Edmonton Construction 9 (2008-08) - Page 327

240glt · #**6521** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 4:09 AM**

Also have this

I can re-take any of the ones that are all spotty. Camera just came back from a cleaning. Let me know.

ue · #**6522** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 4:48 AM**

^wow you really know some good angles.

EdmTrekker · #**6523** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 5:42 AM**

Thank you 240glt. I am going to use the night picture. It is the clearest and really grabs the downtown area.

240glt · #**6524** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 6:00 AM**

Glad I could help

Beers at Woodys and a late dinner at the Rosebowl tonight. Standing outside for a smoke & observing the development as of late, and I must say that I think Serenity turned out better than I thought it would. It pushes no boundaries and is yes, a bit plain, but the Jasper side looks pretty good, and even the east & west sides have features more towards the top that keep it from looking like big white walls. The top two floors have some pretty impressive balconies. If I was a $$ buyer that's a feature I'd be looking for.

ue · #**6525** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 6:01 AM**

^Really? I can't believe you like it. The Jasper wall is a step up from the east and west ... but I still find it very ugly. They should have used a nice big curtain wall - but heaven forbid - this is Edmonton - a big no no here. We like our ugly stucco esque buildings.

240glt · #**6526** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 6:10 AM**

^ The articulated windows on the front west side is all window wall, and the windows on the north east side are set into brick. There's balconies in between the articulated windows and from the north at least yes, I think it looks pretty good. Even the side windows, which look like the typical BZKA 3 pane windows that are on everyting they design appear to be better quality aluminum windows, as oposed to the vinyl ones used on their other recent projects. As I said, pushes no boundaries, I'll be interested to see what the ground floor looks like, because that's really what's most important.

ue · #**6527** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 6:12 AM**

^yeah but the tower is what most see. and i can't help but hate the colour scheme and design choices they chose. did they use glass? yes, but they could have used way more of it. again, just mediocre. it's better than the icon, but still not great.

240glt · #**6528** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 6:23 AM**

My only concern is how well white stucco ages. I think the color scheme is fine.

240glt · #**6529** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 6:27 AM**

From the Journal article regarding the Pearl

Quote:

"It is significant," said Shafee Mohamed, a senior planner for the city. "Oliver hasn't seen any major developments for quite a while, except for those that are on the fringes of the neighbourhood, and even then it's not been more than 12 to 15 storeys. There's nothing that's 35 storeys in that area, as far as I know."

There's been almost a hundred vertical floors of living space added to Oliver in the last four years. In the two block area where Ill 1, 2, Serenity, Uptown and Lessard were built that's about 55 floors worth of residential construction. Where has this guy been ?

ue · #**6530** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 6:29 AM**

^doesn't he mean a single building...which none of those are?

240glt · #**6531** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 6:34 AM**

But he seems fairly oblivious to the quantity of construction that has happened in the Oliver area over the past four years

Good and bad, there has been a significant amount of development in that area since '04. Moreso than any other area of downtown to date.

feepa · #**6532** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 2:27 PM**

Can you repost those images in the Canadian skylines thread in the Canada section, and the images of Edmonton thread ??

Great photos, btw.

danby · #**6533** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 3:11 PM**

I dunno if this has been posted but.. looks like oxford tower is starting its reclad on the north side of the building.. Will this look the same as the City Place tower?

CMD UW · #**6534** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 3:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

Glad I could help

Beers at Woodys and a late dinner at the Rosebowl tonight. Standing outside for a smoke & observing the development as of late, and I must say that I think Serenity turned out better than I thought it would. It pushes no boundaries and is yes, a bit plain, but the Jasper side looks pretty good, and even the east & west sides have features more towards the top that keep it from looking like big white walls. The top two floors have some pretty impressive balconies. If I was a $$ buyer that's a feature I'd be looking for.

I agree, alongside with coldrsx....its good, nothing spectacular. The east elevation is understandable given that the adjacent property will redevelop, but the there is no excuse for the west elevation. And yes, it is anodized aluminum window frames not PVC. Icon imo is going down on my scale as it completed....down from a 7, to 6 to a 5. PVC windows...pathetic.

Coldrsx · #**6535** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 4:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by edmontonenthusiast

^Really? I can't believe you like it. The Jasper wall is a step up from the east and west ... but I still find it very ugly. They should have used a nice big curtain wall - but heaven forbid - this is Edmonton - a big no no here. We like our ugly stucco esque buildings.

to be honest i find serenity better each time i look at it... and while not amazing, it is better than illuminada 2.

Illuminada 1 = 7.5-8
serenity = 7
illuminada 2 = 6

ue · #**6536** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 4:51 PM**

^yeah it's better than the illuminada's for sure ... but that doesn't make it great.

icon - 5.5/10
illuminada II-5/10
illuminada I - 5.5/10
serenity 6/10

again, mediocre, when really it could have been much better had they done waaay more glass ... like whole facades of glass, etc.

EDIT: on the edmonton scale ... which is quite poor compared to other places ... i'd re rate the following to

icon - 6/10
illuminada II - 7/10
illuminada I - 6/10
serenity - 7/10

but it's pretty sad when serenity is a 7 on our scale ... when we should have so much more better looking buildings ... and push serenity to a 5/10 compared but no.

Coldrsx · #**6537** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 4:52 PM**

EE - you want more glass and curtain wall but then put illuminada I lower.... um ok then.

I, as many of you know, love curtain wall but you can still do a very nice building with punched windows.

ue · #**6538** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 4:55 PM**

yes you can, serenity, nor illuminada are that case.

there isn't a high ammount on illuminada I either ... but better than the II. really it looked better before the illuminada II came along, but now we can't see that side, so it doesn't look as pretty (granted i think the east wall is the same).

Hardhatdan · #**6539** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 5:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by edmontonenthusiast

yes you can, serenity, nor illuminada are that case.

there isn't a high ammount on illuminada I either ... but better than the II. really it looked better before the illuminada II came along, but now we can't see that side, so it doesn't look as pretty (granted i think the east wall is the same).

Do you ever stick to your opinions? First you can't stand Serenity, then its well its not great, than you put in the same league as Illuminada....on and on. Do you change your mind to just fit in with the popular kids on here?

ue · #**6540** Posted **Jul 5, 2009, 5:48 PM**

^Umm no. Maybe a slight change of opinion, but I don't see the problem with that. I still can't 'stand' the building, I still think it's ugly, etc. I think the Illuminada is pretty ugly too (although the Illu I had some decent walls). But on the Edmonton scale, which isn't a very good scale might I add, the Serenity is 'ok', but that doesn't mean I think it's an acceptable building ... not unless we had a few amazing projects to make up.

Sometimes when somebody explains themselves, I see their point of view, and it makes sense, so I'll change my mind. That has happened on occasion previously, although I don't think that's the case so much here. I still stand by my opinion that I think Serenity is an ugly building though, and I don't get how some actually like it on here. So no it isn't just to 'fit in', I could care less on such things.