Robson Square Renovations

[officedweller]

You can't easily install a passage to Pacific Centre because of the height of the truck / loading bay tunnel (servicing Pacific Centre and Robson Square)directly under Howe Street (from roughly Dunsmuir to just north of Nelson).

[mr.x]

Another thing added to my to-do list: getting rid of that massive BC ad.


Yes, I will take the credit for anything that happens to the bushes.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by deasine

Must've been Mr. X. Great photos but "The Best Place On Earth" is really ugly and not necessary.

I find the best place on earth thing, very embarrassing.

[SpongeG]

it doesn't need life - its a nice quiet place to get away from people when you are downtown since hardly anyone knows about it

[deasine]

Just a depressing reminder of what we could've had:

Posted by Mr. X earlier.

[Metro-One]

So much better!

[LeftCoaster]

Still.... the hedges!!

[Metro-One]

Haha! Well, I guess those hedges were destined to be here forever! I still do not know why people were against this design, its wonderful!

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by deasine

Just a depressing reminder of what we could've had:

Posted by Mr. X earlier.

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Haha! Well, I guess those hedges were destined to be here forever! I still do not know why people were against this design, its wonderful!

Part of the reason was that, at the time, anything designed by Arthur Erickson was held sacred. To bend and change his design would have been something almost worthy of being burned at the stake.

That being said, rather than bemoaning it (which is tempting, yes) why don't we put some positive energy into improving it.

There must be a way to hook it up to the Canada Line or Pacific Centre, for starters. That would breathe new life into it. Then we could light it up from down below. Lots of improvements are still possible: major ones.

[mr.x]

^ the media was on it quick, and put a huge negative spin on it...letting viewers know that it was a bad thing rather than letting them decide for themselves. I absolutely hate the media in this city.


I think I'll add another thing to my list:
- chop down bushes
- rid BC logo from ice rink
- get rid of new pagodas
- build the clam shell roof myself overnight

[CBeats]

That thing would have been awesome! Sucks...

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by mr.x

^ the media was on it quick, and put a huge negative spin on it...letting viewers know that it was a bad thing rather than letting them decide for themselves. I absolutely hate the media in this city.


I think I'll add another thing to my list:
- chop down bushes
- rid BC logo from ice rink
- get rid of new pagodas
- build the clam shell roof myself overnight

Originally Posted by CBeats

That thing would have been awesome! Sucks...

OK, there are things you CAN have, and things you CAN't have, like the song says. However, rather than wailing and bemoaning it, why don't we try to work with what we DO have.

First off, there's a magnificent Art Gallery building shrouded in darkness, which could be lit up as an elegant jewel of light. It could be the visual centrepiece of the entire complex; "the jewel in the crown."

The pagodas should, and CAN come down, IF ENOUGH PEOPLE LOBBY AND SPEAK UP.

A connection to the Pacific Centre / Canada Line will bring in people, and keep the place humming.

The ugly BC Flag can go - that's technically an easy one; the hard part is convincing the no-taste bohunks who put it there to get rid of it.

Talk to the City Maintenance / Gardening department about the hedges. Maybe in fact they CAN be trimmed right back. (we'll work on the water sculptures later) ...


Lighting it up in the lower parts will make it less threatening, and might even bring the restaurants back. There might be a Sunday public market, chamber orchestras playing ... the possibilities go on.

No use crying over spilled milk. Believe it or not, lots of cities the size of Vancouver have next-to-nothing as a central square.

Ours is not perfect, but it's big, and combined with the steps, the waterfall, and the Art Gallery building, we have some good raw materials to work with.

Let's brainstorm and come up with ideas.

[duener]

^^^yeah this area could use a public market. A german-style Christmas market with people selling locally made gifts and a little hut selling mulled wine would do wonders for the space. It would give people a reason to be there.

[BCPhil]

It would be a pretty amazing "lobby" for an access point to Skytrain. It would be nice to be able to get that far and right onto Robson without having to walk outside in the rain next to the boring Monolith that is Sears. We could start our own PATH system.

[Stingray2004]

Originally Posted by duener

^^^yeah this area could use a public market. A german-style Christmas market with people selling locally made gifts and a little hut selling mulled wine would do wonders for the space. It would give people a reason to be there.

IMHO, you hit the nail on the head. I've always thought about that. The Christmas markets in Dresden and Nuremburg are the crème de la crème .

One has to experience one in order to appreciate their significance. Huge Christmas trees, mulled wine, freshly baked gingerbread, hand-carved wooden toys, carolers, etc., etc.

If done right, would definitely be a magnet for people for the few weeks leading up to Christmas.



Source: simplygroups

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by duener

^^^yeah this area could use a public market. A german-style Christmas market with people selling locally made gifts and a little hut selling mulled wine would do wonders for the space. It would give people a reason to be there.

Originally Posted by BCPhil

It would be a pretty amazing "lobby" for an access point to Skytrain. It would be nice to be able to get that far and right onto Robson without having to walk outside in the rain next to the boring Monolith that is Sears. We could start our own PATH system.

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

IMHO, you hit the nail on the head. I've always thought about that. The Christmas markets in Dresden and Nuremburg are the crème de la crème .

One has to experience one in order to appreciate their significance. Huge Christmas trees, mulled wine, freshly baked gingerbread, hand-carved wooden toys, carolers, etc., etc.

If done right, would definitely be a magnet for people for the few weeks leading up to Christmas.



Source: simplygroups

Thank you all three for the positive responses ! ! Let's keep the momentum going !! Robson Square is going to rock, no matter what the doom-and-gloom sayers say !! Thanks again.

[duener]

^^the carousel you see in that photo is something else I've wondered about. You see them around Paris and it gives families with small children something to stop and do. I really think the city should put one in Robson square or maybe somewhere along the water.

[Millennium2002]

ooo nice roof.

Maybe the only issue would be that come winter there'll be a lot of snow on that thing... and I dunno if the structure would be able to cope. The same could be mentioned about the current plaza roofs as well.

As people mentioned... we need passageways from the square to Pacific Centre or SkyTrain to make it more attractive. =)

[metroXpress]

Originally Posted by deasine

Must've been Mr. X. Great photos but "The Best Place On Earth" is really ugly and not necessary.

They should've put this:

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by metroXpress

They should've put this:

nuh, yeah, .... and we still flush raw sewage into the River and the Bay .....
(Green Capital of the World) ha! ! !
Even our big ugly stepsister Seattle treats its sewage better than we do.
Anyway .... back to Robson Square, ladies and gentlemen please ...