Canada Line | Completed

[Metro-One]

I like the look of the stations in Richmond

They are a little simple yes, but i feel they have an elegance to them.

Also i feel they will age well. I have seen "fancy" stations in other metro systems that become extremely dated within a decade.

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

I like the look of the stations in Richmond

They are a little simple yes, but i feel they have an elegance to them.

Also i feel they will age well. I have seen "fancy" stations in other metro systems that become extremely dated within a decade.

I fully agree with you. The Mline stations which are simmilar to the Richmond Stations have aged well and fit great into the urban fabric just like these ones will/are.

[eduardo88]

the simplicity of the stations is actually very appealing. and the good thing is, they can be renovated very easily and inexpensively in 20-30 years

[Metro-One]

Exactly how i feel. You see some stations now that are just crazy and are so overdone design wise i feel they must lose some of their functionality.

[ssiguy]

The MLine stations were well designed and will age well.

[fever]

Agreed on the functionalism and minimalism of the Richmond stations (and the M-Line). I can't see anything that doesn't need to be there. The curve in the roof forms a gutter over the columns, which also appear to act as downspouts (I think that's what you see come out under the platform).

A lot of contemporary architecture is too structuralist for my tastes. Cantilevers were popular for a while, curved glass and steel yarn is one of the flourishes that is popular now. These buildings are decorated in a way that looks futuristic or impossible to create a visual effect with some thin justification.

I could praise a typical Vancouver condo similarly, but the typical Vancouver condo (discounting the pomo ones) is less refined than these stations. (Condos are also a lot more complex than elevated metro stations.) Harbour green is getting really close, though. Woodwards too, actually.

[agrant]

Originally Posted by fever

Agreed on the functionalism and minimalism of the Richmond stations (and the M-Line). I can't see anything that doesn't need to be there. The curve in the roof forms a gutter over the columns, which also appear to act as downspouts (I think that's what you see come out under the platform).

A lot of contemporary architecture is too structuralist for my tastes. Cantilevers were popular for a while, curved glass and steel yarn is one of the flourishes that is popular now. These buildings are decorated in a way that looks futuristic or impossible to create a visual effect with some thin justification.

I could praise a typical Vancouver condo similarly, but the typical Vancouver condo (discounting the pomo ones) is less refined than these stations. (Condos are also a lot more complex than elevated metro stations.) Harbour green is getting really close, though. Woodwards too, actually.

There are separate rainwater leaders for draining the roof. I think there are at least two for each station, or two for each roof I should say. In some of the pics you can see them, usually very close to a support column, sometimes with some electrical conduits. They'll eventually get boxed in and you won't see them when it's complete.

[officedweller]

Richmond Review:

WEB EXTRA: Canada Line vandalized on New Year's Eve

By Martin van den Hemel - Richmond Review

Published: December 31, 2008 10:00 PM
Updated: December 31, 2008 10:13 PM


This Canada Line train, stationed in front of Lansdowne Centre in Richmond, was tagged by graffiti some time on New Year's Eve. Martin van den Hemel photo

It's feared to become a magnet for crime, but the still unfinished $2 billion Canada Line has already drawn the attention of vandals.

Some time on New Year's Eve, a vandal made his way onto the elevated guideway in front of Lansdowne Centre, where a pair of grey two-car trains have been sitting idle.

One of them was tagged with graffiti, something quickly noticed by a nearby shopkeeper, who recorded the vandalism and uploaded it to YouTube.

The shopkeeper said the graffiti wasn't there on Tuesday, but appeared sometime overnight, either Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

How exactly the vandal got onto the guideway isn't known.

But the pair of trains are parked next to the Lansdowne Centre station, which boasts an escalator and a staircase and might have been an easy target for a trespasser.

[Metro-One]

This is exactly why we need stricter vandalism laws. When these punks are caught they should be forced to clean up 10 times what they have damaged. If they fail to show up for their community service, then more severe punishments should be made.

A total lack of respect, but as long as the city and property owners clean up such vandalism immediately it will subside.

We need tougher punishments for vandals, and stricter regulations for property owners. For example along kinsway there is graffiti on some storefronts that have not been cleaned up in months, while other stores clean up any vandalism within a few days. What i notice is the stores that regularly clean up there vandalism now experience much less graffiti, while business that don't attract more, because the taggers know their tags will be seen for longer. Any graffiti should be a week tops to clean, after that fines for the property owner (but the city should provide some paint and cleaning supplies to do so, as i know some cities do!)

Total lack of respect, makes me so angry!

It is also up to the public to report such act immediately, #3 road is very busy, how could no one see this happening? I would think it would take some time to do so. Shame on everyone!

[ckkelley]

Yeah, you're right. Graffiti vandalism is a total pisser.

[agrant]

Once they get the cameras up and running, I think that'll scare some away. I hope they avoid parking them like that, in such accessible spots where vandals can see them. Park them in the tunnels or in the yard.

[Spork]

Remember that it is probably much easier to get up onto the guideway now than it will be once the stations are completed. Note the huge gates that they put down at the entrance to every station on the ground level. Unless vandals want to scale the outside of the station, they're out of luck for similar future acts.

[WBC]

Originally Posted by flight_from_kamakura

on the plus side, the short little platforms and small stations are consistent with vancouver's narrow and generally puny sidewalks, so the sense of dislocation experienced by the average vancouverite will be minimal. in this sense, it's a seamless mental transition from street to metro platform. kudos to lavalin for such a sophisticated treatment of the cognitive experiential aspect of rapid transit use!

Bravo! Bravo, I say. If we couple these trains with shortened planes from AirMiles/Aeroplan commercials we could complete the expereince.

[WBC]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Someone posted earlier, maybe not on this thread, but the other, that maybe long platforms are a relic from the past when it was impossible to have 90 second or even 3 minute head-ways, so longer trains that ran every 10 minutes or so had to be done, therefore longer platforms. Don't be fooled into believing this is the only train line in the world with platforms of this length, in fact i would expect with more automated systems coming into the picture shorter platforms could become common place in cities where the metro population is below 4 million.

That's why Vancouver is world class!!! We are on the forefront of transportation technology. In 20 years I bet that somebody will write that those Fast Ferries were also a misunderstood technology that could have catapulted Canada on the top of the the shipbuilding world...

[mr.x]

Real shame...I wonder how much it'll cost to clean that up. Fortunately, it won't come out of taxpayers pocket.

[phesto]

First off, I don't condone graffiti in any way, shape or form, but as someone who is probably more attuned the graffiti sub-culture than most on this forum, I can tell you that stricter vandalism laws will have little effect. As has been evidenced by the MTA in New York, the most effective way to reduce graffiti on a transit system is to remove it from the cars immediately. Vandals will be far less likely in the future to go to the effort and risk of 'bombing' a train if they know it won't get seen.

In this case, while the news story is obviously prompted by the fact that this is the first reported instance of graffiti, publishing a photo of the result likely isn't helpful in this regard, as this is the kind of noteriety the culprit is likely striving for (ie. first guy to hit a canada line car).

Obviously the fact that the cars are just grey (essentially a blank canvas) and that it was parked in front of a prominent and visible location were motivating factors. Note that Expo and Millenium lines rarely encounter more than crude tags because of their exterior paint jobs, and the fact that they are rarely stationery in accessible areas.

I wouldn't be too concerned about this becoming a problem, especially once the line is operational as mentioned above.

[MistyMountainHop]

Why not commission artists to paint murals on some of the train cars?

[agrant]

I thought the plan was for advertising.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by phesto

In this case, while the news story is obviously prompted by the fact that this is the first reported instance of graffiti, publishing a photo of the result likely isn't helpful in this regard, as this is the kind of noteriety the culprit is likely striving for (ie. first guy to hit a canada line car).

Quite true, not helping at all....it would've been better had the shopkeeper not upload it onto YouTube and just let InTransitBC realize it for themselves.

Obviously the fact that the cars are just grey (essentially a blank canvas) and that it was parked in front of a prominent and visible location were motivating factors. Note that Expo and Millenium lines rarely encounter more than crude tags because of their exterior paint jobs, and the fact that they are rarely stationery in accessible areas.

Didn't think of that at all, great point. Unfortunately, they had to be cheap with the paint job.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by marmorek

Why not commission artists to paint murals on some of the train cars?

Umm, no thank you. Maybe on certain station walls, but please not on trains.