The Ugly Canada Thread

[Dr Awesomesauce]

I just love the contributions from Toronto forumers: Do you really believe those buildings are ugly or are you just having a laugh? Most cities in Canada would kill for just a taste of that 'ugliness' but I suppose you already know that.

Come on now, try a little harder...

[The_Architect]

I think Liberty Village is unfairly hated on sometimes... The older part of it with the refurbished warehouses is good restoration.

Anyways I don't have pictures but the student apartment buildings going up by the truckload in Waterloo are all just awful, cheap, precast, cookie cutter garbage.

[trofirhen]

..... I'm from Vancouver, and I can tell you that there, the new "McMansions" are 10x uglier than in Montreal. Also, take a look at our City Hall. A Depression-era concrete contestant for "The Ugliest City Hall in Canada."

(gee ... wish I had some pictures ...)

[Martin Mtl]

Those McMansions are the absolute worse in bad taste and vulgarity. They are hideous and they don't even have the excuse of being cheap.

[yaletown_fella]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

..... I'm from Vancouver, and I can tell you that there, the new "McMansions" are 10x uglier than in Montreal. Also, take a look at our City Hall. A Depression-era concrete contestant for "The Ugliest City Hall in Canada."

(gee ... wish I had some pictures ...)

The Vancouver McMansions are undoubtedly some of the cheapest constructed in the country. Gotta love the pink stucco, and ugly pine doors, fake gold window mullions, rusty balonies, and arched foyer window complete with frosted glass swans.

[Nouvellecosse]

Somehow I feel like the MTL McMansions would look a lot better if they were surrounded by large, lush-looking trees. They make for a much uglier scene due to being in somewhat sparse, barren looking settings with only a few scraggly little "token" trees and shrubs providing relief.

[The_Architect]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

..... I'm from Vancouver, and I can tell you that there, the new "McMansions" are 10x uglier than in Montreal. Also, take a look at our City Hall. A Depression-era concrete contestant for "The Ugliest City Hall in Canada."

(gee ... wish I had some pictures ...)

Really? You consider an Art Deco city hall resembling that of Los Angeles one of the ugliest in Canada? I very much disagree.

[freeweed]

Yeah, that thing's gorgeous. If built in a drier climate (so the rock didn't look quite so weathered and stained) it would be a pretty impressive piece of art.

I think some forumers are more thinking in ideological terms than actual objective visual ugliness. Some of those Montreal homes would be viewed as historical treasures if they were older but looked exactly the same. If that's the ugliest you got, that's pretty sad (well good, actually).

[vanman]

The Montreal mcmansions are ugly but at least they look like they're clad in quality materials. Much better than the algae stained, peach stucco that dominates Vancouver.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by vanman

The Montreal mcmansions are ugly but at least they look like they're clad in quality materials. Much better than the algae stained, peach stucco that dominates Vancouver.

Or the beige vinyl in Calgary. Although I guess at least on the street-facing sides they dress them up with stone facade.

[entheosfog]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Yeah, that thing's gorgeous. If built in a drier climate (so the rock didn't look quite so weathered and stained) it would be a pretty impressive piece of art.

I agree, it's one of my fave heritage buildings in the city. I believe the exterior was recently cleaned or is in the process of being cleaned so it should look better than that picture.

[entheosfog]

Originally Posted by feepa

and its uglier proposed sister:

I was just noticing yesterday that so many bad condo ads have a girl on the back of a guy like in that picture. I should start a collection of such pictures.

[entheosfog]

Alrighty, some submissions from Vancouver....

I know ugly renos are familiar in any city but it seems to be an epidemic in Vancouver. I'm going to post some older photos with the newer photos as to highlight some ugly transformations:


426 Homer - 1935/2011 by entheos_fog, on Flickr


NE Corner of Georgia & Seymour - 1929/2011 by entheos_fog, on Flickr


400 Block of Alexander - 1890s/2011 by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Fraser at Broadway - 1939/2010 by entheos_fog, on Flickr


566 w Broadway - 1912/2010 by entheos_fog, on Flickr


309 West Cordova Street - 1888/2009 by entheos_fog, on Flickr


1900 Block of Commercial Drive - 1922/2009 by entheos_fog, on Flickr


1846-1850 Commercial Drive - 1937/2009 by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Commercial Drive & 3rd Avenue - 1912/2009 by entheos_fog, on Flickr
Ok, I'll stop, I could go on and on...

Some old buildings covered up to look ugly:

Covered Up by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Hidden Old Building by entheos_fog, on Flickr

Some more bad renos, no old photos though:
(use to be two separate houses at one time)

Strathcona Apartment by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Urban Ugly by entheos_fog, on Flickr

Ugly houses:

Ugly House by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Insane Brickwork by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Ugly House by entheos_fog, on Flickr


82/365 - Ugly House by entheos_fog, on Flickr

Everybody likes to pick on these:

Vancouver Special Overload by entheos_fog, on Flickr

but I find these more offensive:

Taupe, Saffron or Lavender by entheos_fog, on Flickr

And just some random ugliness:

New Pink Infill by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Urban Ugly by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Strathcona Ugly by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Green and Yellow by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Urban Ugly, 'Chateau' Granville by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Ugly Cambie Street Building by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Ugly Downtown Building by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Ugly Curved Building by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Ugly Building by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Willow Professonal Building by entheos_fog, on Flickr


Ugly Building by entheos_fog, on Flickr


One of Vancouver's Ugliest Buildings by entheos_fog, on Flickr

And the building we all love to hate:

Looking Northeast from Robson Square by entheos_fog, on Flickr

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by The_Architect

Really? You consider an Art Deco city hall resembling that of Los Angeles one of the ugliest in Canada? I very much disagree.

A lovely building. I used to live about 4 blocks down the road.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by freeweed

I think some forumers are more thinking in ideological terms than actual objective visual ugliness. Some of those Montreal homes would be viewed as historical treasures if they were older but looked exactly the same.

The ones in this thread are distorted and lack the level of detail and skill of craftsmanship of the older homes. Those "stone" details for example look to me like they are precast. They're completely different from well-proportioned, carefully cut and carved facades.

There are ostentatious Victorian styles from the 1800's that I don't personally find attractive. I think Georgian style homes typically look much nicer but they are less common in Canada because there's not much building stock from 1830 and earlier.

As for Vancouver, it definitely has a large number of hideous buildings. There are lots of shiny new glass condos that look pretty good but the average appearance of buildings you find out in the neighbourhoods is really low.

[Wharn]

Checkmate, Canada. You cannot compete with delicious downtown London.


IMG_2257 by Wharn[cliffe], on Flickr

[The Gibbroni]

I hate this THING. If it were buried amongst a bunch of other buildings it could be forgotten. Unfortunately, it stands alone and looms over St-Denis like the big POS that it is. What the hell were they thinking back then?

[Rico Rommheim]

Originally Posted by The Gibbroni

I hate this THING. If it were buried amongst a bunch of other buildings it could be forgotten. Unfortunately, it stands alone and looms over St-Denis like the big POS that it is. What the hell were they thinking back then?

That piece of shite is a companion piece to the area's other monsters: (former) crown royal hotel, the tourist school (glass reclad is better, but still butt-ugly, and that hideous white sheet-metal high rise). The planners of the 70's made every effort to disfigure what is otherwise a lovely part of town.

Don't get me started about (all) the tower blocks along Sherbrooke-est.

[The Gibbroni]

Originally Posted by Wharn

Checkmate, Canada. You cannot compete with delicious downtown London.


IMG_2257 by Wharn[cliffe], on Flickr

London has a history of building the crappiest apartments downtown. When I left in 2004 they were building these steaming heaps. They look like they should be on Proudfoot, not downtown!

The crap that has been built down by the river is just as bad.

[ToxiK]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

Don't get me started about (all) the tower blocks along Sherbrooke-est.

What about them?