The Ugly Canada Thread

[MolsonExport]

those were some real wall-o-uglies in K-W.

[MolsonExport]

I want to learn more about that wretched-looking "Maple Square Mall" in Port Elgin. Is there really a mall inside? Anybody ever venture inside?

[eemy]

A bit of context for the "shower-curtain" building: it's UW's School of Pharmacy building that has been a part of a resurgence in that part of downtown Kitchener. It's at the corner of King and Victoria which has seen a lot of the old industrial buildings repurposed for condominiums and offices as well as new construction such as this. The new transit hub connecting LRT, GO and intercity buses will be constructed across the street from this (with funding just announced today). And the flowers are supposed to be various herbs etc. with pharmacological significance. I actually like the building as well, for what it's worth, and think it's even better in person.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

A bit of context for the "shower-curtain" building: it's UW's School of Pharmacy building that has been a part of a resurgence in that part of downtown Kitchener. It's at the corner of King and Victoria which has seen a lot of the old industrial buildings repurposed for condominiums and offices as well as new construction such as this. The new transit hub connecting LRT, GO and intercity buses will be constructed across the street from this (with funding just announced today). And the flowers are supposed to be various herbs etc. with pharmacological significance. I actually like the building as well, for what it's worth, and think it's even better in person.

Hmm...this is getting alternate universe-y. To be fair, I think the structure itself is okay enough, and could probably be redeemed by getting rid of the shower curtain for something decent looking.

The main problem with that intersection is that it remains a bleak, wind-swept multi-lane junction dominated by heavy vehicle traffic. Though that's a problem endemic to North American city design in general, it's not specific to K-W, obviously.

[advance62]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Seriously? Maybe the Street View image doesn't do it justice. It's even more dreadful in real life. Total design fail. The architect needs to have his/her license revoked for this one, and the people who approved it should hold their heads in shame.

Then again, we are talking about Kitchener-Waterloo here, the place where urban design/life goes to die...

Hariri + Pontarini is a pretty serious architect for you to claim that: http://www.hariripontarini.com/

Originally Posted by rousseau

Hmm...this is getting alternate universe-y. To be fair, I think the structure itself is okay enough, and could probably be redeemed by getting rid of the shower curtain for something decent looking.

The main problem with that intersection is that it remains a bleak, wind-swept multi-lane junction dominated by heavy vehicle traffic. Though that's a problem endemic to North American city design in general, it's not specific to K-W, obviously.

This intesection is completely changing. A new condo tower is just finishing across the street and the massive multi-use transit hub will be started soon enough on the other corner, not to mention the LRT station being built there currently.

Here are some photos I've take of what I consider to be a gorgeous building.

UW School of Pharmacy by Matt, on Flickr

Crystal by Matt, on Flickr

School of Pharmacy by Night by Matt, on Flickr

UW School of Pharmacy Campus View by Matt, on Flickr

UW School of Pharmacy Interior by Matt, on Flickr

Also please do not associate the EXTREMELY ugly student housing in Waterloo with Kitchener, we're not the same city and I'd like to think that our officials wouldn't approve such garbage

[eemy]

That intersection still has a ways to go, but compared to 10 years ago, it's unrecognizable. It has gone from having three vacant corners and an abandoned shoe factory to three built out corners (shoe factory is now condos, a new mixed-use condo across from it and the School of Pharmacy across from that) and the last corner being slated for development of a mixed-used multi-modal transit hub. Within several blocks are other redeveloped industrial buildings with others continuing to be redeveloped; notable neighbours include the Tannery a block away at Charles and Victoria and the Breithaup Block (with the new Google Canada Headquarters) kitty corner to the School of Pharmacy across from the future transit hub.

The entire north part of Kitchener's downtown has become a second nucleus for high tech companies in the region, which is fantastic since it is slated to become the transportation hub for the region as well. Sure, there's still a lot of room for improvement, but you've got to be blind not to recognize the scale of change in the region, for the better. The Northdale towers were a mistake and the City of Waterloo has already made changes that have seen a significant improvement in the new generation of buildings in that area over that first generation.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by advance62

Hariri + Pontarini is a pretty serious architect for you to claim that: http://www.hariripontarini.com/

Look, not all designers get their designs right all the time.

This...



...is ugly. It's profoundly ugly. Ineptly, stupidly so.

Worst. Shower. Curtain. Ever.

We'll agree to disagree, obviously, but "gorgeous"? Christ!

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

That intersection still has a ways to go, but compared to 10 years ago, it's unrecognizable. It has gone from having three vacant corners and an abandoned shoe factory to three built out corners (shoe factory is now condos, a new mixed-use condo across from it and the School of Pharmacy across from that) and the last corner being slated for development of a mixed-used multi-modal transit hub. Within several blocks are other redeveloped industrial buildings with others continuing to be redeveloped; notable neighbours include the Tannery a block away at Charles and Victoria and the Breithaup Block (with the new Google Canada Headquarters) kitty corner to the School of Pharmacy across from the future transit hub.

The entire north part of Kitchener's downtown has become a second nucleus for high tech companies in the region, which is fantastic since it is slated to become the transportation hub for the region as well. Sure, there's still a lot of room for improvement, but you've got to be blind not to recognize the scale of change in the region, for the better. The Northdale towers were a mistake and the City of Waterloo has already made changes that have seen a significant improvement in the new generation of buildings in that area over that first generation.

I've watched it change. It's always been a bleak intersection for pedestrians, and it remains so now, save for the fact that it has some extra buildings on the corners. I mean, I'm all for seeing things evolve, but let's get some perspective. Nowhere in Kitchener is remotely close to turning into something like an attractive or appealing urban environment. It's still mostly homely, when it isn't downright crappy-looking.

I still go there sometimes for stuff, though. I've got friends there (though we never talk about urban issues!).

[advance62]

Yeah I guess the OAA and Design Exchange just hand out awards like candy...

"2011
Ontario Association of Architects (OAA)
Design Excellence Award
2010
Design Exchange
Silver Medal—Architecture, Commercial"

Obviously you don't like the building but it's simply not an objectively ugly building like most of what we see in this thread. And you can call the city ugly but is it really that different from London or whatever SW Ontario city you live in?

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I want to learn more about that wretched-looking "Maple Square Mall" in Port Elgin. Is there really a mall inside? Anybody ever venture inside?

I was in that mall in the early 90's as some departments of the Town of Port Elgin were in there and my firm was doing some consulting work for the Town. I think it was upstairs and for the life of me I can't remember if there were any stores there at that time in the mall.

You don't go to Port Elgin for cutting edge urbanity. The focus is on the beach and lake.

Looking at it on street view it is really fugly.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I actually kinda like that first one. Thestudent housing in Waterloo though once again proves to be the diarrhea of architecture.

The first one is the School of Pharmacy. It's an architectural award-winner. The plants covering the windows are pharmaceutical plants. The quality of the materials is very high. There is weakness in the design wrt the mechanicals on the rooftop, but overall this is a terrific building. rousseau just doesn't understand it.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

The form looks nice and modern and the materials look good. I can see the pattern being polarizing but compared to the rest of Kitchener / Waterloo can you really complain?

Edit: Why are Kitchener and Waterloo always connected when people talk about one or the other? Are they really close neighbours? Are they like St. Paul and Minneapolis?

They are much closer than that - no river! Although the suburbs are sprawlly, Downtown Kitchener and Uptown Waterloo are only 2 or 3 kilometres apart. I think most outsiders would tend to see them as a single city, with Waterloo as the more upscale "neighbourhood".

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Look, not all designers get their designs right all the time.

This...



...is ugly. It's profoundly ugly. Ineptly, stupidly so.

Worst. Shower. Curtain. Ever.

We'll agree to disagree, obviously, but "gorgeous"? Christ!



I've watched it change. It's always been a bleak intersection for pedestrians, and it remains so now, save for the fact that it has some extra buildings on the corners. I mean, I'm all for seeing things evolve, but let's get some perspective. Nowhere in Kitchener is remotely close to turning into something like an attractive or appealing urban environment. It's still mostly homely, when it isn't downright crappy-looking.

I still go there sometimes for stuff, though. I've got friends there (though we never talk about urban issues!).

Reminds me of the World-class Richard World-class Ivey World-class School of World-class Business. Did I mention that it is World-class? If I didn't, I am quite sure IVEY faculty/grads/admin won't forget.


Worldclassworldclassworldclass

[SignalHillHiker]

It reminds me of a few hideous buildings here. I've never been a fan of that style... what is it? International or something? It always looks so cheap, even in this wooden shantytown.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Reminds me of the World-class Richard World-class Ivey World-class School of World-class Business. Did I mention that it is World-class? If I didn't, I am quite sure IVEY faculty/grads/admin won't forget.


Worldclassworldclassworldclass

Why on earth would one post the Ivey School in a thread of "Ugly". I am at a loss. Unless you're making a veiled reference to MBAs generally - now THAT we could discuss!

[esquire]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

It reminds me of a few hideous buildings here. I've never been a fan of that style... what is it? International or something? It always looks so cheap, even in this wooden shantytown.

Are you kidding SHH? That looks fantastic!

[SignalHillHiker]

Not kidding at all. I hate it. I hate that whole style.

[HomeInMyShoes]

I hate the podium it sits on. I love International style, but there are some bad ones. That one just has bad scaling, it is really poorly done.

[esquire]

You guys are nuts

[kwoldtimer]

I don't think that St John's building has been well maintained (the dark panels look patchy), but I don't have much problem with it otherwise. The wooden staircase at the far end is pretty quirky, however.

[SignalHillHiker]

I just hate that style so much. There are lots of hideous examples of it here:



I much prefer the... not sure what to call this? Art Deco-ish style? of our older industrial buildings:



There's a ring of areas like that around the core, and then it's just... International and cheap modern crap. The SAAN store on a previous page evokes the same reaction in me.