The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread - Page 375

pathar_2 · #**7481** Posted **Oct 15, 2012, 11:45 AM**

New sculpture on the UNBSJ campus. Looks good!

DizzyEdge · #**7482** Posted **Oct 15, 2012, 8:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregHickman

Parking Garage at Harbour Station

It's so pretty, isn't it?

One thing I would be interested in hearing is whether or not this garage will be made available for events at Harbour Station (Sea Dogs, Concerts, etc.).

You know, that garage is pretty damned ugly... BUT, has so much potential for some sort of mural, cool LED lighting, etc etc.

DizzyEdge · #**7483** Posted **Oct 15, 2012, 8:06 PM**

Marriott parking garage in Kansas City

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhoto..._City_Downtown-Kansas_City_Missouri.html

and Santa Monica

http://www.thecoolist.com/parking-garage-design-10-modernist-masterpieces/

I like the idea of the 1st pic but with a randomized colour like the 2nd pic.

I realize now too that that top photo must have been mislabeled as that is obvs the hotel itself.

dhottawa729 · #**7484** Posted **Oct 15, 2012, 8:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

You know, that garage is pretty damned ugly... BUT, has so much potential for some sort of mural, cool LED lighting, etc etc.

I agree however I wish more money would be spent on the fundamental form & design rather than hoping for glamorous add-ons. Ironic how Saint John has some of the best old architecture and worst new architecture in the country.

CdnEh · #**7485** Posted **Oct 15, 2012, 9:09 PM**

The massive concrete wall is the first thing you see from the uptown highway exit...

I hope they do something to make it a bit less... concrete looking. That isn't really the first thing we want visitors noticing when they enter uptown SJ.

jeddy1989 · #**7486** Posted **Oct 15, 2012, 9:25 PM**

In St. John's we have to build pretty much all our "underground" parking above ground due to the bedrock.
This is one of the office towers under construction Downtown which is actually 6 floors parking garage (going to be used for general parking as well) with 6 floors of office above

The design is to try to make it feel less like a parking garage (make it different from the monstrosity we call atlantic place)

Atlantic Place parking garage .. the big ugle parking garage to the right of the big ugly brick building

They could have tried to do something with that garage in Saint John

JHikka · #**7487** Posted **Oct 15, 2012, 9:48 PM**

I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to hang banners (Sea Dogs?) or other promotions at Harbour Station on it. Perhaps someone like Pattinson can jump in and start advertising on it. Anything that keeps it from being a plain concrete wall.

I know of people who complain about the art on the retaining wall in front of the City Transit building on Loch Lomond so i'm sure some sort of lights wouldn't go over as well. Depends.

Helladog · #**7488** Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 12:45 AM**

Something has do be done with that wall. Even simply adding openings or a texture is something. A poorly done mural would even make it worse IMO. anything but vinyl siding.

DizzyEdge · #**7489** Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 5:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregHickman

I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to hang banners (Sea Dogs?) or other promotions at Harbour Station on it. Perhaps someone like Pattinson can jump in and start advertising on it. Anything that keeps it from being a plain concrete wall.

I know of people who complain about the art on the retaining wall in front of the City Transit building on Loch Lomond so i'm sure some sort of lights wouldn't go over as well. Depends.

Any chance of a pic?

cdnguys · #**7490** Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 8:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Any chance of a pic?

JHikka · #**7491** Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 12:15 PM**

Yep. I'm not really a big fan of it either to be honest but I know of people who complain about the city spending any amount of money on art whatsoever, especially considering the financial situation that the municipality is currently in. This is probably the best example of that.

michael_d40 · #**7492** Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 1:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdnguys

I like it.

kwajo · #**7493** Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 1:59 PM**

I like it too, plus it's so big and bright you can see it halfway across the city sometimes. Adds a lot of colour to the otherwise dull East Side.

DizzyEdge · #**7494** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 12:55 AM**

You know I was thinking about the cruise traffic that comes through Saint John, and how that could (and I believe is?) increase the number of shops and eateries and the like in uptown. I wonder if that improved centre-city amenities could be leveraged to attract office type businesses to the uptown, who would use the cool mix of shops and restaurants combined with the architectural marvel of the area to attract the sort of "downtown"-living urban professionals they might desire. Those businesses could also help the new amenities thrive during the cruise off-season, and basically they could all feed on each other.

What's the business tax like in Saint John, is it high enough to discourage that sort of investment?

flwright · #**7495** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 2:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helladog

Something has do be done with that wall. Even simply adding openings or a texture is something.

People! The parking garage is still under construction - it's not done! Like it or not, at least give the building the benefit of the doubt until construction is complete before making judgement. I'm not saying you're going to change your mind and fall in love with it when it's done, but at least wait until the cladding is put on for pete's sake!

...and let's be realistic about that Santa Monica garage that keeps popping up. Unless you were willing to fork over many, many, many millions of dollars more for that caliber of design and given the outrage over the money spent on Peel Plaza all together, finding millions more and a business case for a Santa Monica caliber parking garage in Saint John was never going to happen. It'd be really nice if we could have done it and it's a design caliber that we should aim for as a community, but it wasn't ever likely to happen on a City-financed project project so - please! - let it go.