14 replies to this topic

[Citified.ca]

Citified profile: https://victoria.cit...aigflower-hall/

 

Scottish cultural centre envisioned for View Royal's Craigflower Manor lands

https://victoria.cti...er-manor-lands/

 

The Victoria Highland Games Association (VHGA) has submitted a rezoning application to the Town of View Royal which, if approved, could yield a contemporary Scottish cultural centre on excess land at the Craigflower Manor House National Historic Site, Citified has learned.

 

The association took on operations of the manor in 2014 with plans to preserve the 1850’s-era building while working towards the creation of a 10,000 square foot interpretive and community landmark it has dubbed Craigflower Hall.

 

The single-storey building will rise at the nexus of Admirals and Craigflower roads and the Old Island Highway on the View Royal and Esquimalt border.

 

Jim Maxwell, VHGA president, submitted a letter to the township describing the hall’s proposed design as “circular, inspired by the historic architecture of gathering spaces, and the particularities of the curved, corner [development] site.” Maxwell further notes that the building’s angled shape has “no rear façade, which is important for [the] site because of multiple frontages.” [Full article]

 

 

 

 

 

[aastra]

Looks pretty good. The only thing that I don't really dig is the solid wall that the new building presents toward the front of the property (as viewed from where the bus is in the pic).

 

Victorians are funny. So we're saying it's okay to building something like this out there, but if you wanted to build something similar on the Wharf Street parking lots (or where the new empty space is by the JSB) it would surely ruin everything? Even though such a building would be much smaller than its old town surroundings, as versus much larger than its Craigflower surroundings?

[Nparker]

...Victorians are funny. So we're saying it's okay to building something like this out there, but if you wanted to build something similar on the Wharf Street parking lots (or where the new empty space is by the JSB) it would surely ruin everything? Even though such a building would be much smaller than its old town surroundings, as versus much larger than its Craigflower surroundings?

The old buildings in Old Town are old in a different way than Craigflower Manor is old. 

[aastra]

For sure, Clover Point is different, the Songhees is different, Ogden Point is different... but the one thing they all have in common is, they would surely be ruined by a decent little cafe/event space.

[AllseeingEye]

Love the look and surprised there wasn't already a Scottish Cultural Centre somewhere given this city's history, although I suppose officially or not the old Holyrood House may have filled in in that regard; parking will be interesting given traffic at that corner is already a s*** show on too many days to count.

 

Really do like the general concept though, and especially the fact they aren't proposing to disguise it as some god awful tacky faux latter day 21st century version of a Scottish "manor" ....

[Victoria Watcher]

sounds pretty white and colonial. 

[AllseeingEye]

Good, there is no need to be ashamed of their heritage, or whitewash or wrap it up in a pretty "PC" bow for the uber-sensitive types in the audience. Quite aside from the fact the Scots have contributed mightily to western cultures over the past few hundred years, including this one, there are literally thousands of people of Scottish heritage in the area. I bet it would be a huge hit.....

[Victoria Watcher]

Good, there is no need to be ashamed of their heritage, or whitewash or wrap it up in a pretty "PC" bow for the uber-sensitive types in the audience. Quite aside from the fact the Scots have contributed mightily to western cultures over the past few hundred years, including this one, there are literally thousands of people of Scottish heritage in the area. I bet it would be a huge hit.....

 

it might well be.  but should we give crown land over to it?  isn't that what we are doing here giving a very long lease?  i think it would be more appropriate to have a native friendship and interpretive centre here focusing on how ruthless the settlers were towards the first nations that own (owned?) the land.  rather than another place for colonial whites to down scotch whisky and drambuie shots.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 March 2019 - 06:24 PM.

[Nparker]

...there is no need to be ashamed of their heritage, or whitewash or wrap it up in a pretty "PC" bow for the uber-sensitive types in the audience...

If there remains any group of people not yet feeling ashamed of their Western European heritage, it means the local SJWs are just going to have to try harder. 

[Citified.ca]

Construction underway for Scottish community centre at View Royal's Craigflower Manor House National Historic Site

https://victoria.cit...-historic-site/

[Benezet]

Construction underway for Scottish community centre at View Royal's Craigflower Manor House National Historic Site
https://victoria.cit...-historic-site/

55 parking spots for a hall with a capacity of 500?

[Victoria Watcher]

Before the end of the year, View Royal residents and community organizations will be able to take advantage of a state-of-the art community centre, courtesy of the Victoria Highland Games Association.

The Craigflower Community and Performing Arts Centre is under construction and association president Jim Maxwell said it will be complete by the end of August and open to the public in September if all continues to go well.

“It’s extremely exciting, the whole group is looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s a lot of work getting it together and it will be a lot of work operating it, but it is such a spectacular site.”

https://www.vicnews....-in-view-royal/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 April 2022 - 07:32 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

‘It is spectacular’: $4M Scottish centre opening soon in View Royal

 

https://www.vicnews....-in-view-royal/

 

 

 

The 10,000-square-foot, $4.37-million building features a large common area with a professional-grade sprung dance floor, plenty of washrooms, a bar, greenroom, meeting room, storage spaces and an outdoor amphitheatre. A kitchen is in the plans, but won’t be operational immediately due to supply issues with the cooking appliances.

 

The design is specially chosen by the association to reflect historical Scottish architecture. The entire structure is a single-story circle featuring massive exposed wood beams arranged similarly to a Celtic knot in the centre of the building.

 

The exterior is to be clad in stone, with large windows facing the historic Craigflower Manor next door. Opposing windows offer views of the water, and the entire building is slightly sunk into the earth so as not to completely disrupt views of the manor from the street.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 January 2023 - 11:11 AM.

[Nparker]

This place sounds terribly colonial. It should be shut down immediately.

[aastra]

Why is Scotland even still allowed?