[Surrey] 3 Civic Plaza | 164m | 48 fl | Completed

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Wasn't this building supposed to be iconic?

IMO, sheer height alone would make it iconic. Others would just be bonuses.

Originally Posted by invisibleairwaves

Source: Civic Surrey

[Vin]

What will they do to Whalley's arena and aquatic centre in the long run? I find that this neighbourhood will look even better if the plaza is opened up unblocked to the bus loop, such that visitors to Surrey Central mall can view the library, City hall and Civic Plaza unhindered. Currently I find it weird to have to walk around the rec centre to the iconic plaza of Surrey Central.

Still, the neighbourhood is starting to look very urban, especially at night when the existing towers are lit up.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by Vin

IMO, sheer height alone would make it iconic. Others would just be bonuses.

Height is all it takes to be iconic? That's an extremely low standard. And this tower isn't even that tall, it's not even 550ft.

And what other things does it have that are "bonuses"?

The massing isn't anything special, it's just two rectangles beside each other.

Mixed use? That's now iconic?

Color or patterns? It uses the most generic bland spandrel available and in horrible proportions on the hotel side.

Location, I guess you could say that it's a bonus. But it's not because of this building. City Hall and the Library buildings are very nice and the plaza was built out well.

The picks on the side? Maybe that's the only distinctive part of this building, but it's hardly something iconic.

[Shift]

Originally Posted by Vin

What will they do to Whalley's arena and aquatic centre in the long run? I find that this neighbourhood will look even better if the plaza is opened up unblocked to the bus loop, such that visitors to Surrey Central mall can view the library, City hall and Civic Plaza unhindered. Currently I find it weird to have to walk around the rec centre to the iconic plaza of Surrey Central.

Still, the neighbourhood is starting to look very urban, especially at night when the existing towers are lit up.

The arenas are being torn down in about 2 years after the new rec centre opens near Scott Rd station. Once that happens the bus loop will be relocated, and the plaza will be continued through to the Central City Plaza, with new development parcels along the extended plaza. Expect to see more retail, a new rec centre (minus the arenas), office, condos, maybe performing arts centre, and an SFU expansion.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Height is all it takes to be iconic? That's an extremely low standard. And this tower isn't even that tall, it's not even 550ft.

And what other things does it have that are "bonuses"?

The massing isn't anything special, it's just two rectangles beside each other.

Mixed use? That's now iconic?

Color or patterns? It uses the most generic bland spandrel available and in horrible proportions on the hotel side.

Location, I guess you could say that it's a bonus. But it's not because of this building. City Hall and the Library buildings are very nice and the plaza was built out well.

The picks on the side? Maybe that's the only distinctive part of this building, but it's hardly something iconic.

So what's your definition of iconic? Because all I'm reading in your post is "must shoot laser beams at the moon to be iconic." It's one thing to slag a building, it's another one to justify your opinion by defining (as a few have asked already) what it would take to be iconic in your eyes?

Is it just "being pretty?" because so far that seems to be your only definition of a building being iconic. I mean if it is more than that where is your bar?

It wasn't many years ago that 500 feet was pretty prominent in Metro-Vancouver. Now you make the mark 550 feet. I get the impression if this was 555 feet you'd say "It isn't even 560 feet!" the ever growing unreachable bar.

I mean if you don't like it ok fair enough. But at least just say "I don't like it because I think it sux" and be done with it.

I will freely admit that on the 'looks' side of things, it isn't turning out to (other than shape) really look a glassy as the render, but it is a render and few buildings match their renders. It would have looked better though likely if they stuck closer to the render.

[Shift]

The sheer size, massing, and articulation of the building make up for the drab grey spandrel so far. The spandral/glass is actually looking better the more they add though, especially in some lighting conditions, so will hold my judgement for when it's finished. This building has so much visual interest and varied looks from all angles. Turning out great so far overall. The wind turbines at the top will be a first for a Metro Vancouver high rise as well, if you want something iconic.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Thanks, I need to check the figure on my car's navigation next time I am in Surrey Central.

By the way, the highest living in Metro Vancouver won't be either in Surrey or Metrotown. Everyone forgets Burnaby Mountain, where new ~14 floor mini towers are going up. Those will offer the highest elevation living, although fairly close to the ground.

They're building towers like this halfway up to Cypress Bowl now too



Gotta remember that Fraser River isn't "sea level"

[Shift]

Came across this render in a City Centre brochure. Looks to be a more accurate depiction of what the glazing will look like on the rest of the building. Podium looks good but the office/condo doesn't look very promising. At least the condo facade is broken up with the inset balconies.



https://www.surrey.ca/files/CityCentreBrochure.pdf

[logan5]

Good mixture of materials there. First you got your glass, then a bit of glass, then, to top things off, more glass.

[csbvan]

A new (spandrel) icon for Surrey!

[Vin]

That rendering doesn't even depict the more interesting side of the tower with honeycomb concrete design.

True that the tower would look so much better without the inset balconies and spandrels.

What's going to be in the podium? Couple floors of retail?

[officedweller]

From 3 Civic Plaza's Facebook:


https://www.facebook.com/3CivicPlaza?_rdr

[Whalleyboy]

Instead of grey should have matched centrals blue

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Pinion

They're building towers like this halfway up to Cypress Bowl now too

Six floors is hardly a tower, even in West Vancouver. Despite that, I think Bournaby Mountain may take the cake for being the highest. Those towers in West Vancouver are perhaps 180-200 meters above the sea level. I believe Burnaby Mountain is higher and the towers are double that.

Sorry for the off-topic.

[Infrequent Poster]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Height is all it takes to be iconic? That's an extremely low standard. And this tower isn't even that tall, it's not even 550ft.

And what other things does it have that are "bonuses"?

The massing isn't anything special, it's just two rectangles beside each other.

Mixed use? That's now iconic?

Color or patterns? It uses the most generic bland spandrel available and in horrible proportions on the hotel side.

Location, I guess you could say that it's a bonus. But it's not because of this building. City Hall and the Library buildings are very nice and the plaza was built out well.

The picks on the side? Maybe that's the only distinctive part of this building, but it's hardly something iconic.

550 feet puts it into top tier buildings (sad but true) in terms of height. This is vancouver let's remember.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Whalleyboy

Instead of grey should have matched centrals blue

I may talk a lot of garbage about spandrel, but it is not the spandrel itself that I am so against - it's the color of it. The problem with this teal/gray color is that is the blandest color imaginable. It is not any color really, but just a boringly bland mix of everything that would be bold. It is the complete opposite of bold.

I wouldn't mind all the use of spandrel that much if buildings would at least have stronger, bolder and distinct color schemes! Now everything looks the same bland mass, indistinguishable from anything else.

[Shift]

So we're at about February based on that. I also highly doubt there would be that much growth between February and May. It's not even proportionate to the May-Aug they are showing. Wouldn't rely on anything put out by the Civic 3 social media. They announced the hotel portion was topped out a month ago, when it still had 2 floors and amenity to go.

Originally Posted by officedweller

From 3 Civic Plaza's Facebook:


https://www.facebook.com/3CivicPlaza?_rdr

[GMasterAres]

Yah it isn't even technically topped out now as they have put the last floor on the hotel but they still need to put on the podium at the top. When that podium is up then it is "topped" out in my opinion.

That said, 8th residential floor is up now they are working on the 9th. By my estimation though they can't possibly be topped out before November or December unless they increase pace considerably. October I don't see.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Infrequent Poster

550 feet puts it into top tier buildings (sad but true) in terms of height. This is vancouver let's remember.

True, as you say, but is height everything? Many great European cities, and American (DC) are non, or very little %highrise. It' true that a # of great buildings have been watered down
here in Vancouver due largely to viewcones and other limits, but as a consolation, Brentwood's going tall, and ultimately, the new Lougheed town centre. Rio de Janeiro is a classic beaty.
Imagine if there were highrises here and there as in São Paulo!! Yeeeyeck.
As for Vancouver, it may become the only city in the world where the suburban town centre high rises are taller than in the CBD. (Gotta look on the bright side)

[Infrequent Poster]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

True, as you say, but is height everything? Many great European cities, and American (DC) are non, or very little %highrise. It' true that a # of great buildings have been watered down
here in Vancouver due largely to viewcones and other limits, but as a consolation, Brentwood's going tall, and ultimately, the new Lougheed town centre. Rio de Janeiro is a classic beaty.
Imagine if there were highrises here and there as in São Paulo!! Yeeeyeck.
As for Vancouver, it may become the only city in the world where the suburban town centre high rises are taller than in the CBD. (Gotta look on the bright side)

I applaud the suburban town centre's for having the courage to build what vancouver won't (and hopefully this pressures vancouver in some way to loosen up a bit) but strictly speaking from an idea logical standpoint, I would like the tallest and most prominent buildings to be located downtown. In 5 or ten years it's not unthinkable that a tourist driving on highway 1 might not be able to tell where downtown vancouver is. Is it metrotown? Brentwood? Lougheed?Or that tabletop cluster in the distance?

Personally I don't like that scenario.