CF Pacific Centre Developments

[EdinVan]

Originally Posted by officedweller

"string art" being installed in the Nordstrom:

https://instagram.com/nordstromvan/

I notice that Nordstrom tried its best to photograph the building from the least ugly angles. Not an easy feat.

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by EdinVan

Had the building been maintained and not altered with the addition of the ugly upper floors, it would look much better than the redesign. I'll take a clean, crisp, white modern box any day over a jumbled, confused collection of left-over parts that serve no purpose whatsoever except to ruin of one of the most prominent corners in our city. And having a classy department store like Nordstrom on this corner doesn't make up for this.

So agree!! EATON'S kept it immaculate and few were complaining then about the building. The original design, prior to the addition of the 6th and 7th floors, was simple, clean, timeless and modernist.

source : http://departmentstoremuseum.blogspot.ca

[Joat]

Took these Friday night. Excuse the poor quality, looks a lot better in person.


Source: ME

Source: ME

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

even with the addition it didn't look so bad when Eaton's was around. they power-washed the thing and kept it near spotless. sears ruined the entrances/exits and made it less pedestrian friendly. they also broke up the clean lines and added weird box things to the outside that just made it look awkward. kind of like the new building. haha.







sources various and over a few years

[dreambrother808]

Yes and this is literally the hundredth time someone has posted these pics and opinions... *yawn*

[connect2source]

I loved the black rotunda, the glazing matched that of the TD Tower and tied the two buildings together perfectly.

[Vin]

The black round glass rotunda was pretty much the only good feature of the old cladding. The windowless structure was just oppressive, both from the outside as well as the inside, IMHO. I remember looking out to get a nice but darkened view from the toy section back during the days of Eaton at the rotunda, but the rest of the store felt rather claustophobic even though the floor space was huge.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Vin

The black round glass rotunda was pretty much the only good feature of the old cladding. The windowless structure was just oppressive, both from the outside as well as the inside, IMHO. I remember looking out to get a nice but darkened view from the toy section back during the days of Eaton at the rotunda, but the rest of the store felt rather claustophobic even though the floor space was huge.

For sure. And the building itself garnered such epithets as "the biggest urinal in town," etc. Most people Seemed happy to watch what it had become, disappear: the slimy green, dirty Sears store. Now they're all doing Bronx rasperries at the new building, and lamenting the old one. Such irony.

[Capitol Hill]

I always liked at Christmas time the large pyramid of pointsettias that Eaton's had. The architecture may not be everybody's tastes, but hopefully the new buildings tenants will give Vancouver some new pleasant memories.

[Graham_Yvr]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

For sure. And the building itself garnered such epithets as "the biggest urinal in town," etc. Most people Seemed happy to watch what it had become, disappear: the slimy green, dirty Sears store. Now they're all doing Bronx rasperries at the new building, and lamenting the old one. Such irony.

I believe those who constantly complain about this building's refurbishment have not experienced it person. To me it's miles ahead of what was, and as it reaches completion, seems to fit into the Vancouver urban fabric very nicely.

[Hourglass]

Originally Posted by Graham_Yvr

I believe those who constantly complain about this building's refurbishment have not experienced it person. To me it's miles ahead of what was, and as it reaches completion, seems to fit into the Vancouver urban fabric very nicely.

Well, experiencing it in person didn't do anything for me lol -- I still think it's uninspired and fussy.

The best thing that can be said about the refurbishment is that it's bland. No sensibilities to offend. Maybe the budget was too limited to do too much. But I can't help feel an opportunity was missed to do something more special with this building...

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Graham_Yvr

I believe those who constantly complain about this building's refurbishment have not experienced it person. To me it's miles ahead of what was, and as it reaches completion, seems to fit into the Vancouver urban fabric very nicely.

... I certainly agree, with a few reservations about the "busyness" of much of it.

Originally Posted by Hourglass

Well, experiencing it in person didn't do anything for me lol -- I still think it's uninspired and fussy.

The best thing that can be said about the refurbishment is that it's bland. No sensibilities to offend. Maybe the budget was too limited to do too much. But I can't help feel an opportunity was missed to do something more special with this building...

I sort of agree that it's uninspired and fussy, as you say, but a redeeming feature for me is the reflectivity of it, esp that mirrored stretch along Howe. Reflects the sky and the buildings and lends an "airy" feel that wasn't there before.

[s211]

Originally Posted by Graham_Yvr

seems to fit into the Vancouver urban fabric very nicely.

The pedestrian-level treatment along Howe is a joke.

[Graham_Yvr]

Originally Posted by s211

The pedestrian-level treatment along Howe is a joke.

I don't honestly know what you would expect? Howe is not a retail street through that area, and hardly anyone walks through there. From Dunsmuir to Robson it's riddled with parkade entries. It is what it is. The Howe St. facade above pedestrian level is awesome in how it reflects the city back and opens up the space.

[s211]

Originally Posted by Graham_Yvr

I don't honestly know what you would expect? Howe is not a retail street through that area, and hardly anyone walks through there. From Dunsmuir to Robson it's riddled with parkade entries. It is what it is. The Howe St. facade above pedestrian level is awesome in how it reflects the city back and opens up the space.

Some windows into the store might be nice. There's some pictures in this thread from not too long ago that made it look like this facade was boarded up.

[officedweller]

For the Howe street alcove - it's now worse in terms of function than it was before.

The materials may be brighter and airier - but that's just the superficiality of it.

They re-opened an entrance at the breezeway (but not to the department store),
but they eliminated an entrance to the department store in the alcove.
There aren't even any display windows in the alcove.

The fact is, if you walk the eastside Howe St. sidewalk from West Georgia to Robson, I don't think you would even have any eye-level signage that the big blank wall you're next to is a NORDSTROM department store. No windows, no nothing, until the Robson corner.

i.e. superficial vs function.

[mcminsen]

I took a walk along the Howe Street side today and it is not substantially different than when I posted pics from the beginning of April. There is new pavement, awnings and the pillars are covered. The corner at Robson and Howe is a big mess as they get the new sidewalks put in.




Aug.18 '15, my pics

[connect2source]

Thanks mcminsen for the awesome pics as always!!!

The Howe Street street-level treatment is surreal, I've never before witnessed anything like that along a full stretch of department store ground-level anywhere!!! OMG, who the hell approved this?!?!?

Could they not have installed some shallow display-windows at the very least? It's not only horrible to walk along but it's HIGHLY visible from Robson Square!

Just one of many failed elements of this soon-to-be hated building IMO.

[Prometheus]

Thank you for the update.

Originally Posted by mcminsen

So, this photo confirms that they are reclaiming the Robson Street sidewalk by eliminating the exit lane for the Robson & Howe parkade entrance. Cars that want to access that entrance will now have to make a normal right hand turn at the restored corner of Robson & Howe. But this means the entire reason for the recess along the building's Robson facade has been eliminated. Why wouldn't Cadillac Fairview reclaim that valuable floor space?

[Klazu]

It seems that the architect team was not talking to the chief of engineering who wasn't talking to the property management who wasn't talking with the owners who didn't talk to the architect. Sounds pretty plausible to me.