The Great Canadian Skyline Thread! II - Page 300

Chadillaccc · #**5981** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 5:36 AM**

I don't think Vancouver's skyline looks Latin American at all. Except, maybe Buenos Aires... or a Latin American city 50 - 75 years from now.

logan5 · #**5982** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 6:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Vancouver's skyline doesn't remind me of Manhattan in the slightest.

Manhattan has incredible height, massive amounts of huge office towers, and the buildings represent a huge variety of styles. Vancouver's downtown is all new and almost all residential and very thin buildings due to foot print restrictions. The only thing they have in common is density.

Vancouver's skyline reminds me of a Latin American skyline...........residential, no very tall buildings, density, and new. Get rid of the water and mountains and Vancouver's skyline is Latin America 101 and could be any city down there.

More Manhattenesque than most cities, including Toronto.

http://inhabitat.com/vancouver-becomes-first-city-to-pave-their-streets-with-recycled-plastic/

http://www.nyc-officespace-leader.com/

Rico Rommheim · #**5983** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 6:13 AM**

Vancouver is like a 3rd tier Chinese city! No it's Buenos Aires No, it's New York City!!

Please. Vancouver's skyline is wonderful, because it looks like Vancouver. But comparing it to the chaos of styles and density of Buenos Aires, and now New York City is hilarious. Only on SSP could this be said seriously.

On a side note, one thing I really liked about downtown Vancouver is how quaint the downtown feels when you're actually inside it. You don't feel crushed on all sides by walls of skyscrapers, you actually can see the sky, the mountains and you feel like you can breath easy. This is the complete opposite of what I felt in NYC.

TallBob · #**5984** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 6:21 AM**

One thing besides height differential between Vancouver and New York is there is a higher percentage of Office space in NY....(On a percentage basis). Even Toronto with it's 75-80 million sq. ft. of office space downtown is much smaller than Chicago's 130+ million sq. ft., and NY. with 350-400 million sq. ft.

MonkeyRonin · #**5985** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 6:26 AM**

It seems that in Canada we judge the worth of our cities based on how closely they resemble various foreign cities.

"I love Montreal, it's so European!"

"Vancouver is Canada's Manhattan!"

"Toronto is just like Chicago!"

logan5 · #**5986** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 6:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

Vancouver is like a 3rd tier Chinese city! No it's Buenos Aires No, it's New York City!!

Please. Vancouver's skyline is wonderful, because it looks like Vancouver. But comparing it to the chaos of styles and density of Buenos Aires, and now New York City is hilarious. Only on SSP could this be said seriously.

Manhattenesque = not Manhatten.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

On a side note, one thing I really liked about downtown Vancouver is how quaint the downtown feels when you're actually inside it. You don't feel crushed on all sides by walls of skyscrapers, you actually can see the sky, the mountains and you feel like you can breath easy. This is the complete opposite of what I felt in NYC.

This is why point towers with a human scale podium works. Paris levels of density with much more open space. It's the architecture that sucks, not the building form.

Metro-One · #**5987** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 6:39 AM**

What give's Vancouver a "Manhattan" look is the fact that viewed from numerous angles downtown is a mass of towers located on a peninsula, which is true.

I feel people here take things far too literally and have a hard time saying something nice about a place that is not their hometown and therefore "threatens" their home cities status.

No one is saying Vancouver is Manhattan, but some aspects of Vancouver's geography and built form have Manhattan characteristics.

Seriously, people should chill out on here, it is really starting to get annoying. Nice Manhattan looking shots of Vancouver by the way

And I am sorry, but I have noticed it is always the same posters who have something negative to say against Vancouver after someone gives it a compliment. The same way it is also the always the same posters who say something negative about Calgary after it receives a compliment (and Toronto, and Montreal, etc...) it seems that same people just really have vendettas against specific cities in this country. Kind of strange if you ask me.

Martin Mtl · #**5988** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 1:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beedok

New York has a really ugly skyline.

I don't even know where to begin. New York boast one of the best collections of skyscraper masterpieces anywhere. The skyline along Central Park is by itself more beautiful and striking than anything else on the continent. Midtown has the Chrysler, the Empire State, etc. Then you have downtown, with all the amazing 1920/30's spire towers, plus all the new stuff. How can someone find all that ugly is beyond my comprehension.

Delirium · #**5989** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 1:04 PM**

vancouver = Manhattenesque. it's a figure of speech people. to the casual observer, i could see some similarities but hardly worth getting into a debate about it.

photo by Patrick Lundgren - AirTeamImages on Flickr.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/leftdef11bcferries/

Martin Mtl · #**5990** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 1:11 PM**

Canada 46 by ANUJAK JAIMOOK on Flickr

SignalHillHiker · #**5991** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 1:17 PM**

That's an impressive Vancouver shot.

I love the density. The terrain - as it does for Manhattan, and Pittsburgh - really makes it look like an exceptionally dense, compact city. Everything looks so contained, as though sprawl is restricted.

Mount Royal offers Montreal a much weaker version of the same visual effect. I imagine Halifax will eventually exhibit the same phenomenon as well, once the peninsula is filled in with towers.

OTSkyline · #**5992** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 2:44 PM**

WOW, that last shot of Vancouver... Breathless...

Personally I love Toronto and Vancouver's skylines the most... Calgary is getting up there.

And New-York City is amazing how dare anyone of you say anything bad about it!!

*I have a crush on NYC

KnoxfordGuy · #**5993** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 3:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

It seems that in Canada we judge the worth of our cities based on how closely they resemble various foreign cities.

"I love Montreal, it's so European!"

"Vancouver is Canada's Manhattan!"

"Toronto is just like Chicago!"

You took the words right out of my mouth. So so sad lol. But that's our Canadian way...we must be like other places to be great...we can't just be proud to look Canadian.

SignalHillHiker · #**5994** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 3:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

You took the words right out of my mouth. So so sad lol. But that's our Canadian way...we must be like other places to be great...we can't just be proud to look Canadian.

But is there a Canadian look? All of our unique styles (such as St. John's British architecture, or Quebec's French architecture) can be, for the most part, attributed to countries overseas.

And everything that's left is basically attributable to the United States, isn't it?

We have some (generally better) urban forms than cities of comparable sizes in the United States, but I don't think the architecture is different enough to create a Canadian look.

KnoxfordGuy · #**5995** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 3:20 PM**

But I doubt people in Boston say they look like Montreal lol

SignalHillHiker · #**5996** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 3:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

But I doubt people in Boston say they look like Montreal lol

Oh, I understand. That's probably true - and probably just comes from confidence and strength of identity.

I'd be willing to bet you encounter the "Canada's X" a lot less often from people from Montreal. It seems to have the greatest strength of identity of Canada's major cities.

Now I'm curious if cities like San Francisco and New Orleans mention their European architecture in the same way, like, say, Quebec City or St. John's do. I'd be curious to know.

And one other thought comes to mind: it's not always referenced in a positive way, or as a point of pride. For example, you can't access the backyard of my rowhouse except by going through it. There's no other way to get back there, which is a little annoying when you have to bring grass cuttings to the garbage, or move furniture back there, etc. Everyone I've mentioned it to has said, apologetically, "Well, that's the British style. There's not much you can do."

Calgarian · #**5997** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 3:47 PM**

That Vancouver pic is ridiculous! definitely an urban Jewel!

yaletown_fella · #**5998** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 3:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logan5

More Manhattenesque than most cities, including Toronto.

http://inhabitat.com/vancouver-becomes-first-city-to-pave-their-streets-with-recycled-plastic/

http://www.nyc-officespace-leader.com/

I'm in Vancouver now and Imho the only truly Manhattenesque part is the northern portion English Bay due to its minimalist 50's buildings and proximity to Stanley Park and the water. What I love about English Bay is the cool Spanish colonial architecture (which is morso a Cali thing)
One could argue the downtown (CBD) is Manhattenesque. There are many gorgeous post war buildings that are overlooked (esp on Hastings) I'd argue, though, that the abundance of terracotta in Vancouver's stock from this era makes it more comparable to Portland.

In Toronto, the Yorkville/Annex neighborhood has over twice as many modernist 50's/60's buildings as Vancouver's downtown peninsula. Bedford around Lowther has a very New York feel to it. However, the Victorian side streets have a character of their own and unique to north America.

Forest Hill is very much a lower density and richer version of Forest Hills, NY

Beedok · #**5999** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 4:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

I don't even know where to begin. New York boast one of the best collections of skyscraper masterpieces anywhere. The skyline along Central Park is by itself more beautiful and striking than anything else on the continent. Midtown has the Chrysler, the Empire State, etc. Then you have downtown, with all the amazing 1920/30's spire towers, plus all the new stuff. How can someone find all that ugly is beyond my comprehension.

Manhattan has too many "landmark" buildings in my opinion. They all end up competing for attention and it becomes an excessive mess. Like this in skyline form. Now obviously many people will disagree, but I find it a serious problem. Paris' historic sections suffer from over decoration too in my mind. Some decoration is nice, but none is better than too much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

That's an impressive Vancouver shot.

I love the density. The terrain - as it does for Manhattan, and Pittsburgh - really makes it look like an exceptionally dense, compact city. Everything looks so contained, as though sprawl is restricted.

Mount Royal offers Montreal a much weaker version of the same visual effect. I imagine Halifax will eventually exhibit the same phenomenon as well, once the peninsula is filled in with towers.

From some angles Hamilton benefits from that too, but the lower city is too big for the skyline to fill right now.

LeftCoaster · #**6000** Posted **Aug 12, 2013, 4:04 PM**

The only way Vancouver ever looks like Manhattan is when you take an aerial from the right angle and squint.