Winnipeg | 300 Main St.- Phase II 360 Main St. | 465 Ft | 42F | Completed

[Arts]

Originally Posted by DowntownBooster

I think the Richardson Building looks just fine the way it is. With the changes and development to occur at the southwest area of Portage & Main and with 201 Portage already clad with lots of glass there is really no need to make changes to our first real tower in the modern era. Although many new glass towers have gone up in New York over the years, the Empire State Building still remains a classic.

Agreed, leave the Richardson alone, when it becomes prudent for them to reclad the building let the owners decide for themselves. The best cities grow organically, and for bystanders to all shout out "we'd love to only see gleaming glass towers" would interfere with what the urban city really needs. Now when it comes to street level amenities, that's a different story because the ground floor of every downtown building interacts directly with the public, and there are other controls (such as mandatory pedestals to control wind at street level etc).

Had the original WTC twin towers been still standing I don't think anybody on here would be arguing they need to be covered in glass to make them look supercool, because most people I think can pay some respect to the era they were designed and built. And likewise the new WTC towers absolutely require the highest modern architectural highlights which is why they will be gleaming glass and built to high technical specifications.

In Winnipeg, 201 Portage stands out so beautifully partially by the way it's juxtaposed against the Richardson. Likewise the new cladding on the Trizec will benefit largely by being juxtaposed against the new condo tower with it's rows of balconies and residential feel. The best way to make Winnipeg's skyline sparkle is not by modernizing and homogenizing the buildings rather by adding and filling in the gaps with what is right for the era in which it's built.

[Arts]

And speaking of organic, one thing I find severely lacking in the render of the condo tower is greenery, no places for plants of any sort on there... a couple terraces with trees would sure make it look so much more spectacular and liveable.

[BuildUpWpg]

Too many pages here to look to see if anyone has brought this up yet but will Winnipeg Square have to be closed when 300 Main construction commences? Seems dangerous to have heavy construction going on overhead while having crowds of people passing through underneath.

[Urban recluse]

Originally Posted by Arts

And speaking of organic, one thing I find severely lacking in the render of the condo tower is greenery, no places for plants of any sort on there... a couple terraces with trees would sure make it look so much more spectacular and liveable.

That always enhances a building. We need more of it.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by BuildUpWpg

Too many pages here to look to see if anyone has brought this up yet but will Winnipeg Square have to be closed when 300 Main construction commences? Seems dangerous to have heavy construction going on overhead while having crowds of people passing through underneath.

I would doubt it, the "roof" was probably designed with enough strength knowing that the new tower would be built in the future. there may be localized areas closed for elevator shafts, etc.

If anything I would expect the east side Fort St sidewalk and maybe one traffic lane north of parking log enterence to be closed as a laydown area.

[buzzg]

Obviously the first thing that tends to need replacing, especially for efficiency, is windows. While I'm not a huge fan of Richardson, I don't think a complete reclad is a good option, but I think when it comes time to replace the windows they could make a dramatic statement with a more mirrored or just interesting style of glass.

And to the comment about lots of glass aging well, I agree. While the colour of the marble makes it obvious it's from the 90s, I think 201 Portage has held up very well, I still really like the look of it. [save for lack of street interaction]

And yes the Radisson is absolutely atrocious in every aspect.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by buzzg

And yes the Radisson is absolutely atrocious in every aspect.

Y'all be trippin. It's an awesome example of brutalism in skyscraper form. Everyone takes it for granted but it is a very elegant tower.


Source: http://winnipegdowntownplaces.blogspot.ca/

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by esquire

Y'all be trippin. It's an awesome example of brutalism in skyscraper form. Everyone takes it for granted but it is a very elegant tower.


Source: http://winnipegdowntownplaces.blogspot.ca/

As many people have said before: as it is right now, it looks awful. The main floor is a mess, and it needs to be lit up dramatically at night.

[Urban recluse]

Such an eyesore. But this is beautiful.


http://www.warrenandmahoney.com/en/portfolio/commercial-bay/

[Andy6]

No self-respecting building would go out dressed like that.

The Radisson made a powerful statement in its day as CP Hotels' replacement for the Royal Alexandra. I like it -- it's much more interesting, architecturally, than its cousins in Toronto like the Hilton and the Sheraton Centre.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

You are bang on. The Delta concrete nastiness was painted an off-white, no? It is definitely brighter than it was years ago.

the delta is particularly bad when you compare our hotel to what other cities have and what's proposed... it is a shameful looking hotel. at least the elephant and castle was renovated..

[Urban recluse]

Originally Posted by Jeff

the delta is particularly bad when you compare our hotel to what other cities have and what's proposed... it is a shameful looking hotel. at least the elephant and castle was renovated..

The Fairmont is the same. It has always been the black sheep. Biguc can relate to that.

[Urban recluse]

Originally Posted by Andy6

No self-respecting building would go out dressed like that.

The Radisson made a powerful statement in its day as CP Hotels' replacement for the Royal Alexandra. I like it -- it's much more interesting, architecturally, than its cousins in Toronto like the Hilton and the Sheraton Centre.

A lot of old--I mean--men of advanced years are averse to the beautiful translucent towers of today. No offense.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by BuildUpWpg

Too many pages here to look to see if anyone has brought this up yet but will Winnipeg Square have to be closed when 300 Main construction commences? Seems dangerous to have heavy construction going on overhead while having crowds of people passing through underneath.

one thing i've always thought, is apparently if the parking garage downstairs is such a money maker, why not just turn the whole "mall" into a garage? seems like a struggle to keep the retail going down there. move the pathway upstairs and convert it to Winnipeg's favourite parking spot.

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by Jeff

one thing i've always thought, is apparently if the parking garage downstairs is such a money maker, why not just turn the whole "mall" into a garage? seems like a struggle to keep the retail going down there. move the pathway upstairs and convert it to Winnipeg's favourite parking spot.

That mall is far from on life support. It makes a lot of money. The food court is always busy and the food places last for decades. The small stores fit in perfect.

[1ajs]

radissian needs tlc..

its a decent tower for what it is.. cant complaint hell i did a sound and lights setup in the ballroom on nye what a way to bring the ny in

[The Jabroni]

At the very least, maybe a good pressure washer on the exterior would help the natural colour of concrete pop out more, yes?

Either way, the Radisson is more deserving of a facelift or a reclad than the Richardson Building.

[Spocket]

My issue with the Radisson isn't the style in which it was built. It's just that it looks like 🞵🞵🞵🞵. Partly that's a result of the style but mostly it's because it's been allowed to look like it ran through a field of burning Kuwaiti oil. Even a little paint would do the trick.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Spocket

My issue with the Radisson isn't the style in which it was built. It's just that it looks like 🞵🞵🞵🞵. Partly that's a result of the style but mostly it's because it's been allowed to look like it ran through a field of burning Kuwaiti oil. Even a little paint would do the trick.

CanadInns couldn't be trusted to paint the canopies over the main doors nicely. You think they could handle painting the entire building?

Painting the Radisson would be one way to really make it look like 🞵🞵🞵🞵.

[rkspec]

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