The Ugly Canada Thread - Page 39

O-tacular · #**761** Posted **Jul 19, 2013, 1:18 AM**

Mind you it's a building for a non profit group (and a Mennonite one at
That) but this ugliness is still unforgivable. Hell, make it a bunker if that's what it is, just don't paint it circus colours and try to make it look 'fun'.

[IMG]

http://www.ft3.ca/projects/office/officeMCCAlberta.php[/IMG]

kwoldtimer · #**762** Posted **Jul 19, 2013, 2:25 AM**

That's a bit garish for a Mennonite building! Here in Kitchener, the Ontario MCC Head Office (and Thrift Shop) that's under construction is a much more restrained ugly. I'll see if I can get a pic this weekend to post.

MonctonRad · #**763** Posted **Jul 19, 2013, 6:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Looks a bit too tropical for Moncton (or Canada for that matter). I suspect they will tone it down.

This is an updated render from the developers website. The colours are indeed more muted.

Chadillaccc · #**764** Posted **Jul 19, 2013, 6:57 PM**

I like it, that looks pretty good!

Chadillaccc · #**765** Posted **Jul 19, 2013, 7:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Saint John used to be a city of national importance. Back in the 1960's and 70's it was considered more of a mid-sized centre, and if you go back as far as 1850 or so it was the same size as Toronto. I think it has experienced the biggest and longest-lasting relative decline of any city in Canada. Imagine if Montreal stopped growing in 1890 and was the size of Winnipeg today.

I believe the white house at the foot of that office tower is from the late-1700's, and was once Benedict Arnold's residence. Unfortunately, most Canadians don't really appreciate that this level of history exists in the Maritimes.

Exactly! Hell, Saint John was the first incorporated city in all of Canada!

MolsonExport · #**766** Posted **Aug 13, 2013, 12:48 PM**

imtl.org

555 Chabanel Street, Montreal. Large as life and twice as ugly. It makes Concordia's Hell building almost look pretty by comparison. Seriously soul-sucking.

Acajack · #**767** Posted **Aug 13, 2013, 12:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

I believe the white house at the foot of that office tower is from the late-1700's, and was once Benedict Arnold's residence. Unfortunately, most Canadians don't really appreciate that this level of history exists in the Maritimes.

Is that why there seems to be a Union-Jack-ish type of sculpture next to it?

Rico Rommheim · #**768** Posted **Aug 13, 2013, 2:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

imtl.org

555 Chabanel Street, Montreal. Large as life and twice as ugly. It makes Concordia's Hell building almost look pretty by comparison. Seriously soul-sucking.

True, but in its defence it
A) is surrounded by buildings twice as ugly
B) is (or was) a clothing manufacture.

franktko · #**769** Posted **Aug 13, 2013, 7:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

True, but in its defence it
A) is surrounded by buildings twice as ugly
B) is (or was) a clothing manufacture.

And it's pretty big. At 731,000 sqf, it's close to breaking the top ten largest office space in Montreal. Big Ugly Mother.

MTLskyline · #**770** Posted **Aug 13, 2013, 8:36 PM**

It must be something like Class B or Class C office space I presume.

franktko · #**771** Posted **Aug 13, 2013, 9:04 PM**

Class C
http://www.altusinsite.com/index.php?pag...cationc=&searchbyabldgbtn=Find+Buildings

MolsonExport · #**772** Posted **Aug 13, 2013, 9:27 PM**

Class U. For ugly.

Rico Rommheim · #**773** Posted **Aug 13, 2013, 10:37 PM**

This building and the garment district as a whole is interesting. Weird, yes, beautiful, no.

Here's a quote from wiki

Quote:

The largest of the buildings is 333 Chabanel (approximately one million square feet) which boasts the second largest floorplate on the island of Montreal (110,000 sq. ft.) after Place Bonaventure. The total square footage of the buildings along Chabanel is estimated at five million. The street is still considered the centre of the fashion industry in Canada, with several hundred companies and thousands of employees operating from Chabanel addresses. However, in recent years with manufacturing moving offshore, contraction in the industry and vacancy rates increasing, there has been a move to promote the area to other industries, and one of the buildings (125 Chabanel) has been slated to be redeveloped as a residential condominium project.[2]

franktko · #**774** Posted **Aug 14, 2013, 12:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Class U. For ugly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

However, in recent years with manufacturing moving offshore, contraction in the industry and vacancy rates increasing, there has been a move to promote the area to other industries, and one of the buildings (125 Chabanel) has been slated to be redeveloped as a residential condominium project.

Where do I sign up? My dream neighbourhood...

chabanel by franktko1, on Flickr

MTLskyline · #**775** Posted **Aug 14, 2013, 2:57 AM**

Actually, not that bad. It seems pretty close to transit for the most part. It just needs residents and retail to liven it up.

kwoldtimer · #**776** Posted **Aug 14, 2013, 12:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTLskyline

Actually, not that bad. It seems pretty close to transit for the most part. It just needs residents and retail to liven it up.

Oh, Lord!

Rico Rommheim · #**777** Posted **Aug 14, 2013, 1:20 PM**

My Guess is that Chabanel will be going the way of the Mile-End and of the old fur district on mayor street, that is, full conversion into residential and commercial lofts.

You can already see this on de Gaspe street in Mile-End, when I was a boy the district had turned into a ghost town, now, it's packed with young people working hipster-related affairs (video games, visual arts, etc).

matthew6 · #**778** Posted **Aug 14, 2013, 2:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

My Guess is that Chabanel will be going the way of the Mile-End and of the old fur district on mayor street, that is, full conversion into residential and commercial lofts.

I am old enough to remember when Mile End was a somewhat seedy working class hood with all those small bars on Parc ave where drugs were dealt.

matthew6 · #**779** Posted **Aug 14, 2013, 2:43 PM**

As a general rule, north of the Metropolitan is where pretty Montreal become ugly Montreal. Chabanal being on the wrong side of course.

As a bit of an unrelated aside - just a few blocks from where the 5555 building is - there used to be a golf course that ran from Jean Talon to the Metropolitan in between L'Acadie and Rockland Road. And that's your trivia for the day!

MolsonExport · #**780** Posted **Aug 14, 2013, 4:13 PM**

I also remember the days when Mile-end was but a decaying working-class hood with closing factories. The Plateau was not much to write home about either. On the other hand, since then, parts of Lachine, NDG, LaSalle and Verdun have decayed significantly. Most of all, the armpit of the island (perhaps the world), Ville St. Pierre.