LeBreton Flats | 14 fl (Ph.1)|Completed | 13 fl (Ph.2)|Completed - Page 24

McC · #**461** Posted **Jan 30, 2013, 7:36 PM**

I hadn't noticed that there were multiple different proposals, my comments were confined to the first one; some of the others looked a bit more liveable (and realistic) to me, but perhaps that further gives me away as a typical Ottawa reactionary.

umbria27 · #**462** Posted **Jan 31, 2013, 5:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radster

And what do we have being built in Lebreton Flats? Architecturally-lame blocks, open spaces, car-centric, awful, etc. Nothing different than elsewhere in Ottawa. Only tower that actually looks different (not counting the Charlefort projects), is the Windmill condos at the end of Queen street.

Anyway, your reaction is a typical Ottawa reaction, that an avant-garde architercture such as the Bratislava one would not fit into this sleepy, boring government town landscape (yes, town, as it hasn't grown up to be a city just yet). Plus, I wasn't referring to the landscaping, but to the actual towers/buildings. But since you mention the landscaping, picnicking, walking around and kicking a soccer ball, I can bet that this Bratislava project will trump the Lebreton Flats in that regard 100%. Its Europe afterall, people walk everywhere there (such as to buy groceries), take public transit, picnic and play soccer way more than here. lol I'm sure those living in Lebreton all depend on their car, maybe some on the bus, and don't spend time outside on greenspace much.

I don't think anybody has criticised the buildings for being too avant garde. The towers themselves are beautiful. I'd have a model of one on my coffee table as a sculpture, but here's a comment from the Bratislava forum that about sums up the architect's blind spots:

"She doesn't use the most important objects in planning - streets."

So while it's easy to appreciate the buildings objects of beauty, the lack of connectivity to the neighbourhood around it justifies the towers in a park label. By all means have pedestrian and cycling connectivity, have parks, but you also need things at street level that keep people at street level, stores, restaurants, doctors offices etc. otherwise those swoopy paths and organically shaped bits of lawn will be empty most of the time.

gjhall · #**463** Posted **Jan 31, 2013, 5:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by umbria27

i don't think anybody has criticised the buildings for being too avant garde. The towers themselves are beautiful. I'd have a model of one on my coffee table as a sculpture, but here's a comment from the bratislava forum that about sums up the architect's blind spots:

"she doesn't use the most important objects in planning - streets."

so while it's easy to appreciate the buildings objects of beauty, the lack of connectivity to the neighbourhood around it justifies the towers in a park label. By all means have pedestrian and cycling connectivity, have parks, but you also need things at street level that keep people at street level, stores, restaurants, doctors offices etc. Otherwise those swoopy paths and organically shaped bits of lawn will be empty most of the time.

+1

McC · #**464** Posted **Feb 26, 2013, 7:27 PM**

Base of a crane has just been built, and lots of excavators working around on the south side of "Pooley's Mews." Phase I Increment III is on!

McC · #**465** Posted **Mar 7, 2013, 4:02 PM**

Crane's being raised as I type this.

as if what this site really needed was another yellow structure! XD

Abe Simpson · #**466** Posted **Mar 8, 2013, 10:57 AM**

How tall is phase III supposed to be? Already aware it'll be another stump of a building, but still curious.

J.OT13 · #**467** Posted **Mar 8, 2013, 10:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abe Simpson

How tall is phase III supposed to be? Already aware it'll be another stump of a building, but still curious.

Tallest will be 8 floors. Looks slightly better than the first phases, but still not groundbreaking.

http://claridgecondos.com/fusion/living/

rocketphish · #**468** Posted **Mar 9, 2013, 3:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Tallest will be 8 floors. Looks slightly better than the first phases, but still not groundbreaking.

http://claridgecondos.com/fusion/living/

Abe Simpson · #**469** Posted **Mar 9, 2013, 11:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Tallest will be 8 floors. Looks slightly better than the first phases, but still not groundbreaking.

http://claridgecondos.com/fusion/living/

I would never associate the word "groundbreaking" with Claridge!

Dr Awesomesauce · #**470** Posted **Mar 9, 2013, 2:41 PM**

I recently did some reading up on the Flats and to my surprise, they were cleared for redevelopment FIFTY years ago! We do move slowly in this country, don't we?

J.OT13 · #**471** Posted **Mar 9, 2013, 3:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abe Simpson

I would never associate the word "groundbreaking" with Claridge!

Dito. The best I can hope for is that it's not the same yelllow brick, but I think it probably is.

Beedok · #**472** Posted **Mar 9, 2013, 4:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

I recently did some reading up on the Flats and to my surprise, they were cleared for redevelopment FIFTY years ago! We do move slowly in this country, don't we?

Hamilton makes streets two way faster.

JackBauer24 · #**473** Posted **Mar 9, 2013, 5:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Dito. The best I can hope for is that it's not the same yelllow brick, but I think it probably is.

Ugly yellow or putride beige - take your pick.

McC · #**474** Posted **Mar 11, 2013, 1:48 PM**

I remember reading that these were supposed to be a different colour (I think from Darwin, but it wasn't from the post about his walk in the Flats with Mr Malhotra). The sunset lighting in the pictures that rocketfish posted are kind of ambiguous, but it does look like more of a ruddy brown to me.

Radster · #**475** Posted **Mar 11, 2013, 6:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

We do move slowly in this country, don't we?

Correction, I think you meant to say: We do move slowly in this CITY, don't we?

Dr Awesomesauce · #**476** Posted **Mar 12, 2013, 6:25 AM**

Well, Ottawa being what it is, what else can one expect? The rest of the country isn't much better, trust me.

Anyway, looking forward to the Flats - slowly - taking shape. I still say the arena should have been built there but that ship sailed long ago...

amanfromnowhere · #**477** Posted **May 16, 2013, 3:52 PM**

Claridge Developments May 2013 by Greg Marshall:

http://aerialphotographs.ca/claridge2013/

J.OT13 · #**478** Posted **May 16, 2013, 10:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by amanfromnowhere

Claridge Developments May 2013 by Greg Marshall:

http://aerialphotographs.ca/claridge2013/

Phase I and II look a little better from the sky.

NOWINYOW · #**479** Posted **May 16, 2013, 10:25 PM**

A week or so ago, I was on Sparks street and looking west, what a sad sight of that ugly building on the flats. The land has been barren for how long? Almost 50 years? And this is the best anyone could envision? Pathetic! So much potential, so little effort!

citydwlr · #**480** Posted **May 17, 2013, 12:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NOWINYOW

A week or so ago, I was on Sparks street and looking west, what a sad sight of that ugly building on the flats. The land has been barren for how long? Almost 50 years? And this is the best anyone could envision? Pathetic! So much potential, so little effort!

From what I read, they won the contract for the Flats by default. two other companies also had proposals but backed out because they couldn't along with the NCC... So, in a sense you can blame the NCC for that monstrosity.

Here's the 2008 article [http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=ee4e71f6-43fa-4c28-bbc4-2be7efde7166]