There are a few things I like about the Andaz.
- The fact that it's a hotel, bringing more people and activity to the Market than the shorter office building that was there previously;
- It has the same general shape and mass as the building it replaced (historic memory, if you will);
- It has a good height; high enough to stand out in the skyline without being overbearing from street level;
- The roof top restaurant and terrace with amazing views;
- The wooden detail that makes the roof line distinguish itself from the shades of grey that is Ottawa.
A few of these positives are thanks to Andaz and not Claridge. The biggest issue I have with the building is the cladding (recycled from TriBeCa) and overall design. As an Andaz in the Byward Market could have been so much more.
My problem with the Andaz expansion, the condo building proposed by Claridge on the Honest Lawyer site and the Hampton Inn is that they will remove the little bit that makes Andaz stand out in any positive way. It will be another Rideau, with a bunch of same height, same design, mediocre buildings clustered together.
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