Downtown Vancouver Updates - Page 207

Yume-sama · #**4121** Posted **Aug 5, 2009, 10:28 PM**

Nice

Must be a sophisticated place if they can spell it "Grille"

Spork · #**4122** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 2:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Nice

Must be a sophisticated place if they can spell it "Grille"

Edge is pretty decent. Drinks are normally (e.g. not expensive, not cheap) priced, menu looks pretty good. Cool layout. The DJ sucked when I was there though.

SFUVancouver · #**4123** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 3:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanTowers

Wheres the rendering for Cosmo?

Pick a Spectrum tower and lose the racing stripes. There's Cosmo for you.

squeezied · #**4124** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 3:48 AM**

i hope you're wrong, but you're probably right

martinishaker · #**4125** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 4:47 AM**

flight_from_kamakura · #**4126** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 5:41 AM**

thanks for the render. decent spectrum addition, really too bad though that the city doesn't feel a need to require some sort of commercial or at least non residential base. thinking about it a bit, considering what's planned for the street, wouldn't this space be better used for an hotel? especially if the vag ends up going in there, the space will be ill-integrated (unless, as jlo wondered, there's some major amenity in the pipes).

and further on that thought, the "cosmo" is likely a pretty good bit of speculation on the part of the investors.

officedweller · #**4127** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 9:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanTowers

Wheres the rendering for Cosmo?

Don't think I've ever seen one - but its by James Cheng - use your imagination.

Edit - thanks for the render...

Hed Kandi · #**4128** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 3:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinishaker

Is this a confirmed render of Cosmo? If so, I will add it to the construction thread!

djh · #**4129** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 4:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Don't think I've ever seen one - but its by James Cheng - use your imagination.

Edit - thanks for the render...

You meant:
"It's by James Cheng, DON'T use your imagination"...

Canadian Mind · #**4130** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 4:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Don't think I've ever seen one - but its by James Cheng - use your imagination.

Edit - thanks for the render...

Imagination is rather lacking...

Delirium · #**4131** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 4:44 PM**

individually, his buildings are nice but i think once you've seen a few of his designs (especially side-by-side), they all tend to look the same.

something that HUGELY irritates me about Cheng is the fact that he doesn't have a website. i had to call his office to ask because i could not believe it but sure enough, the bitchy receptionist told me nope, no website. 🞵🞵🞵???
who doesn't have a website nowadays? i just don't get it

phesto · #**4132** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 5:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delirium

individually, his buildings are nice but i think once you've seen a few of his designs (especially side-by-side), they all tend to look the same.

something that HUGELY irritates me about Cheng is the fact that he doesn't have a website. i had to call his office to ask because i could not believe it but sure enough, the bitchy receptionist told me nope, no website. 🞵🞵🞵???
who doesn't have a website nowadays? i just don't get it

Why would he need a website? He can just point people to Concord’s or Westbank’s.

The guy has only a handful of clients that continually use him and know what they’re getting every time. His specialty is conformity and knowledge of the City of Vancouver’s planning and design principles. Even his more creative designs such as Shangri-la and Fairmont were arguably more influenced by Ian Gillespie than Cheng himself.

My only hope is that he is on the verge of retirement and that his influence on Downtown Vancouver is nearing an end. (that isn't to say I don't appreciate some of the design principles he's helped develop for this city, but it's time for something fresh)

Alright, that ends my JKMC rent for the day.

djh · #**4133** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 6:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by phesto

My only hope is that he is on the verge of retirement and that his influence on Downtown Vancouver is nearing an end. (that isn't to say I don't appreciate some of the design principles he's helped develop for this city, but it's time for something fresh)

Remember how long Arthur Errickson lasted? Why would Cheng retire if he could churn-out the same vanilla designs on and on an on and on...

officedweller · #**4134** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 7:54 PM**

And to think that he started out with "cleaner, sleeker" designs like Palisades, Residences on Georgia and, I think, 888 Beach.

Yume-sama · #**4135** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 7:59 PM**

Ever think he *could* do something different, but the developers know what is required to pass the UDP, and to actually get built in this city?

AlexYVR · #**4136** Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 8:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Ever think he *could* do something different, but the developers know what is required to pass the UDP, and to actually get built in this city?

I hear that the way to do it is generally just telling them one thing, and then getting a low-level planning assistant to sign off on some darker glass samples.

To use some internet slang, Peter Wall FTW.

Slightly off topic, but I found it interesting considering how much I love the building: When Busby and Wall refused to budge on the dark glass, the city brought in - wait for it - James Cheng to 'negotiate' a lighter, yaletown green colour with them. I just learned this yesterday and wasn't really surprised to hear it.

To put a point on that anecdote, Yume: There are always ways to get things done in this city. You can do it the bland way, you can do it the stunningly-designed way, or you can do it dirty. Cheng goes for the first.

smho · #**4137** Posted **Aug 7, 2009, 12:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

And to think that he started out with "cleaner, sleeker" designs like Palisades, Residences on Georgia and, I think, 888 Beach.

Agreed. 888 Beach and 1500 Alberni (the pink tower) pre-dates most of the his Concord buildings but look a lot better.

I noticed that the City of Vancouver website posted a rezoning application to increase the height for 1372 Seymour to 41 storeys and 120 metres. That area really needs a few taller towers to stand out above the rest.

jlousa · #**4138** Posted **Aug 7, 2009, 12:34 AM**

It's a typo 1372 Seymour has been increased to 35 stories from 33.

Yume-sama · #**4139** Posted **Aug 7, 2009, 2:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexYVR

To put a point on that anecdote, Yume: There are always ways to get things done in this city. You can do it the bland way, you can do it the stunningly-designed way, or you can do it dirty. Cheng goes for the first.

Don't forget the fourth way, get the UDP obscenely drunk and get them to sign off on something like Grace.

I'm sure that was the ONLY way it got through. That or compromising pictures... which I guess is kind of "dirty".

Canadian Mind · #**4140** Posted **Aug 7, 2009, 2:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlousa

It's a typo 1372 Seymour has been increased to 35 stories from 33.

Awe that blows. I was getting excited about a 40+ story building in the area.

That put it around the 100-105 meter mark?