Potential sites for Halifax's first skyscraper
When I say 'skyscraper' I reference the definition via wikipedia. "A skyscraper is a continuously habitable high-rise building that has over 40 floors and is taller than approximately 150 m."
Once Fenwick tower is done being redeveloped and renamed 'the vuze' it'll stand 106 meters high with 35 floors. The planned Maristella or tower 1 on king's wharf will stand 103 meters high with the latest proposal. I feel the best possible sites to build our first, or multiple highrise towers of 150 meters high would be the parking lot occupying the block between Dresden Row and Birmingham Street. Another great site would be the parking lot behind the new library along Queen street and Morris street. If I had the means to make it happen, I'd construct something a hybrid between the shard tower in London, and the Lotte tower is Seoul. 150 meters, on the Dresden row site. And a 150 meter high tower very similar to the Absolute world tower in Mississauga. I want Halifax to be the Beast in the East of Canada :notacrook: |
The VG parking lot at South Park and South St., one of the Forum parking lots on Windsor or the Sobeys Mumford parking lot.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
I'd say Cogswell lands are the place for a skyscraper, and then the Canada Post lands whenever they eventually get redeveloped. |
My vote:
The empty parking lot between Bishop's Landing and NS Power. I know there was another project slated for this lot (looked like a cruise ship?), but it would be cool to have an actual tower reaching for the skies just at the waterfront, to welcome incoming ships and keep the skyline interesting - plus, being at lower elevation, I can't see it interfering with the viewplanes so much (it's also in line with Maritime Centre from the Citadel vantagepoint). |
Quote:
|
The Dennis Building re-development should be allowed to do something special if they restore and incorporated it into the tower. HRM By Design was a godsend to kick start construction downtown but needs to be adjusted over time to reflect the needs of the city. Especially with Viewplanes 2.0 otherwise known as the Centre Plan we will need something to break up the table top effect that's already evident.
The sad thing about this thread is that the real answer is nowhere. There will be nowhere this size of a building will be approved after the Centre Plan is implemented, the legal cost would bankrupt the developer before it started. :titanic: |
I feel like the most likely site (not necessarily the best) would be the around the Young/Robie intersection. Lots of empty lots and underdeveloped areas along with fewer affluent NIMBY neighbours than anywhere further south. Could be a very well developed area with improved transit downtown.
The entire VG site is going to be interesting in approx 10 years or whenever it is demolished. No better location but a lot of neighbours with competing interests and a former "institutional" use. I think my preference would be Cogswell - could be a postcard worthy landmark on par with Purdy's. Of course, I have no idea what the actual economics of these situations would be :shrug: |
Quote:
|
One idea I have been imagining is a cluster of modern towers constructed on sites in a diagonal line thru the grid in the downtown area. I'd say five to six towers with a 8 floor podium with a nice facade for the street, and angled curved modern towers with white steel & glass with bronze accents to reflect sunlight. In the range of 33 to 55 floors. 115 - 200 meters tall. As a one time exception to the centre plan, and we build up the existing planned corridors of Robie, Quinpool, SGR etc.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
I've always thought that the Windsor/Kempt area could be a good option or some tall buildings, especially if the DND could consolidate a bit down to their waterfront areas
|
Quote:
three Army Reserve units. Not going anywhere. |
Lots of great ideas here. Shame Halifax is so scared of tall buildings. Maybe some day?
|
I doubt that we'll ever see a super-tall on the peninusla so, at least from the Dartmouth perspective, a tabletop downtown is likely to always exist. It could happen that a more impressive view of downtown may evolve from the perspective of the mouth of the harbour looking northward across the downtown and capturing towers on the higher elevation of the north end.
I'd like to see supertalls in the Darthmouth cove area or Windmill Road area of Burnside. |
It depends on the vantage point but even the Almon or Young area blends in with downtown from some angles and it's at a somewhat higher elevation point. I think even a building like the main tower at Richmond Yards may affect the tabletop feel somewhat.
The taller Dartmouth towers will also change the feel a lot. The visual focus won't be on downtown so much. Not sure why 40+ storey towers (more or less whatever would be economically viable) aren't permitted around Young Street. Often people will reply that they are too dense but you can have a 40 storey tower instead of 2x20 storey with the same population. It might even be more desirable to have a taller tower in the middle of a large site with shorter buildings around the periphery. |
|
while i think halifax is a long ways from having a 40+ skyscraper, I do think densification will continue with 20 -25 range high rises (30 max). One spot I would like to see a double-set high rise is in the NSCAD spot. I really like the RBC glass building across the street with the old street level preserved. It would be nice if the exact same building were to rise in the NSCAD spot, only say about 28 storeys
|
Quote:
I think a developer could propose 40 and it would be economically viable (the property market being much hotter today than it was back when the now under construction 30+ towers were approved) but the municipality would have to allow it. |
All times are GMT. The time now is 10:23 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.