Downtown Vancouver Updates - Page 545

Delirium · #**10881** Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 12:51 PM**

^I love you camera!
what I find odd about this building is that everything is angled or square and then you have these round balconies that break that flow. What does the other side look like?

Graham_Yvr · #**10882** Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 4:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locked In

^ Thanks Delirium! Both look pretty interesting.
-------
My photo of The Lauren, from this morning:

IMG_1015

This 'thing' is the ugliest new building to be built in Downtown in a looong time. Worse even than The Mark. I am pro-development in the West End, don't get me wrong, but this thing is ghastly.

a very long weekend · #**10883** Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 5:06 PM**

that sounds like NIMBY talk to me...

also, in re 508 helmken, isn't there some sort of rule about replacing retail/office space?

Graham_Yvr · #**10884** Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 5:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by a very long weekend

that sounds like NIMBY talk to me...

Nope, no NIMBY going on here. I love development and have fought to get development going here in the West End, and in particular for THIS building. Sadly, the finishes on the exterior are just plain bad. The shape/size of the building is nice, but the mish-mash of spandrel colours is wrong. The scale of the panels is off imo. Maybe the final product will redeem itself, but I'm not hopeful. The Alexandra on Bidwell by comparison is far nicer.

I'm watching The Modern go up a block away from in in the other direction and that one is looking great. Awesome use of geometric/multi-colour spandrel to enhance and create a vibrant facade. This beast...not so much.

Otis_Van · #**10885** Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 6:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham_Yvr

Nope, no NIMBY going on here. I love development and have fought to get development going here in the West End, and in particular for THIS building. Sadly, the finishes on the exterior are just plain bad. The shape/size of the building is nice, but the mish-mash of spandrel colours is wrong. The scale of the panels is off imo. Maybe the final product will redeem itself, but I'm not hopeful. The Alexandra on Bidwell by comparison is far nicer.

I have to agree. I live within a block of this building, and I think it's pretty disappointing. I am no fan of WEN or any of the other groups/individuals who fought to stop this - the West End is not a museum, and we definitely need new developments - but not like this.

The exterior finishes are really cheap, and the combination of square, round, and angled balconies make it look like it was designed by committee and they just mashed everyone's ideas together.

What you can't see from these photos are the two worst features:

1. They've used alternating white and dark frames/mullions for the windows on the sides and back. The dark ones, while they look black in the photos, are actually dark brown. So they have a combination of black, grey, and red spandrel on the front... but chose brown for the windows?

2. One entire column of windows on the west side - from the first floor to the top floor - has NO GLASS. The entire window on every floor is a GIANT spandrel panel. I'll try to take a photo later today. It's pretty brutal.

I dread the balcony railings. God only knows what those will look like.

[Edit: Adding a photo of the "bad" side of the building, which I took this afternoon. The entire column of windows directly to the left of the balconies has no glass. I'm not sure I understand why they even bothered forming windows in that location. Could a blank wall really have looked any worse?]

rsxstock · #**10886** Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 9:17 PM**

i never understood the appeal of random colour panels
why dont they ever do floor to ceiling glass throughout to give it that curtain wall look?

Delirium · #**10887** Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 10:11 PM**

Here's the front entrance to artemisia I was talking about. The tile work is great.

By me

and it extends into the lobby area inside

photo by Vancouverbyte on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/vancouverbyte/13826685224/sizes/c/

EdinVan · #**10888** Posted **Apr 13, 2014, 4:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by a very long weekend

that sounds like NIMBY talk to me...

Of course it's NIMBY-ism; he doesn't want ugly things in his backyard.

Klazu · #**10889** Posted **Apr 13, 2014, 3:29 PM**

What's going on next to Maddox? There is a new excavation and crane up on the west side of Granville Street.

jlousa · #**10890** Posted **Apr 13, 2014, 7:01 PM**

Believe you are refering to the rental tower. There are renders on here, going by memory think it's ~11flrs.

Klazu · #**10891** Posted **Apr 13, 2014, 10:44 PM**

Likely so. I didn't remember that there is going to be such a small infill tower as well.

osirisboy · #**10892** Posted **Apr 14, 2014, 3:32 AM**

That's a cool lobby!!

officedweller · #**10893** Posted **Apr 14, 2014, 11:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delirium

Here's the front entrance to artemisia I was talking about. The tile work is great.

By me

Why is the last inch mismatched? They should have just used the solid colour instead for that inch.

red-paladin · #**10894** Posted **Apr 14, 2014, 11:41 AM**

I imagine it will serve as a filming location for 'Generic urban vampire mansion' for years to come.

Graham_Yvr · #**10895** Posted **Apr 14, 2014, 3:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdinVan

Of course it's NIMBY-ism; he doesn't want ugly things in his backyard.

Why is criticizing a bad design now being called NIMBY-ism? If I didn't live in this neighborhood and criticized it, then it wouldn't be NIMBY-ism?

LeftCoaster · #**10896** Posted **Apr 14, 2014, 6:28 PM**

I am obviously quite pro development, but saying a building is unattractive is not NIMBYism.

There is a every stark difference between opposing nearly everything and being critical of developments. A NIMBY generally criticizes the existence of a development, whereas a good neighbour will critique the execution of a development.

SFUVancouver · #**10897** Posted **Apr 14, 2014, 7:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Why is the last inch mismatched? They should have just used the solid colour instead for that inch.

I noticed that immediately. OCD-afflicted people should steer clear of this property.

Graham_Yvr · #**10898** Posted **Apr 14, 2014, 7:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I am obviously quite pro development, but saying a building is unattractive is not NIMBYism.

There is a every stark difference between opposing nearly everything and being critical of developments. A NIMBY generally criticizes the existence of a development, whereas a good neighbour will critique the execution of a development.

Thank you, LeftCoaster. I fall into the second category.

EdinVan · #**10899** Posted **Apr 15, 2014, 10:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I am obviously quite pro development, but saying a building is unattractive is not NIMBYism.

There is a every stark difference between opposing nearly everything and being critical of developments. A NIMBY generally criticizes the existence of a development, whereas a good neighbour will critique the execution of a development.

I was being tongue-in-cheek.

officedweller · #**10900** Posted **Apr 16, 2014, 10:58 PM**

Pics of 510 Seymour from the Development Permit Application:

http://former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/510seymour/index.htm

Reminds me of that canopy on MNP Tower: