General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa]

[S-Man]

but aren't we the city that fun forgot, and the city in Canada with the lost arts funding?

There's a moratorium on all monies to be spent on art in Ottawa? Just Ottawa? I kinda still see artsy stuff happening. Must be my eyes. Grants are still available, private artists are still plentiful, and the city sets aside one percent of cash on infrastructure projects to commission public art displays. Also, there are galleries and concerts, festivals, etc, etc.

As for 'the city that fun forgot', ever hear the saying "Only boring people complain of being bored"? What's missing? What CAN'T you do right now?

Nice buildings are nice to look at, and are a great asset, but they won't magically transform a population into a city of gregarious, free-wheeling party animals.

Sorry, but sometimes it just gets to the point where I have to question these typical hyperbolic complaints.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by defishel

Former prime ministers like Laurier and Mackenzie King dreamed of Ottawa becoming a marvelous, modern capital (and then hired Gréber to do the opposite). I wish our governments and developers had their same hopes to see this city as a marvelous place, with incredible buildings features in architectural magazines, encouraging archi-tourism to see those buildings, and not the typical tourist fare.

I'll be honest, I'm not too surprised there isn't much emphasis on architecture and design - not to put Ottawa down, as I love it and moved back here from Montreal and Toronto - but aren't we the city that fun forgot, and the city in Canada with the lost arts funding? The fact that buildings are mediocre (or worse) is heartbreaking. While this may be overly optimistic and perhaps naïve, it's for that reason that I'm switching programs and hoping to get into architecture: to somehow contribute buildings this city needs desperately.

We have several prolific architects that we should have buildings from here. Hell! We fawn over Canadian works of art and collect them all, but we don't have architecture and public spaces designed by famous Canadian architects? I find some of Gehry's work to be a bit too much/ busy, like the condo towers he's proposed for Toronto (I know, heresy!), but I love the office building he did on West 19th Street:

Looks like the proposed Iraqi Embassy across from the Museum of Nature.

[Harley613]

I pass the Gehry 'sails' building all the time when i'm in Chelsea and it's my least favourite of all his work. Something about the cladding makes it look cheap and weird.


I would love to see some more striking architecture in Ottawa but I'll skip stuff like that :p We need some more Moshe Safdie!!

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by S-Man

There's a moratorium on all monies to be spent on art in Ottawa? Just Ottawa? I kinda still see artsy stuff happening. Must be my eyes. Grants are still available, private artists are still plentiful, and the city sets aside one percent of cash on infrastructure projects to commission public art displays. Also, there are galleries and concerts, festivals, etc, etc.

As for 'the city that fun forgot', ever hear the saying "Only boring people complain of being bored"? What's missing? What CAN'T you do right now?

Nice buildings are nice to look at, and are a great asset, but they won't magically transform a population into a city of gregarious, free-wheeling party animals.

Sorry, but sometimes it just gets to the point where I have to question these typical hyperbolic complaints.

I misspelled that line: "least arts funding". Didn't Ottawa cut arts funding so that now we have the lowest amount of funding compared to all other cities in Canada? Having lived in Toronto and Montreal, there's still much more of an investment in arts and you can see it throughout the city, whereas Ottawa has teeny bits here and there. Montreal's Place-des-Arts has constantly changing exhibitions outside for the public. What do we have for Ottawa that's similar?

I don't agree with either expression. Sure, you can find your own fun and if you're fun then you have it, but there needs to be more to do. What about Montreal, Toronto, New York, etc makes them fun? I feel it's such an easy thing to say, "You're bored because you're boring" instead of realizing that maybe our city is missing a lot of things to help make us vibrant and exciting, and while we're not as boring as people tend to say, let's not kid ourselves. Consider our shopping and culinary scenes: while growing, they're happening slowly and not in several different areas, or with the sort of things that makes us special. Really, when we want great shopping or to try some sort of food we haven't had before, or another event we usually leave Ottawa for another city. A common characteristic of Ottawans is that we go often to Montreal for weekend/day trips to shop and stuff. What does it say about our city that we have to meet our needs elsewhere?

Well, buildings could. Art can have an impact on people's emotions, making them happy or sad, for example. Buildings can do the same, as architecture is art and a building is essentially a giant sculpture we live and work in. But more so, buildings capture the zeitgeist of our times and culture. While I'm willing to admit some of a buildings effects on our population could be negligible if people ignore them, a building is the physical manifestation of our culture and ethos. Walking around great buildings in Montreal and Toronto transformed me, so why couldn't it do the same for Ottawa?

[S-Man]

I misspelled that line: "least arts funding". Didn't Ottawa cut arts funding so that now we have the lowest amount of funding compared to all other cities in Canada? Having lived in Toronto and Montreal, there's still much more of an investment in arts and you can see it throughout the city, whereas Ottawa has teeny bits here and there. Montreal's Place-des-Arts has constantly changing exhibitions outside for the public. What do we have for Ottawa that's similar?

I don't agree with either expression. Sure, you can find your own fun and if you're fun then you have it, but there needs to be more to do. What about Montreal, Toronto, New York, etc make them fun? I feel it's such an easy thing to say, "You're bored because you're boring" instead of realizing that maybe we're missing a lot of things to help make us vibrant and exciting. Consider our shopping and culinary scenes: while growing, they're happening slowly and not in multiple areas.

Well, buildings could. Art can have an impact on people's emotions, making them happy or sad, for example. Buildings can do the same, as architecture is art and a building is essentially a giant sculpture we live and work in. But more so, buildings capture the zeitgeist of our times and culture. While I'm willing to admit some of a buildings effects on our population could be negligible if people ignore them, a building is the physical manifestation of our culture and ethos. Walking around great buildings in Montreal and Toronto transformed me, so why couldn't it do the same for Ottawa?

The Quebec provincial government puts a lot of money into art because it's a cultural/heritage thing and a way of showcasing their nationalistic/distinct society leanings. Great for them, obviously (at least in that regard).

I don't know if Ottawa gets the least cash from the feds; if there's a study that shows that, I haven't seen it. Until I see it, it's just a rumour.

If Ottawa wants Montreal levels of provincial funding, get on the phone with Premier Wynne, but expect to be laughed at. Wynne et al have bigger things to spend money on, like transit in Toronto, debt financing.

While you addressed some of my criticisms, it's still a bit of a mystery to me as to what you want to see happen in Ottawa (ie - things that aren't happening). Sounds a bit like you like Toronto and Montreal for what they are (which is fine), and want to attend those same things here.
If it's 'theatre districts' you're looking for, then I'm sorry, but you'll have to go to a theatre district city for those, like the three cities you specifically mentioned.

There are culinary things happening, possibly more widespread than you realize, but you'll have to dig for it. I'm not sure of any culinary masterpieces being created in Beaconsfield and Vaughan, so your 'widespread' label tacked onto those cities confused me.

Example - did you know about the Brewery Market/Mashup event happening tomorrow (July7), featuring former Torontonians who are honing their craft in Ottawa?

http://www.ottawabeerevents.ca/

Culture! Creativity! Humans honing a craft! People taking initiative! No federal funding! There are many types of things like this happening.

It's on a smaller scale, for sure, but unless you're looking for Cirque de Soleil, Les Miserables, and massive parades all the time that's what you normally get out of any city.


I'd say there are more things to do in Ottawa now than even a few years ago

[citydwlr]

Originally Posted by defishel

I find some of Gehry's work to be a bit too much/ busy, like the condo towers he's proposed for Toronto

Actually, I agree with you. Some of his works aren't always the most appealing. That said, I do sorta like the buildings in Toronto

He's done some landscape and public art stuff too, and I think, in the very least, Ottawa could/should support that. Chicago's reflective "bean" (Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor) and the surrounding Millenium Park designed by Gehry is a perfect example. That park alone brings in a tonne of visitors every year; it's one of that city's most defining features. A couple years ago Ottawa brought in the mayor of Chicago to get his take on how to improve Ottawa...I forget what his comments were, but it was an interesting read. If I find the article, I'll post it (unless someone else knows where it might be - has it been mentioned before in this forum?).

Ottawa has brought in some pretty cool public art recently, so that's definitely great to see. In general I'd just like to see Ottawa put a higher stake on Design and Architecture and create those landmarks that people talk about. That's just my opinion, though.

Oh, and yes Shiguru Ban's stuff is awesome too His Nine Bridges Golf Clubhouse is pretty impressive as are his paper structures.

@Harley613 Safdie's got a building ("Mondial") going up ...unfortunately it's in Toronto and not Ottawa - but it looks quite nice!

[JackBauer24]

Sorry, your comment was a little ambiguous - are you in favour of that Claridge concept? If so, what is so different and unique about it that Ottawa needs to adopt now?

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

Are you kidding me?! I've been looking at what's being proposed on Yonge Street wondering why no one is doing stuff like that in Ottawa. If someone from Claridge is watching this forum, this proposal needs to come back NOW.

[JackBauer24]

The top portion looks like a lower-case 'N'. Maybe this is the builders 14th building and they've moving through the alphabet.

Originally Posted by McC

Am I the only one who thinks that the last example from YYC is frightfully ugly? Monstrous, even?

[JackBauer24]

We've improved more with our designs over the last 2-3 years than ever. I'm not a huge fan of the Icon, but at least it's different than 99% of the other proposals. Soho Italia's proposal is gorgeous - they did an excellent job with the twisting balconies. Right now, that is the only proposal from Ottawa that should be featured in any national news story.

As more people in Ottawa buy condos for themselves, instead of investment, they will start caring more and more about the aesthetics of the building and force the architects to get more creative.

Originally Posted by citydwlr

I agree. We are quickly being surpassed. And for the capital of Canada, it's sad that we're so far behind. There really isn't much emphasis placed on Design and Architecture. That said, in recent years it has been improving, it's just not improving quick enough.

One thing that really bugs me is that we don't have anything by Frank Gehry in Ottawa - no art or architecture whatsoever. The guy isn't getting any younger, and he's arguably Canada's most prolific/sought-after architect (or art-chitect, I suppose is more accurate). Toronto keeps pulling in more projects from his studio, and whatever your opinion is regarding his work, it brings in a lot of interest. I can't tell you how many news outlets, blogs, and magazines have talked about his latest projects. It's not only exposure for the architect and his work, but also for the city. When was the last time a building in Ottawa was featured in one of those publications?

[citydwlr]

Originally Posted by JackBauer24

We've improved more with our designs over the last 2-3 years than ever. I'm not a huge fan of the Icon, but at least it's different than 99% of the other proposals. Soho Italia's proposal is gorgeous - they did an excellent job with the twisting balconies. Right now, that is the only proposal from Ottawa that should be featured in any national news story.

As more people in Ottawa buy condos for themselves, instead of investment, they will start caring more and more about the aesthetics of the building and force the architects to get more creative.

I can't argue with that. And as much as I'm not a fan of Claridge (based on many of their previous works), I do have to agree that they are helping to raise the bar of architectural design from what has previously been done in Ottawa, at least in terms of Condos. Soho Italia, assuming the original plans go through, seems like a much more cohesive/integrated structure, so I'm happy to see that kind of design being done here. I think most of the recent condo designs have been from local (Ottawa and Ontario) or national (Canada) design firms - and that' great! I'm all for supporting Canadian talent/business. But, I also don't think it would hurt to branch out to firms from other countries to inject some alternative-thinking to the city's landscape. I don't know if that'll ever happen, but I remain hopeful.

[kevinbottawa]

Deux tours de 33 étages au coeur de Gatineau

PATRICK DUQUETTE
Le Droit

Le Groupe Heafey a remanié de fond en comble son projet de 300 millions de dollars au centre-ville de Gatineau, a appris LeDroit.

Le vaste complexe résidentiel et commercial comptera seulement deux tours d'habitation sur la rue Wellington, au lieu des trois prévues à l'origine. Ces deux tours seront cependant plus hautes. Elles compteront 33 étages chacune, par rapport aux trois tours de 29, 25 et 22 étages des plans originaux.

Le complexe ajoutera 960 nouveaux logements au centre-ville, soit un peu moins que les 1200 prévus au départ.

Le changement de zonage doit être approuvé ce soir par le comité consultatif d'urbanisme (CCU). Il vise à hausser la limite actuelle de 12 étages sur les terrains appartenant à Heafey et à son partenaire, le Groupe Marc Dubé. Quant à l'architecture comme telle du projet, elle devra faire l'objet d'une approbation ultérieure du CCU.

C'est à la demande de la Ville de Gatineau - et pas de gaieté de coeur - que le groupe Heafey a dû modifier ses plans d'origine ces dernières semaines. Le service d'urbanisme a changé son fusil d'épaule, le 10 juin dernier, en indiquant au promoteur qu'il ne voulait plus d'une tour à l'angle des rues Wellington et Eddy, comme exigé au départ.

Pour satisfaire les nouvelles exigences de la Ville, Heafey a remanié ses plans à toute vapeur. L'emplacement des tours a été modifié et, au final, c'est toute la volumétrie du projet qui a changé. Les deux tours s'élèvent maintenant au centre de l'ensemble immobilier plutôt qu'en périphérie. Le projet est désormais pensé en fonction d'une structure «en basilaire» similaire à celle d'une pyramide.

Le président de l'Association des résidents de l'Île de Hull (ARIH), François Zarraga, juge que le projet est encore mieux qu'au départ. «Notre association avait déjà donné son aval au premier projet de Heafey et celui-ci satisfait encore davantage nos critères. On verra encore moins les tours de cette manière», dit-il.

Le Groupe Heafey, lui, est convaincu que son projet obtiendra le consentement du CCU, mais également de la population de Gatineau. «Lundi (ce soir), c'est là qu'on va voir s'il y a une vraie volonté politique de densifier le centre-ville de Gatineau. La balle est maintenant dans le camp de la Ville», dit Charles Masse, vice-président aux opérations et développement du Groupe Heafey.

Très courts délais

Heafey a appris seulement le 10 juin dernier qu'il devait modifier ses plans en prévision de la réunion du comité consultatif d'urbanisme d'aujourd'hui. «Des fonctionnaires de la Ville ont décidé qu'ils avaient changé d'idée et que la tour la plus haute ne devait plus se trouver à l'angle de Eddy et Wellington, mais bien au centre du projet. Notre première réaction a été la stupéfaction parce qu'on avait travaillé neuf mois sur les plans. Mais on s'est retroussé les manches et on arrive aujourd'hui avec un projet qu'on considère encore meilleur que l'ancien.»

Le fait que les tours soient centrées favorise un meilleur ensoleillement du quartier et une meilleure circulation du vent. «Au niveau visuel, c'est également plus intéressant parce que ça favorise des bâtiments en basilaires. Les chandelles vont être au centre du projet plutôt qu'en façade», explique Charles Masse.

Les tours d'habitations de Heafey s'élèveront à une hauteur de 340 pieds. C'est de 40 à 50 pieds plus bas que la plus haute tour à bureaux des Terrasses de la Chaudière, située juste en face, de l'autre côté de la rue Wellington. Rappelons que Heafey avait proposé d'installer la future bibliothèque centrale de Gatineau dans son vaste complexe, mais l'idée a été abandonnée en cours de route.

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/actualit...presse_vous_suggere_4668705_article_POS1

[drawarc]

Not sure if already posted, proposed 12 storey apt. building on St. Laurent north of Montreal Rd.
OBJ article:http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Residentia...ead-with-St.-Laurent-apartment-project/1
Development application:http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__861MQF

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by drawarc

Not sure if already posted, proposed 12 storey apt. building on St. Laurent north of Montreal Rd.
OBJ article:http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Residentia...ead-with-St.-Laurent-apartment-project/1
Development application:http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__861MQF

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=200032

[rocketphish]

Carling building finally coming down

Published on July 10, 2013
OBJ Staff

After sitting empty for four years, a decrepit federal office building near Dow’s Lake is finally being dismantled, according to Public Works.

The demolition of the Sir John Carling Building, once home to approximately 1,200 federal bureaucrats, was held up as government officials determined what to do with the property.

This summer, workers from AIM Waste Management Inc. are inside the building performing “removal and separation of all fixtures and building materials,” Public Works stated in an e-mail to OBJ.

The company, which has a $4.8 million contract to demolish the building, began interior work in March and has so far been meeting timelines, Public Works added.

“This portion of the project does take time and effort, with few external visible results; however, deconstruction of the building in such a manner will help preserve heritage elements as well as provide the opportunity for the proper disposal of construction material, diverting the maximum possible volume of waste from local landfills,” Public Works stated.

“PWGSC can confirm that the project is on time and the final phase of the deconstruction of the building should begin as scheduled in fall 2013.”

Constructed in 1967, the Sir John Carling Building - which contains 431,250 square feet in an 11-storey tower and two lowrise annexes - was rated in “poor” condition only 31 years after it opened. It was emptied in 2009 and was initially supposed to be torn down in 2010.

In 2011, Public Works officials said the delay was due to design changes, principally because of a desire to keep the west annex and to shift the property’s custody to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Once the main building is gone, which should happen by 2015, the property will be transferred to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Constructi...7/Carling-building-finally-coming-down/1

[OTSkyline]

Oooouuu.... Prime development lands near Dow's lake and Little Italy. Which developer will nab this parcel of paradise up? It's a pretty big complex so there are a lot of opportunies.. Especially with everything happening in the area.

Excited to see what will happen and see proposals for here.

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

Oooouuu.... Prime development lands near Dow's lake and Little Italy. Which developer will nab this parcel of paradise up? It's a pretty big complex so there are a lot of opportunies.. Especially with everything happening in the area.

Excited to see what will happen and see proposals for here.

If the property is being transferred to Agriculture Canada, will there even be any private development happening there?

[OTSkyline]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

If the property is being transferred to Agriculture Canada, will there even be any private development happening there?

Oups, probably not... YAY more "urban farmland"!

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

Oups, probably not... YAY more "urban farmland"!

Deal : Build a new farm where the J. Carling use to be in exchange for land across the Civic for the new hospital.

[OTSkyline]

Counter-proposal...
Abolish the whole experimental farm to the outskirts OR at least the greenbelt. Wasn't the greenbelt reserved for green spaces and developments like these?

Having this huge underused plot of land in central Ottawa is crazy.

[McC]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

Having this huge underused plot of land in central Ottawa is crazy.

that's partly why it's so wonderful and should be (and is) treasured.