The Ugly Canada Thread

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I disagree for three reasons. The Aldred uses similar materials to surrounding buildings (stone), has more similar massing and is not scaled to take up an entire block. I considered what you said but the thing is as a kid seeing the Aldred and having no idea about architectural styles or eras it never stuck out to me like the courthouse did. It seemed like it belonged more with the character of everything else.

I know it won't change what you think of the building and your general opinion about its integration in its surrounding, but the Court house is indeed made in large parts of grey stones (those blind wall on either sides), like pretty much everything else in Old Montreal.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

No it's not, it's a tacky 1890s hotel. It's got about exactly zero to do with an actual castle.




If the standard is "fitting in with the fortifications", then a brutalist bunker would actually be a much better fit than a Victorian-era hotel.....

I think many people are a bit blinded by their bias against newer architecture, that's all. We now universally love buildings that were despised by people exactly like us 80 years ago because they were brand new, because they clashed with their older/homogeneous neighborhood, and because they were totally out-of-scale with their surroundings. Can't you see that there's a good chance, if history repeats itself, that the Montrealers of the 22nd century will like that courthouse and consider it a really fine example of the architecture of its era? It might even be a designated heritage building by then, due to being a particularly desirable example of its era.

Your hypothesis on here is an interesting one, though I do wonder if (highlighted text) a lot of people back in those days we really as concerned about architectural aesthetics as many people are today.

(I mean, outside of Paris - where people hated the Eiffel Tower when it was first built. Which I guess kinda proves your point.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

I know it won't change what you think of the building and your general opinion about its integration in its surrounding, but the Court house is indeed made in large parts of grey stones (those blind wall on either sides), like pretty much everything else in Old Montreal.

Not sure if the dimensions work but I'd love to see the courthouse swap locations with the Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde on René-Lévesque.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by lio45

No it's not, it's a tacky 1890s hotel. It's got about exactly zero to do with an actual castle.




If the standard is "fitting in with the fortifications", then a brutalist bunker would actually be a much better fit than a Victorian-era hotel.....

I think many people are a bit blinded by their bias against newer architecture, that's all. We now universally love buildings that were despised by people exactly like us 80 years ago because they were brand new, because they clashed with their older/homogeneous neighborhood, and because they were totally out-of-scale with their surroundings. Can't you see that there's a good chance, if history repeats itself, that the Montrealers of the 22nd century will like that courthouse and consider it a really fine example of the architecture of its era? It might even be a designated heritage building by then, due to being a particularly desirable example of its era.

I don't have a bias against newer architecture though I admit that many brutalist and modern buildings of that era are now in the same position as buildings that were demolished back in the 60's and 70's were in. One example in Calgary that I will be sad to see demolished is the old Calgary Board of Education building.



Many find it ugly but I really like it and think future generations will shake their heads over it being demolished for new glass highrises. Thankfully due to the slump in the economy it is still standing.

I like certain examples of contrasting new architecture such as this one in Graz Austria:



However there are some places that the new architecture treats its' surroundings with indifference or even hostility such as the court house in Montreal does imo. It's similar to the brutalist CBC tower on top of the hill in Quebec city. Maybe you're right and in time people won't see much of a difference, but I remain skeptical.

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Not sure if the dimensions work but I'd love to see the courthouse swap locations with the Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde on René-Lévesque.

Ouf, Id hate that with a furious passion. Yikes. The cathedral is perfect where it is, having a dialog with other great buildings around the square: the Sun Life, the Windsor Station, The old Windsor Hotel, etc. The court house on that location would hurt the beauty and grandeur of the square much more than it does what it does in Old Montreal.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

Ouf, Id hate that with a furious passion. Yikes. The cathedral is perfect where it is, having a dialog with other great buildings around the square: the Sun Life, the Windsor Station, The old Windsor Hotel, etc. The court house on that location would hurt the beauty and grandeur of the square much more than it does what it does in Old Montreal.

OK, maybe you're right...

[Martin Mtl]

What I dislike the most about the court house is that it ruins the skyline from the river, especially at night when it becomes this gigantic black hole.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/25460198@N04/33238609055/in/dateposted/

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

What I dislike the most about the court house is that it ruins the skyline from the river, especially at night when it becomes this gigantic black hole.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/25460198@N04/33238609055/in/dateposted/

Yes it ruins the view from the waterfront. It also rips you right out of the time warp illusion of the rest of the Vieux Port. It's jarring.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Yes you know me so well. I love Baroque architecture and hate all modernism! Forget the fact I absolutely love mid century modernism and yes even some Brutalism. What 'track record' are you even referring to? Because I once photoshopped Robart's library as Rodan in a Clockzilla battle? It was too perfect not to. Doesn't mean I don't find it interesting.

Sure. It's all about Robarts and none of the decent mid century modernism you felt like contributing over the years to this thread. You judge things on what you like and dislike. It needs to thrill or be different. I'm not a fan of Pomo and pretty much all subsets of it. I'm still going to respect Mississauga's City Hall as a fine example of it.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I don't have a bias against newer architecture though I admit that many brutalist and modern buildings of that era are now in the same position as buildings that were demolished back in the 60's and 70's were in. One example in Calgary that I will be sad to see demolished is the old Calgary Board of Education building.

Now THAT would be, architecturally, a pretty smooth fit with other fortifications!








(former two on France's Atlantic coast, last one in Guernsey. All WWII German bunkers.)

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Your hypothesis on here is an interesting one, though I do wonder if (highlighted text) a lot of people back in those days we really as concerned about architectural aesthetics as many people are today.

(I mean, outside of Paris - where people hated the Eiffel Tower when it was first built. Which I guess kinda proves your point.

In fact, when I wrote the part you highlighted, I had the Price Building in mind. It had every one of the three reproaches I listed in the highlighted part thrown at it by the locals when it was new, yet now it's basically universally loved by architecture/heritage fans (objectively, I must agree it's a very fine example of a small art deco 'skyscraper').

Of course, the Eiffel Tower is another good example.

[Harrij]

I'm late by about a week but here's a double whammy Tims-Walmart axis of pain in the Big E. https://goo.gl/maps/DoN1CLtTVKz

Bonus 2007 potato filter https://goo.gl/maps/mUGTzbAeRtt

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Harrij

I'm late by about a week but here's a double whammy Tims-Walmart axis of pain in the Big E. https://goo.gl/maps/DoN1CLtTVKz

Bonus 2007 potato filter https://goo.gl/maps/mUGTzbAeRtt

It exists somewhere else! The drive thru mini Timmy's.

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Calgary...!8m2!3d51.0486151!4d-114.0708459!6m1!1e1

[OutOfTowner]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Not sure if the dimensions work but I'd love to see the courthouse swap locations with the Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde on René-Lévesque.

Noooooo! I'm with Martin on this. Further east on René-Lévesque would have been an ideal location.

While I like the building, the location is all wrong. It looms over its surroundings and does not fit in at all with city hall and the old court house.

Then there are the blank walls:


And the black hole effect- even from Champ de Mars- that Martin mentioned:

Would be a good place for a discrete mural or sculpture.



We do have it to thank for saving Old MTL though. Opposition to this and the Banque Nationale building finally woke people up to the danger of willy-nilly development down there in the late 60's, early 70's.

One minor quibble. People have been referring to this area as "Old Port" whereas this is Old Montreal. Old Port begins where Old Montreal ends at de la Commune/d'Youville

[Martin Mtl]

/\ So true about the confusion between Old Port and Old Montreal.

About that blind wall: it will be use very soon for giant projections, part of the second phase of the Cité Mémoire project. So that's a silver lining right there.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by OutOfTowner

Noooooo! I'm with Martin on this. Further east on René-Lévesque would have been an ideal location.

While I like the building, the location is all wrong. It looms over its surroundings and does not fit in at all with city hall and the old court house.

Then there are the blank walls:



We do have it to thank for saving Old MTL though. Opposition to this and the Banque Nationale building finally woke people up to the danger of willy-nilly development down there in the late 60's, early 70's.

One minor quibble. People have been referring to this area as "Old Port" whereas this is Old Montreal. Old Port begins where Old Montreal ends at de la Commune/d'Youville

Beautiful! Fits in seamlessly!

Are you sure that's not the Chateau Frontenac?

[O-tacular]

How has this turd bucket never ended up on here before?

[vid]

Thunder Bay has a mini-Tim Hortons too.

We also have this:



It opened late last year. See that garage door? That's the exit of the former car wash that was in that gas station under the previous owners. Today, it's the drive through for the Tim Hortons.

That's right! Thunder Bay has an indoor drive-through!

Also that apartment to the left is fucking hideous.

[O-tacular]

Okay indoor drive thru wins for worst Tim Horton's!

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by Driver8

Hope you guys don't mind me posting this non-Canada building (in Atlanta - the Georgia Archives Building). I thought you might appreciate the hideousness. It will go "boom" this weekend & no longer be an eyesore.

Demo video:


https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=76b_1488721232