Canadian City Proposals

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Skyisnolimit

That would be nice because I think their skyline for size of population very underwhelming and bland.

No disagreement about that, but some context may be helpful:

Hamilton has gone through several decades of stagnation and restructuring. The commercial office market hasn't been there for new towers, especially with Toronto so relatively close, and Hamilton lost a lot of its downtown corporate presence during the office suburbanization trend.

There was no market for large condos for a long time, and little incentive to build high-rise rental buildings since the 1970s.

Perhaps these things will change now with growth pressures across the GTA-centred region really starting to ripple outward, and improved transportation linkages on the way. There is stuff being built, and more buildings proposed and looking like they will go forward as the demand seems to be there. How it all grows and affects the skyline will be interesting to see.

[ssiguy]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Boo! That's a downgrade. More generic condo filler for a city that deserves better. I'm in NYC right now for the first time and aside from tall buildings I was trying to determine why it feels so much different from Montreal since they both have a solid stock of old brick and stone buildings forming a streetwal. The big difference to me is that Manhattan has amazing, avant guard infills everywhere that stand up to and balance the old stuff. Montreal has non descript 60's brutalist buildings and more non descript condos that mostly just blend in.

I agree. I'd rather see the shorter buildings as they were far more attractive. The new height is nice of course but this "upgrade" has brought them down to Toronto's CityPlace level which is nearly as low as it can get.

[caltrane74]

Is it possible for you to make a reasonable post without taking pot-shots at Toronto? You are aware that there are enough projects in Toronto to cover the entire gamut of the quality spectrum, and in insane quantities to boot.

[Mrs Sauga]

The new renders are ugly. The original was miles ahead but Montreal doesn't have a lot of ugly condos so I think its fine. The office tower is stunning. Wish they would forget twins and just build one really tall one.

Also those 170m condos don't look 170m in any of those renders. It looks way shorter than that 180m office.

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by Mrs Sauga

The new renders are ugly. The original was miles ahead but Montreal doesn't have a lot of ugly condos so I think its fine. The office tower is stunning. Wish they would forget twins and just build one really tall one.

Also those 170m condos don't look 170m in any of those renders. It looks way shorter than that 180m office.

renders : PPCMOI APPROUVÉ (120m) VS PROPOSITION ALTERNATIVE (170m)

alternative - 170m, 47 storey

and inside the document, the towers look ''ok beautiful''.

page 52
http://ocpm.qc.ca/sites/ocpm.qc.ca/files/pdf/P76/7a11.pdf

[Rico Rommheim]

The problem with the Hamilton skyline is the lack of a landmark tower. It's funny that the city's tallest is called landmark place, cause it ain't a landmark unless ou consider it a landmark of gland ugliness.

Another problem with the Hamiltonian skyline is the outdatedness of it's skyline. It's stuck in the bland-ass "I have no inspiration" 70's.

Both these problems, lack of landmark and outdatedness, are shared with Montreal's skyline.

I swear, Hamilton is the little brother Montreal never had.

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

The problem with the Hamilton skyline is the lack of a landmark tower. It's funny that the city's tallest is called landmark place, cause it ain't a landmark unless ou consider it a landmark of gland ugliness.

Another problem with the Hamiltonian skyline is the outdatedness of it's skyline. It's stuck in the bland-ass "I have no inspiration" 70's.

Both these problems, lack of landmark and outdatedness, are shared with Montreal's skyline.

with TDC2 and 750 Peel, Mtl will have more than 12 modern towers under construction all very close to each other. a complete renaissance of the downtown core. add to that, 900 de Maisonneuve, TOM condos, Le Peterson, etc..

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

I agree. I'd rather see the shorter buildings as they were far more attractive. The new height is nice of course but this "upgrade" has brought them down to Toronto's CityPlace level which is nearly as low as it can get.

Thank you to Vancouver for giving us Cityplace. And thanks to poor regulations at the time for letting it happen.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Thank you to Vancouver for giving us Cityplace. And thanks to poor regulations at the time for letting it happen.

no need to instigate.

Ssiguy has a chip off for Toronto, we get it, lets learn to ignore and move on. don't stoop to his level so to speak.

[ssiguy]

Truth be told I love Toronto far more than Vancouver but I just don't like McDevelopments. CityPlace is an updated version of St.James. yes it is certainly more pedestrian friendly but the idea is the same.............bring suburban apt building downtown, set aside from all the others, and they all look the same.

[ue]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Hamilton (like Ottawa) has a very decentralised skyline. Winnipeg isn't as centralised as other prairie cities, but it still beats out Hamilton by a lot. If all of Hamilton's highrises were as clumped as Winnipeg's it would probably look similar in scale (though a lot more residential and a little bit shorter on average).

Edmonton's skyline isn't exactly 'centralized' either (probably as much as Winnipeg's is). It extends west from downtown for 15 blocks through the tabletop of Oliver and extends across the river to the University and Saskatchewan Drive.

Calgary's is a bit more centralized, as is Montreal's, and I suppose Vancouver and Toronto (though they have significant clusters not far from the main skyline).

Canadian cities in general don't have the impactful, *bam*, you're in the CBD style of a lot of American cities where skyscrapers peter out mere blocks from the immediate downtown core. So in a sense Canadian skylines aren't very centralized in general.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by niwell

Yeah, the parts of the tower without the extrusions remind me a bit of this style if it were painted white: https://goo.gl/maps/QsfRp


It could turn out well but I'm on the fence. The water feature looks cool, but not terribly realistic.

most of the water feature already exists

[Skyisnolimit]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

No disagreement about that, but some context may be helpful:

Hamilton has gone through several decades of stagnation and restructuring. The commercial office market hasn't been there for new towers, especially with Toronto so relatively close, and Hamilton lost a lot of its downtown corporate presence during the office suburbanization trend.

There was no market for large condos for a long time, and little incentive to build high-rise rental buildings since the 1970s.

Perhaps these things will change now with growth pressures across the GTA-centred region really starting to ripple outward, and improved transportation linkages on the way. There is stuff being built, and more buildings proposed and looking like they will go forward as the demand seems to be there. How it all grows and affects the skyline will be interesting to see.

Edmonton went through 35 years of downtown stagnation as well other then 3 office towers ans a handfull of midrises. It has started to rebound again. Just think Hamilton with a million metro would have more of a imposing skyline. You don't need office towers to have a nice skyline hopefully Hamilton will start building more up then out in the next couple of decades its a nice lakefront city I just think its should have a skyline to match.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by ue

Edmonton's skyline isn't exactly 'centralized' either (probably as much as Winnipeg's is). It extends west from downtown for 15 blocks through the tabletop of Oliver and extends across the river to the University and Saskatchewan Drive.

Calgary's is a bit more centralized, as is Montreal's, and I suppose Vancouver and Toronto (though they have significant clusters not far from the main skyline).

Canadian cities in general don't have the impactful, *bam*, you're in the CBD style of a lot of American cities where skyscrapers peter out mere blocks from the immediate downtown core. So in a sense Canadian skylines aren't very centralized in general.

Edmonton's skyline isn't super centralised, but the highrises are still pretty much all in that area. Winnipeg has more in the suburbs, that's what I was trying to say. So Toronto has a very centralised skyline, but not very centralised highrises. Hamilton just isn't centralised on either front. (An Edmonton-y downtown and Ottawa-y suburban clusters I suppose.)

[Coldrsx]

Edmonton would have more suburban high-rises than Winnipeg, you just don't see them ^in photos.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Skyisnolimit

Edmonton went through 35 years of downtown stagnation as well other then 3 office towers ans a handfull of midrises. It has started to rebound again. Just think Hamilton with a million metro would have more of a imposing skyline. You don't need office towers to have a nice skyline hopefully Hamilton will start building more up then out in the next couple of decades its a nice lakefront city I just think its should have a skyline to match.

That's definitely the hope... especially for those of us who frequent skyscraper forums

It seems to be beginning, but the market is young and while the city claims it is now "open for business" the reality is that city hall is still difficult to work with (though suburban housing developers haven't seemed to have had that rough of a go over the years). The people at the top say the right things, so maybe that too will filter down and change. Developers also used to note it was very difficult to get financing for downtown/central projects, but maybe that's loosening up as the turnaround has begun happening.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Edmonton would have more suburban high-rises than Winnipeg, you just don't see them ^in photos.

It didn't seem that way when I visited.

[O-tacular]

Love the Montreal office proposal but wish it wasn't twins.

[GreaterMontréal]

better version of the twin towers


http://ocpm.qc.ca/sites/ocpm.qc.ca/files/pdf/P76/7a11.pdf

curtain walls.

Montréal is built on a slope, so the towers appear smaller than they really are, plus vous vous rapprochez du fleuve. 170m is about the same height as the TDC1. elles seront juste à côté du Parc Ville-Marie.

[SkahHigh]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Love the Montreal office proposal but wish it wasn't twins.

They're not though. Not the same height and not exactly the same design.