[Halifax] The Maple | 72 m | 21 fl | Completed

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by someone123

I think there is vastly more funding for heritage restoration in Quebec City and there's a lot more attention to detail. In Halifax not only has there been more demolition but many (most?) heritage buildings have been stripped of detailing over the years. For example, both the Spring Garden courthouse and old post office (now AGNS) at one point had cupolas. There has also been more reconstruction in Quebec City. Back in the 1950's and 60's a lot of the parts of Quebec City that look great today were comparable to run down parts of Halifax of the same era.

In the same way if you look at a lot of the commercial areas in Quebec City they have higher quality and more consistent streetscaping. There are a lot more granite curbs, wider sidewalks with pavers, consistent pedestrian-scaled lighting, the overhead wires are gone, etc. etc. The streetscaping by the library in Halifax is a slightly cheapened version of what is common in Quebec City, but it only goes on for one block. The Public Gardens are pretty nice now but the Grand Parade, Province House grounds, Commons, and Point Pleasant are somewhat run down and mediocre compared to their Quebec City equivalents.

I noticed the same thing on a trip to Boston last month. Historic buildings there are kept in vastly better repair, and historic districts are treated with enormous respect. (The idea that the state of Massachusetts would allow a publicly owned building like the Dennis to fall apart is laughable, for example, especially if it were in proximity to their State House).

Streetscaping and public-realm stuff like wayfinding and lighting is of a much higher quality.

On the other hand, beauty doesn't necessarily make or break a city. On the same trip I was in Toronto for a few days, after a couple of years away, and I'd forgotten how incredibly shabby much of that city is, and remains even in the midst of a seemingly endless property and development boom. Developers overall seem to treat historic properties better (less wholesale demolition, anyway) but the upkeep of your typical Victorian or Edwardian commercial main-street building is pretty woeful. I noticed a lot of improvements in terms of signage, bike infrastructure, and some other stuff, but the public realm is pretty blah in Toronto as well.

But I like Toronto better than Boston, for reasons that the latter's attractiveness can never compensate for.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

But I like Toronto better than Boston, for reasons that the latter's attractiveness can never compensate for.

I think Toronto's more vibrant because of all the construction and higher density but not because of the shabbiness (although there's something to be said for flexibility and a lack of red tape, and Massachusetts is the land of red tape and litigation). Halifax is also vibrant partly because of all the highrises, including buildings like Fenwick and Park Vic that are not terribly popular but house a lot of residents. Maple is going to be another one of those, but hopefully it'll be more attractive when it's completed. It would not be possible for Halifax to be as vibrant as it is without these buildings; I think that is under-appreciated.

I hope that one day Halifax can have the best of both worlds, and encourage reasonably dense and architecturally interesting development in most areas while doing a good job of maintaining the heritage buildings that have survived. And the public realm stuff of course is completely orthogonal; it just hasn't happened in Halifax because the regional council has dragged its heels for so long.

I'm not even sure it's a net cost for the municipality to encourage heritage preservation, because tax rebates seem to be effective and the renos drive up property values. I think Barrington Street under the heritage district is just going to be better than before, and HRM by Design permits lots of development on the side streets.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by someone123

I think there is vastly more funding for heritage restoration in Quebec City and there's a lot more attention to detail. In Halifax not only has there been more demolition but many (most?) heritage buildings have been stripped of detailing over the years. For example, both the Spring Garden courthouse and old post office (now AGNS) at one point had cupolas. There has also been more reconstruction in Quebec City. Back in the 1950's and 60's a lot of the parts of Quebec City that look great today were comparable to run down parts of Halifax of the same era.

Here's a "then and now" pair of shots of a brick building on Brunswick Street (source). If you look carefully, a lot of the detailing is gone, and the building looks run down generally:

That is a remarkable contrast. Even more so when you consider that is a publicly-owned building, and that it is occupied by NSCAD.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That is a remarkable contrast. Even more so when you consider that is a publicly-owned building, and that it is occupied by NSCAD.

NSCAD's Fountain Campus on Granville seems to be in a state of fairly mediocre repair as well. I don't know if NSCAD owns the whole block and is responsible for it all, but if so, it hasn't handled that stretch very well.

[Duff]

Last week I got a tour of the upper floors of the Maple. Here are some of the views.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Duff

Last week I got a tour of the upper floors of the Maple. Here are some of the views.

This is the one you want.

[JET]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

NSCAD's Fountain Campus on Granville seems to be in a state of fairly mediocre repair as well. I don't know if NSCAD owns the whole block and is responsible for it all, but if so, it hasn't handled that stretch very well.

I think that NSCAD has always leased those properties.

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

This is the one you want.

Though a completed Alexander and a development on the Ralston site will really reduce that view. At least it's a rental so it's easy to move if the view gets diminished too much.

[teddifax]

Then that (The Alexander) will be the one you want! ha,ha.

[Jonovision]

20160903_093517 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

20160903_093615 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[Jonovision]

20160912_111737 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

20160912_110830_HDR by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[Design-mind]

Mine from a few days ago.

[Design-mind]

Ooops forgot his one.

[Jonovision]

2016-09-23_06-28-18 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[fenwick16]

Great shot Jonovision. It looks very good from that angle.

It will be interesting to see what type of railings will be used on the balconies.

[hoser111]

I really like the way the Maple is shaping up but I wish there was another 5 or 10 sitting atop. NC looks good from this perspective.

[Jonovision]

I find it took that final floor to make the proportions work on this tower. It would of course work if it was even taller, but until that last floor was poured the building looked squat to me.

[DT Hfx]

The Maple and Nova Centre add nicely to the skyline view from the Harbour.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/143634414@N05/29928558975/

[DT Hfx]

Maple 9-25-16 by DwN~toWN Halifax, on Flickr

[bluenoser]

Excellent photos, DT Hfx (and all) - thanks for sharing.

The Maple is making quite an impact on the skyline from this angle.