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APPROVED
257 Belleville Street
Use: condo
Address: 257 Belleville Street
Municipality: Victoria
Region: Urban core
Storeys: 8
Condo units: (1BR, 2BR)
Sales status: in planning
257 Belleville Street is a proposal for an eight-storey condominium along the 200-block of Belleville Street i... (view full profile)
Learn more about 257 Belleville Street on Citified.ca
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[James Bay - Victoria] 257 Belleville (Admiral Inn site) | 29.5m | 8-storeys | Approved


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215 replies to this topic

#41 gumgum

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 02:36 PM

Are u on a laptop guyimthesky? Must by wifi I guess,eh?

#42 Koru

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 03:37 PM

I soooo wouldn't want to be the guy working under that crane....


Hahahaha...who would want to be if I was actually moving the crane! - I'm sitting not moving or lifting with the chains hanging out when I get on the computer! To the other question...yes I'm on a lap top...picking up one of the wireless signals from the condo's surrounding us. The computer gets has the music to listen to during the day and in those lulls and when boredom hits hard its time for the internet

#43 yodsaker

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 05:22 PM

very cool... live and direct! keep it up!

#44 gumgum

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 05:29 PM

One more question. Do you climb down, or use a bucket?

#45 Koru

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 05:42 PM

One more question. Do you climb down, or use a bucket?



gumgum...I wish I had a bucket but that would be too easy, no I climb up. There is a ladder and platform system the whole 190 feet from the ground up. When you get to the big time high rises in Vancouver and such, normally you'll have the construction elevator or "skip" that will take the operator to a certain floor and then a ramp at one of the crane's tie in (crane's can only free stand to a certain point all depending on make and model until collars need to be put around the mast and tied into the concrete slab of the building) points to cross over to the tower's mast. I guess thats a little more in detail, but oh well! somewhat informative hopefully! and hey any other questions bout crane's feel free to ask, I'm always happy to inform the general public a wee bit more! :)

this message I'm afraid does not come from the crane, rather my house!

#46 gumgum

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 06:18 PM

^I should have been more clear... Do go down the crane to pee? Or do you use a bucket? :) (You probably get that annoying question all the time.)

#47 Koru

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 06:56 PM

^I should have been more clear... Do go down the crane to pee? Or do you use a bucket? :) (You probably get that annoying question all the time.)



HAHAHA ohhhhhh that was you're question, the one everyone has to ask!...well haha yah, um bottle for number 1 and pray number 2 never happens!

#48 Caramia

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 07:58 PM

this thread just keeps on giving.

#49 zoomer

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 08:55 PM

and now...as required by Article 14b of the Moderator contract, I'm required to officially bring this thread back to order.



Why is this building great? Although I'm a bit hesitant about that one brick wall (a bit more window, a little less brick would be nice please) this building is great because it's photo worthy! From all angles it's just fun, crazy, out there, and the camera will just eat this building up! The view from the Parliament Buildings is killer as it is coming in on the Coho or from Songhees. It will instanty become one of Victoria's most photographed buildings. Who wants yet another boring condo that blends itself into the background so no one notices it, will bother to talk about or point a camera it's way. Ask tourists what buildings they love (or even notice/remember) in Victoria, and they'll tell you the Parliament buildings, Empress Hotel, and perhaps if you're lucky one or two old town buildings. Why? Because they are Big and Bold, over the top! Heck some would say there are elements of the Empress and Parliament buildings which are a bit tacky, but that only makes them more lovable. Hopefully this building will takes it places on that stage as well, although on a lesser scale.

257 Belleville also reminds me of the public face of the James Bay Neighbourhood Association:

Two-faced with one mother of a Big Brick Wall.

And I love them both for that... for 257 Belleville the brick (or what appears to be brick) side is an homage to the traditional building blocks of Victoria, and the materials used in the newer hotels and condos on that side of the harbour as your enter on the Coho. However, with those funky windows it's tongue-in-cheek, and the other faces of the structure then reveal themselves in all their youthful, funky @ss sexy glory.




#50 aastra

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 09:21 PM

I find that mini-skyline from the Hotel Grand Pacific all the way over to Trendwest to be really dreary. In my opinion the "new" wing of the Laurel Point Inn is the only genuinely attractive large building in the entire bunch, and -- wouldn't you know it? -- it's also the shortest (and partially blocked by the old wing), so it isn't able to have much positive visual impact when viewed from across the harbour.

I think what's needed in the middle of all of that is not an homage to the ponderous brick fare of the past 30+ years but rather some seriously light and colourful contrast. The glassy triangle, I like. The solid side with the tiny windows, I don't like. I especially don't like that solid side if it's covered in yet more brick.

Who wants yet another boring condo that blends itself into the background so no one notices it...


Nobody. Consider: folks on Flickr.com are posting pictures of buildings like Shutters, Shoal Point, and the Reef. Those buildings aren't boring condos, they're interesting condos. That's why people are taking pictures of them. Would people take pictures of this triangle building? Of course. It'll be a striking & controversial building even if the avant garde aspects are toned down by a fair bit.

I'm just wondering if maybe the avant garde aspects should be toned down by a fair bit.

#51 aastra

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Posted 12 June 2008 - 09:26 PM

One other thing: I'm often critical of Victoria's new condo buildings for having too many balconies, but I'm thinking balconies might be exactly what that triangle building's solid side needs. The buildings that line the harbour should embrace the ships and boats and planes that pass through. Balconies are a very good thing in such an environment. People want to see people. They want to know the city they're arriving in is alive.

#52 G-Man

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Posted 13 June 2008 - 07:54 AM

^ Interesting point. I think we should point out that we don't actually know the cladding on the West Side of the building yet.

I am sure that what is suggested by yourself Aastra is possible and even possibly an improvement. I just worry that if the city asks for design changes while the community shrinks the size of the buildign the developer will begin t cheap out on material and this building will only work with quality materials. Build this cheaply and it will be the biggest eyesore in Victoria.

#53 Nparker

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Posted 13 June 2008 - 08:29 AM

Build this cheaply and it will be the biggest eyesore in Victoria.


Worse even than that WorldMart monstrosity near Fisherman's Wharf? Speaking of which, does anyone know how that abomination ever got past the JBNEA and the advisory design panel?

#54 G-Man

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Posted 13 June 2008 - 08:41 AM

It didn't need to go to either. It was within all zoning permissions.

#55 Nparker

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Posted 13 June 2008 - 08:43 AM

That is just SO sad.:( Our current system just doesn't work.

#56 jklymak

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Posted 13 June 2008 - 11:02 AM

Bold design - I like the overall idea.

To nitpick, the *slight* asymmetry of the overall design bothers me aesthetically - like either make it a pyramid or don't. The overall busyness of the facades also seems contrived. Why the quasi-random windows, and slightly staggered balconies, etc? I guess I'm old fashioned in that I think good proportions and symmetry are more attractive than mishmash. Contrasting a couple of different shapes or arrangements of elements is interesting - randomly stirring the pot is less so (in my opinion).

#57 D.L.

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Posted 13 June 2008 - 11:32 AM

This is not a pyramid building, it is a triangle building.
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#58 aastra

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Posted 13 June 2008 - 12:24 PM

Yeah, it's more like an extruded triangle.

#59 aastra

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Posted 13 June 2008 - 12:26 PM

But slightly bent, with an asymmetrical section tacked on to the back.

#60 gumgum

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Posted 13 June 2008 - 08:25 PM

splitting hairs
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