Great Canadian Skyline Thread II - Page 245

Pinion · #**4881** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 3:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

An incredible setting, so 'un-Canada'.

Looks more familiar to me than most shots here.

someone123 · #**4882** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 3:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Vancouver always looks so much more interesting inside the downtown core than other cities.

I often feel the opposite looking at Vancouver pictures like these.

Areas like Coal Harbour are very sterile and boring to me, at street level and above. There's a lot of glass and minimalism. There isn't much fine-grained detail. There's little contrast.

The eastern side of downtown Vancouver looks much more interesting to me, and it's more like what you find in older cities. There's a mix of older masonry buildings, there are some smaller and lowrise buildings, and there's a greater variety of businesses. The fact that Vancouver doesn't have much in the way of neighbourhoods like that (it's mostly either modern tower areas or houses) is one of its big weaknesses.

FrankieFlowerpot · #**4883** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 1:10 PM**

The plaza in the foreground is proposed to be part of a new transportation hub with a station for the Relief Subway line (if it ever gets built) as well as a station for SmartTrack (again - if it ever gets built)

Martin Mtl · #**4884** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 2:15 PM**

Pic by Ben & World on flickr

Pic by mercure.jacques on flickr

Pic by by Vernamm2 on flickr

Calgarian · #**4885** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 3:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by craner

I agree.
I don't know if it's the bend in the streets or what.

I think that's part of it, plus the buildings aren't as big or closely packed as they are here, and the streets seem narrower than the 4 or 5 lane roads we have.

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

I often feel the opposite looking at Vancouver pictures like these.

Areas like Coal Harbour are very sterile and boring to me, at street level and above. There's a lot of glass and minimalism. There isn't much fine-grained detail. There's little contrast.

The eastern side of downtown Vancouver looks much more interesting to me, and it's more like what you find in older cities. There's a mix of older masonry buildings, there are some smaller and lowrise buildings, and there's a greater variety of businesses. The fact that Vancouver doesn't have much in the way of neighbourhoods like that (it's mostly either modern tower areas or houses) is one of its big weaknesses.

I love modern buildings, and Vancouver being a young city, you can't fault it for not having a ton of historical buildings. I just think the downtown area is very well laid out and it doesn't have the imposing feeling you get in the other 3 big cities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

An incredible setting, so 'un-Canada'.

Looks very Canadian to me, but I spend a ton of time in BC, so it's very familiar to me.

WhipperSnapper · #**4886** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 3:28 PM**

Wider streets and you'd have something like Houston with the size of those blocks.

This is a decent form for higher density urban areas throughout the metro however, a downtown should be imposing, awe inspiring and, with many layers to explore.

ainvan · #**4887** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 4:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgarian

I think that's part of it, plus the buildings aren't as big or closely packed as they are here.

It's the space between tall buildings.

If I'm not mistaken, Vancouver requires a setback of 12.5 meters or greater for all tall building towers from the side and rear property lines or center line of an abutting lane, and for more than one tower on the same site, the setback is 25 meters or greater, while Toronto used to require a setback of only 5.5 meters until the city changed that in 2014.

I'm not sure about Calgary.

Mrs Sauga · #**4888** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 5:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

I often feel the opposite looking at Vancouver pictures like these.

Areas like Coal Harbour are very sterile and boring to me, at street level and above. There's a lot of glass and minimalism. There isn't much fine-grained detail. There's little contrast.

The eastern side of downtown Vancouver looks much more interesting to me, and it's more like what you find in older cities. There's a mix of older masonry buildings, there are some smaller and lowrise buildings, and there's a greater variety of businesses. The fact that Vancouver doesn't have much in the way of neighbourhoods like that (it's mostly either modern tower areas or houses) is one of its big weaknesses.

I agree. I find the eastern side one of the most interesting in Canada at street level. That pic is probably one of the worst examples to use.

Calgarian · #**4889** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 5:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ainvan

It's the space between tall buildings.

If I'm not mistaken, Vancouver requires a setback of 12.5 meters or greater for all tall building towers from the side and rear property lines or center line of an abutting lane, and for more than one tower on the same site, the setback is 25 meters or greater, while Toronto used to require a setback of only 5.5 meters until the city changed that in 2014.

I'm not sure about Calgary.

It's the space and the fact that the buildings are smaller (any of the large office towers in Calgary, Montreal or Toronto would look absolutely massive in Van). Not sure what the setbacks are in Calgary, we have some narrow damn sidewalks here, but the current bylaw has about doubled them I think.

caltrane74 · #**4890** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 5:38 PM**

At the rate Yorkville is building, won't be too much longer before it becomes the iconic Toronto skyline. The One and One Bloor will change the game up there.

Yonge and Eglinton same thing.

Martin Mtl · #**4891** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 5:43 PM**

One Bloor looks dull and generic from afar, in any skyline pic. Doesn't ring "iconic" to me at all. I don't see how the Yorkville skyline could become more iconic for Toronto than the CN-Tower/waterfront/financial district skyline... There is not one single building right now in Yorkville that is distinctive in a skyline pic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankieFlowerpot

Rico Rommheim · #**4892** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 5:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

Pic by by Vernamm2 on flickr

Glad that giant gap between the Complex Desjardins and Bleury street finally filled up. In a few centuries when we see the QDS towers rise next to it, the continuity of the skyline will be complete. Not that it matters.