The Ugly Canada Thread

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Xelebes

I get the sense that the specifications for the construction of the building doomed it to be one ugly building, no matter who the architect was. An administrative block segregated but connected to a building that requires it to be big and low to hold lots of people? A clock tower must be added because all city halls must have a clock tower? And that clock tower must be connected to the building?

Was the clock tower a requirement? Even if so why on earth did it have to be that tall? If it really needed a clock it would have been much less ugly had they simply embedded it in the top of the faux cornice in the actual building. Back to the Future Style.

[O-tacular]

I couldn't tell because of the angle of the previous photograph but it looks like that taller building beside the clocktower is also part of the city hall. Then you have that condo in the background which is just a newer version of this —. The whole thing looks like a theme park.

[O-tacular]

Is that shorter building on the left also part of the city hall?

[O-tacular]

Gah! Every new angle I see it from gets worse. The newer condos with their imitation architecture just adds to the theme park feel.

[O-tacular]

Just as iconic as the Arc de Triomphe! I give you.... Elephant Cankles!

• Video Link

[O-tacular]

To me Mississauga's city hall is a much shittier version of Edmonton's which actually is not bad. They even managed a non-hideous clocktower.

[GlassCity]

While we're on the subject, I'd like to engage in some boosterism and flaunt my own city's clocktowers.

This one anchors the central strip mall area of the suburb I live in. No doubt part of an "iconic structure" requirement when being re-zoned.


asd by Glass_City, on Flickr


Untitled by Glass_City, on Flickr

Here's the one at my school, engorged with higher learning:


http://brand.ubc.ca/downloads/aerial-campus-photos/

The engineering students managed to get a Beetle on it:


http://www.wemadeit.ca/more2life/eng-pranks/

[advance62]

I am biased but Kitchener City Hall is PoMo done right

Kitchener City Hall by Matt, on Flickr

City Hall by Matt, on Flickr

[MolsonExport]

A thousand times better than the fugly in Mississauga. Perhaps 10,000 time better.

[MolsonExport]

Visual stunner. I love the way the clocktower is the yin to the yang of the Chevron sign. Where is A.Y. Jackson when you need him?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Visual stunner. I love the way the clocktower is the yin to the yang of the Chevron sign. Where is A.Y. Jackson when you need him?

Is that a FATBURGER I see across the street there?

[kool maudit]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Visual stunner. I love the way the clocktower is the yin to the yang of the Chevron sign. Where is A.Y. Jackson when you need him?

That one reminds me of this "Eyesore of the Month" from James Howard Kunstler:



"This street could not be more normal across America. It is Ohio River Blvd, Bellevue, PA. There are many ways of understanding the failures of urban form in the USA, but the salient condition of these places always has one overarching feature: lack of decorum. It makes us a nation of clowns dwelling in a clown habitat. There are consequences. Note: nobody wants to be here outside of a car."

[kool maudit]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is that a FATBURGER I see across the street there?

It is also clownish to eat at "Fatburger". There are a lot of those in Los Angeles.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is that a FATBURGER I see across the street there?

Truth in advertising.

[WhipperSnapper]

Wow. This page just wants to make you rip your hair out. Kitchener City Hall is a completely different style of postmodernism. As I said before, I too find Mississauga City Hall appropriate for this thread but, the lack of respect of this style of PoMo is downright brutish. Same goes for those calling Gehry a hack at his preferred brand of PoMo.

Guess a break is in order here.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Wow. This page just wants to make you rip your hair out. Kitchener City Hall is a completely different style of postmodernism. As I said before, I too find Mississauga City Hall appropriate for this thread but, the lack of respect of this style of PoMo is downright brutish. Same goes for those calling Gehry a hack at his preferred brand of PoMo.

Guess a break is in order here.

So the ugliest part of this thread to you is people not properly understanding or labeling architectural sub-types?

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Wow. This page just wants to make you rip your hair out. Kitchener City Hall is a completely different style of postmodernism. As I said before, I too find Mississauga City Hall appropriate for this thread but, the lack of respect of this style of PoMo is downright brutish. Same goes for those calling Gehry a hack at his preferred brand of PoMo.

Guess a break is in order here.

Who called Gehry a hack? I don't recall seeing anyone even mention him or discuss deconstructivism.

[O-tacular]

It's not outright hideous like some of the other examples but Boucherville's city hall has always confused me. It looks like public washrooms you'd see in Banff or some other national parks in the mountains.

[niwell]

I'm with Whippersnapper on this one. Mississauga City Hall isn't to my personal tastes either, but it is a well thought out, cohesive po-mo design. It doesn't belong in the same leagues as Laval's monstrosity!

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is that a FATBURGER I see across the street there?

Sure is! Only came in a couple years ago and the town actually went crazy from joy.