Downtown Vancouver Updates

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

The Ormidale Block on Hastings Street.

Aug.4 '16, my pics

Sept.6 '16, my pics

[red-paladin]

Will be nice when that entire block is completely finished.

[misterchill]

More on Shigeru Ban's project

http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1255-west-pender-shigeru-ban-vancouver

The first 12 floors of the building will be constructed using traditional concrete and steel methods with balconies and the concrete facade aligned with the levels of the adjacent Evergreen Building designed by the late Arthur Erickson. The proponents have also contracted Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, the original landscape architect for the Evergreen Building, to mirror the landscaping work on the proposed building.

As for the top portion of the building, the remaining seven floors, a Mass Timber Structure design with a triangular shape has been proposed. While the exterior and floor plates will be constructed out of wood, these levels will still be supported by a concrete and steel core to meet local seismic building codes.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

is there a reason it is so short? there can't be a view-cone that low to the ground.

[retro_orange]

Why can't we have more new buildings that respect their older modern era neighbors as well as this one will.

[Vanville]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

I got this in the mail today. Looks like a 30 storey tower will be proposed for the old Catholic Charities building site on Robson with the facade of the old building retained.



Aug.24 '16, my pics

Most of us remember this building as being the former headquarters for the Vancouver Catholic Archdiocese but there was a time when it was the main Vancouver office for Northern Electric (later known as Nortel). I happen to have an art deco radio manufactured by them in 1938. I like the interior space as shown in mcminsen's photo earlier in this thread, especially those massive deco columns that will likely be lost in the redevelopment. Here are some vintage photos from the City of Vancouver archives, first we have the exterior:


[Northern Electric Company building at 150 Robson Street]Matthews, James Skitt, Major; 1929


Note: As shown in the following Google Street View capture the building is now larger than shown in the above 1929 photo. I have circled the original structure in red. The current entrance on Robson was originally a large display window.


More vintage photos of the exterior/interior from the City of Vancouver Archives:
[Northern Electric Company staff party]Lindsay, Jack (btwn 1940-48)

[Northern Electric window display]Lindsay, Jack (btwn 1940-48)

Life Savers Car [in front of Northern Electric at 150 Robson Street]Sept. 8, 1934; Thomson,Stuart

[Interior of the Northern Electric offices]Lindsay, Jack (btwn 1940-48)

[Neon Products billboards at the north end of the Cambie Bridge]1932; Matthews, James Skitt, Major


Interesting Imperial gas station in that last photo (where I think the "Back Forty" Saloon/Pub is now located) you can see the Northern Electric sign+building just above it to the left.

A bit of Northern Electric history at the following link: http://www.northern-electric.ca/history.htm

[osirisboy]

Just one tower? Will it be wider to accommodate more units? It looks like the same lot size as tv towers so I would assume that something of similar size would go here.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Vanville

Most of us remember this building as being the former headquarters for the Vancouver Catholic Archdiocese but there was a time when it was the main Vancouver office for Northern Electric (later known as Nortel). I happen to have an art deco radio manufactured by them in 1938. I like the interior space as shown in mcminsen's photo earlier in this thread, especially those massive deco columns that will likely be lost in the redevelopment. Here are some vintage photos from the City of Vancouver archives, first we have the exterior:

Interesting Imperial gas station in that last photo (where I think the "Back Forty" Saloon/Pub is now located) you can see the Northern Electric sign+building just above it to the left.

A bit of Northern Electric history at the following link: http://www.northern-electric.ca/history.htm

Thanks for that! I have a bunch of vintage radios myself. What model is yours?

I never knew the building started out half the size. It's too bad they couldn't reuse the structure as it is. Those huge poured concrete columns and slabs would keep this up in a big earthquake. Same with that gas station you noted, it looks like a beautiful mini old train station. I have been hoping for awhile now that gas stations would renovate and take on earlier designs from the 20's-40's again. I doubt that would happen though.

[Vanville]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

Thanks for that! I have a bunch of vintage radios myself. What model is yours?

I never knew the building started out half the size. It's too bad they couldn't reuse the structure as it is. Those huge poured concrete columns and slabs would keep this up in a big earthquake. Same with that gas station you noted, it looks like a beautiful mini old train station. I have been hoping for awhile now that gas stations would renovate and take on earlier designs from the 20's-40's again. I doubt that would happen though.

I think my radio is a "Baby Champ" or a version of it. In the following photo of the gutted Northern Electric interior (originally posted by mcminsen on Sept.14 2015 in this thread) you can see those massive columns. I think it would be interesting to incorporate that interior in the new development rather than retaining only the facade. Those columns make the building appear overbuilt, but I'm no structural engineer.


Even the urinals are overbuilt Photo from Clayton Imoo's Blog "WHAT I’LL MISS MOST ABOUT 150 ROBSON" March 2,2015:

Gas stations are gradually becoming a rare commodity around here, but there were some really nice designs back in the day. One of the few vintage ones that is still around is the former Imperial station that is now a "Local Public Eatery" at 2210 Cornwall Ave.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Vanville

...
Note: As shown in the following Google Street View capture the building is now larger than shown in the above 1929 photo. I have circled the original structure in red. The current entrance on Robson was originally a large display window.

Hopefully the façade retention will save the entire length of the facade - older and newer.
especially since the addition shifted the original symmetrical corner farther down the block.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by Vanville

Most of us remember this building as being the former headquarters for the Vancouver Catholic Archdiocese but there was a time when it was the main Vancouver office for Northern Electric (later known as Nortel). I happen to have an art deco radio manufactured by them in 1938. I like the interior space as shown in mcminsen's photo earlier in this thread, especially those massive deco columns that will likely be lost in the redevelopment. Here are some vintage photos from the City of Vancouver archives, first we have the exterior:


[Northern Electric Company building at 150 Robson Street]Matthews, James Skitt, Major; 1929


Note: As shown in the following Google Street View capture the building is now larger than shown in the above 1929 photo. I have circled the original structure in red. The current entrance on Robson was originally a large display window.

I think you've highlighted the new extension to the south, not the original building

[officedweller]

No, he's correct.
There's a portion of the building that is lined up with alley behind - which is demarcated by the back of the former Safeway building shown in the historical pic (so the newer part will be built to the left in the historical pic).
The entrance has just been reconfigured from a display window, as he noted.

[Vanville]

Originally Posted by officedweller

No, he's correct.
There's a portion of the building that is lined up with alley behind - which is demarcated by the back of the former Safeway building shown in the historical pic (so the newer part will be built to the left in the historical pic).

Thanks. This might help, have a look at this Google Map 3D arial view capture:



Looks like the buildings on the block facing Cambie are still fairly original. The massive interior columns of the original Northern Electric building are curved at their capitals whereas the addition's capitals are linear.

[officedweller]

I think people have suggested in the past that the alley would make a good public market / retail area.

A staircase from Robson (through a galleria) down into the alley would be a good addition to the Amacon project...

[officedweller]

Viva Robson - taped stripes cross-crossing the street - across Howe St. too:


https://twitter.com/MilkovichArch

[Locked In]

Originally Posted by Graham_Yvr

When I walked by I too noticed it was a parking lot, but it seems temporary. The surface was not paved, just gravel. Also, they have those orange protection fences around the boulevard trees on Pendrell which typically go up ahead of an excavation. I was hopeful that something was going to happen in the 'near-ish' future, but perhaps not.

Edit - orange fences are gone. Looks like this is an indefinite parking lot done on the cheap.

Denman's newest addition - my photo from Sept 5:


IMG_3824 by 604 City, on Flickr

[mcminsen]

I took these photos about a year ago showing the Cambie Street side and the back of 150 Robson.



Sept.15 '15, my pics

[Marshal]

Originally Posted by Vanville

I think my radio is a "Baby Champ" or a version of it. In the following photo of the gutted Northern Electric interior (originally posted by mcminsen on Sept.14 2015 in this thread) you can see those massive columns. I think it would be interesting to incorporate that interior in the new development rather than retaining only the facade. Those columns make the building appear overbuilt, but I'm no structural engineer.

Buildings are almost, almost, almost, never overbuilt. The columns are large, as with so many older structures in Gastown, Chinatown and Yaletown; because the original function was warehousing. They were engineered for what was calculated at the time as the upper limit load, so the building's use would not be restricted.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

41 East Hastings Street, the old United We Can bottle depot site.

Aug.4 '16, my pic

Sept.10 '16, my pics

[officedweller]

More recent pics of the Grosvenor project on the Il Giardino site.
Staggered vertical stripes on the north and south facades.
Sorry, the images are big.
Note the corner bike lane islands.


http://grosvenorpacific.com/171-2/


http://grosvenorpacific.com/171-2/


http://grosvenorpacific.com/171-2/


http://grosvenorpacific.com/171-2/

Previous renderings with horizontal banding on north and south facades:

Originally Posted by officedweller

http://former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/1380-1382hornby/index.htm

February 24, 2016 Open House Board:


http://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/1380-1382hornby/documents/applicant-boards-10-18.pdf