria into New York's most densely populated borough.

Edited by Nparker, 04 March 2021 - 08:31 PM.