The Ugly Canada Thread - Page 9

The_Architect · #**161** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 7:51 PM**

St. James Town.. home of the commie block.

Highinthesky · #**162** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 7:51 PM**

The only thing making the Dominion building pleasing to the eye imo is that it’s constructed in stone which is directly related to the date of construction.

You absolutely have to considered time of construction for some perspective.

Wharn · #**163** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 8:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Architect

Art Deco can't be lumped in with 70's era concrete architecture though, completely different eras/focus.

Exactly. This is why I consider the period lasting from roughly 1949 to 1980 to be the "Dark Age" of architecture, as it does not include the very tasteful act deco age that preceded it. Though there were certainly some bright spots (Toronto's office towers, and the CN tower for example), it was a lazy era that gave us shit like the Old Terminal 1, Kingston Road, Wharncliffe Road, the Decarie, St. Jamestown, etc; the number of eyesores from this era far outpaces any other building period. It sucked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Highinthesky

The only thing making the Dominion building pleasing to the eye imo is that it’s constructed in stone which is directly related to the date of construction.

I think there is more to it than that. It had very small design elements, common in art deco, to break up an otherwise flat facade. Although, granted, even without these design elements I agree stone looks way better than concrete.

O-tacular · #**164** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 8:27 PM**

So we've established that the 60's and 70's produced a shitload of soul crushing architecture in the form of commie blocks and hideous malls. Now let's move on to the poo brown townhouses of the 80's and the baby puke pastel stucco cookie cutter SFH's of the 90's. Cause nothing says California like a canary yellow box with red tile roof in the middle of a grey depressing winter landscape. They're so ubiquitouos in Calgary you barely have to drive a block in any direction to encounter some.

MolsonExport · #**165** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 9:17 PM**

^you can't forget that thing in Laval. Tallest/bulkiest in the city, but only very recent in vintage (stinkage?)

Ramsayfarian · #**166** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 9:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

So we've established that the 60's and 70's produced a shitload of soul crushing architecture in the form of commie blocks and hideous malls. Now let's move on to the poo brown townhouses of the 80's and the baby puke pastel stucco cookie cutter SFH's of the 90's. Cause nothing says California like a canary yellow box with red tile roof in the middle of a grey depressing winter landscape. They're so ubiquitouos in Calgary you barely have to drive a block in any direction to encounter some.

THis beauty has a great view of downtown.

IMG_1224 by D-2-C, on Flickr

O-tacular · #**167** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 10:03 PM**

Haha!! Oh puke! Is that beauty in Ramsay?

Ramsayfarian · #**168** Posted **Jan 18, 2011, 11:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Haha!! Oh puke! Is that beauty in Ramsay?

Believe it or not, but Ramsay doesn't have anything that fugly.

It is just south of Rotary Park

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...b83g8-Th6ZAI-hz9mnw&cbp=12,187.1,,0,6.98

jw6969 · #**169** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 1:30 AM**

Vitera High rise portion (originally Saskatchewan wheat pool)
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.44...zIIHRvPFoXBWAK2g&cbp=12,186.89,,0,-43.05

Ramada Hotel
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.44...8Dn6_EyLDhi9ys2cA&cbp=12,29.44,,0,-38.72

Small note: Both buildings where built 2 to 4 stories shorter and then later in life had them added after a couple of years.

Don't know the name of this building, but it needs to be have its exterior replaced badly.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.44...l1MseRoHOgy_CDZ9aPQ&cbp=12,308,,0,-38.96

Pavlov · #**170** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 2:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

THis beauty has a great view of downtown.

IMG_1224 by D-2-C, on Flickr

Oh good Lord. Coach Hill and Signal Hill are crawling with this sort. Ironically, many of them also have great views of downtown. What a waste.

Pavlov · #**171** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 2:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

THis beauty has a great view of downtown.

IMG_1224 by D-2-C, on Flickr

Oh good Lord. Coach Hill and Signal Hill are crawling with this sort. Ironically, many of them also have great views of downtown. Seems so unjust that the people who live in this house have a view of downtown while their neighbours have a view of, well, this house.

matt602 · #**172** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 3:12 AM**

Hamilton has some nice concrete uglies. Here is the Ramada/Crown Plaza Hotel building and Hamilton's tallest, Landmark Place (which could easily double as an air traffic control tower)

Hamilton Skyscrapers by Blasphemy, madness, HAMBURGER, on Flickr

And Hamilton City Centre's wonderful mock tower. Some kind of half assed homage to old City Hall.

Hamilton City Centre by Blasphemy, madness, HAMBURGER, on Flickr

Also of notable mention is this... thing:

IMG_1144 by Blasphemy, madness, HAMBURGER, on Flickr

vid · #**173** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 4:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt602

Also of notable mention is this... thing:

IMG_1144 by Blasphemy, madness, HAMBURGER, on Flickr

I don't find this ugly.

MolsonExport · #**174** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 2:26 PM**

I kinda like the church. Those Hamilton uglies are fugly, but do not compare to London's courthouse. Brace yourself.

ooglies@imageshack

The_Architect · #**175** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 2:28 PM**

Hm, if you like Brutalism it actually isn't that bad..

vid · #**176** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 4:36 PM**

Thank God the province put off our courthouse for 30 years.

O-tacular · #**177** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 4:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

Believe it or not, but Ramsay doesn't have anything that fugly.

It is just south of Rotary Park

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...b83g8-Th6ZAI-hz9mnw&cbp=12,187.1,,0,6.98

There are a surprising amount of uglies in that area. There's one I've seen before that has teal columns and magenta trim. I think it's also got some of those ice cube looking glass wall bricks you always see in 80's bathrooms.

O-tacular · #**178** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 4:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

Thank God the province put off our courthouse for 30 years.

May I present to you Calgary's newest version of the brutalist courthouse:

On a side note, I've decided in the event of a zombie apocalypse that I will make it my fortress of solitude.

O-tacular · #**179** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 4:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt602

Also of notable mention is this... thing:

IMG_1144 by Blasphemy, madness, HAMBURGER, on Flickr

I actually really like this church. 60's churches were one of the few nice examples of architecture of the time.

Wharn · #**180** Posted **Jan 19, 2011, 4:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

May I present to you Calgary's newest version of the brutalist courthouse:

On a side note, I've decided in the event of a zombie apocalypse that I will make it my fortress of solitude.

>Zombie Apocalypse Fortress
>Extensive Glass construction

O-tacular I am disappointed, that shit will break pretty easily. London's 3-foot-thick concrete walls are a much better defence.