New Vancouver Art Gallery | Proposed

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by christmas

Good. Vancouver has really got to push the wood thing.
We don't have the height..This isn't a design-centered city either.

What we do have is the nature-loving image and a general acceptance that its a city before the mountains and deep forests.
We need to reinforce the ski-resort feel with wood and aboriginal architecture.
Lets work on that.

"Some things cannot be touched by human vulgarity. Even amidst a crowd that laughs idiotically, there's always someone who understands, who knows. Someone who appreciates."
- Federico Fellini "Nights of Cabiria"

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

"Some things cannot be touched by human vulgarity. Even amidst a crowd that laughs idiotically, there's always someone who understands, who knows. Someone who appreciates."
- Federico Fellini "Nights of Cabiria"

Appreciates what? The offspring of a pagoda and a book of matches? I'd be more in support of it if it was stone or concrete, or even glass - wood makes it look like some Modernist bonfire.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Appreciates what? The offspring of a pagoda and a book of matches? I'd be more in support of it if it was stone or concrete, or even glass - wood makes it look like some Modernist bonfire.

Well said. Thank you.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Appreciates what? The offspring of a pagoda and a book of matches? I'd be more in support of it if it was stone or concrete, or even glass - wood makes it look like some Modernist bonfire.

There is a sophistication to this design, that frankly, you do not understand. The tone of much of the dissension clearly explains why.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

There is a sophistication to this design, that frankly, you do not understand. The tone of much of the dissension clearly explains why.

Once again, not all of us completely hate the design. If they took off the top, or used a different material, it'd be alright. Would you care to condescend to us Neanderthals and explain why the current version is good? Who knows, we might learn something - we sure as hell won't by being called vulgar and idiotic.

See, this is the same problem Brutalism has. The architects forget that they're designing a building, not a modern art sculpture; if nobody except a half-dozen art critics can appreciate it, a return to the drawing board may be required.

Of course, that's even assuming that they had such aims, rather than trying to be "original" and "iconic" and falling WAY short. There is a whole lot more to Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest than just inukshuks and wood, you know.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

There is a sophistication to this design, that frankly, you do not understand. The tone of much of the dissension clearly explains why.

Spoken like a true elitist. Fortunately they will never be able to fundraise the amount required to build this monstrosity.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Spoken like a true elitist. Fortunately they will never be able to fundraise the amount required to build this monstrosity.

What a relief!!! ... oooops, how plebeian of me! (and so many others on the SSP Forum)

[dreambrother808]

i wonder how many dissenters even go to the gallery on a regular basis, or have a basic appreciation of art.

This is not a blanket statement versus dissent, as not all criticism has been so obtuse, but rather just a rally against the usual trollish, reactionary, childish comments that dilute this forum's relevance.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

What a relief!!! ... oooops, how plebeian of me! (and so many others on the SSP Forum)

Sometimes your mere existence boggles my mind.

And yes, I am being quite the hypocrite here.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

i wonder how many dissenters even go to the gallery on a regular basis, or have a basic appreciation of art.

This is not a blanket statement versus dissent, as not all criticism has been so obtuse, but rather just a rally against the usual trollish, reactionary, childish comments that dilute this forum's relevance.

Are you talking about works of art in and of themselves, or about reaction to the proposed new gallery design?
These are, if I may say it, two different things.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

There is a whole lot more to Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest than just inukshuks and wood, you know.

Yes, and there is an elegance to this design that both transcends and incorporates that. It's quite beautiful when you are able to perceive it.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Are you talking about works of art in and of themselves, or about reaction to the proposed new gallery design?
These are, if I may say it, two different things.

The fact that you can't figure this out for yourself speaks volumes.

[christmas]

God, the savageness of these posts. Can one have an opinion in Vancouver?
I don't see how and why people got so butthurt.
Like what kind of attachment do you need to have on this website that should make you overreact as a few of you are doing now? (Or is that just who you are)
Get a life.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

well who doesnt like a good cat fight!

of course some people will like the building, some will hate it, and others will sit back and watch the online fights because of how entertaining they are. but in the end, no one cares about what people think of the building unless they have a large enough check book. if you don't want, or want, this built, you just have to make sure any private investors are on your side. that, and only that, will determine what happens.

personally, its a piece of crap that tried to hard to be "west coast." in 5 years the wood will be grey, out of shape, the gallery wont have money for staining and cleaning, and the thing will look absolutely dreadful. they tried way too hard to incorporate all the "hip" building designs today. the boxes, the wood, the odd proportions; they decided that instead of picking something, they would do it all. hence for this pile of crap.

but in the end, they say good work causes a conversation, so in that aspect, this building has passed with flying colours.

[Migrant_Coconut]

It would help if the supporters explained what they liked about it, as opposed to simply insulting the intelligence of anybody who dislikes it. It's extremely sophomoric, and I mean "Ponytail Guy from Good Will Hunting" sophomoric.

[jollyburger]

So the Museum of Vancouver is moving into the Art Gallery space after they move to Larwill?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

So the Museum of Vancouver is moving into the Art Gallery space after they move to Larwill?

Unless City Council's been hiding plans for a Natural History or Air & Space Museum from us for the last five years, it seems logical.

Shame, really; BC's home to the Burgess Shale, the McAbee Beds, Marble Canyon and at least one Elasmosaurus, while YVR used to be an RCAF base. I for one wouldn't mind spending tax money to move fossils or a Spitfire into the old courthouse building.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

of course some people will like the building, some will hate it, and others will sit back and watch the online fights because of how entertaining they are. but in the end, no one cares about what people think of the building unless they have a large enough check book. if you don't want, or want, this built, you just have to make sure any private investors are on your side. that, and only that, will determine what happens.

personally, its a piece of crap that tried to hard to be "west coast." in 5 years the wood will be grey, out of shape, the gallery wont have money for staining and cleaning, and the thing will look absolutely dreadful. they tried way too hard to incorporate all the "hip" building designs today. the boxes, the wood, the odd proportions; they decided that instead of picking something, they would do it all. hence for this pile of crap.

but in the end, they say good work causes a conversation, so in that aspect, this building has passed with flying colours.

I would agree that the VAG board has to make the case for the Herzog design. I like the design but if a case could be made for another design that has gravity and inspiring and fills people with curiosity and wonder i would be open to it.

At the very least the VAG board has to fight the inertia of defering and kicking the can down the road. You may really hate the design, but the VAG board has to convince people cool to the design to get on board the Herzog train.

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It seems the wood components are a major controversy. I like it as it really does give the gallery a sense of place. An interesting comparison is the work of Zaha Hadid, who passed away recently. Look at these designs and try to guess where they are:



Munich?



Dubai?




If you follow this thread, you know where this is...

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London, Guangzhou and Moscow.

Without context these buildings could be placed anywhere in a larger city in the world and be interchangeable. The wood certainly is different,sets a sense of place and has a statesman-like elegance. Would the wood patina? treat it so it doesn't. Or plan to swap it out for a different skin for other exhibitions. or plan it that way so it does (i probably wouldn't recommend it.)

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Spoken like a true elitist.

I was thinking douchebag instead of elitist.

[mezzanine]

I wouldn't get too worked up about getting a hate-on for or against the design. Look at the controversy over hadid's work and ultimate rejection of her olympic stadium. Controversy over iconic architecture seems legion.

After viewing the revised stadium designs, which were scaled down by a quarter in July following a 40% reduction in budget, one of the country’s most eminent architects, 83-year-old Arata Isozaki, has launched a blistering assault against the project, declaring it to be a “monumental mistake” and warning it will be a “disgrace to future generations”.

In a lengthy open letter to the Japan Sports Council, the government body in charge of plans for the 2020 games, Isozaki rails against the “distorted” process that has led to “a dull, slow form, like a turtle waiting for Japan to sink so that it can swim away”.

“The sight left me in despair,” he writes, having seen the revised scheme at a current exhibition at Tokyo’s Opera City Art Gallery. “If the stadium gets built the way it is, Tokyo will surely be burdened with a gigantic white elephant".

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