The Ugly Canada Thread - Page 534

Blader · #**10661** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 6:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

In Calgary at the moment and I'm not sure what's more ugly - the sculptures themselves, or the controversy surrounding them in the local media.

More importantly, why exactly do we need "freeway art"? Landscaping can be nice but seems to me large scale art pieces are better placed in more accessible / visible areas.

quoted for truth.

Site matters. This particular piece could look good, appropriately located. It's scale is lost on a freeway and what could have been interesting now enters the realm of ugly. Freeway art is insane.

O-tacular · #**10662** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 6:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franco401

Some classic Fredericton uglies:

I'm pretty sure that's real stucco, but still...
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9634523,-...sYQ!2e0!5s20130701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

An ode to a city that was still doing Pomo in 2012...
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9645489,-...7kw!2e0!5s20130701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

Our best competitor for Résidences Soleil:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9600562,-...VrRiaXVM7CEM6x4kZOiXw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Somehow the ugliest building on a block that includes Kings Place:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9601643,-...p4w!2e0!5s20130701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

Mansard fugly! That suburban stucco hotel does not belong across the street from what I presume to be a beautiful Legislature building. That second brick one isn't bad though.

lio45 · #**10663** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 6:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

A controversial new art piece going up along the Trans Canada hwy leaving Calgary towards the mountains.

Couldn't they at least use those rusted steel pillars as posts for additional highway signage, now that they're unfortunately already there and paid for...?

They seem well located for that, right along the freeway lanes...

Or else bury some dead Blackfoot people under them; anything to at least get a modicum of usefulness out of them.

Acajack · #**10664** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 6:50 PM**

I'll reserve judgement on the art itself but I'd say trying to improve the aesthetics of freeways with art probably isn't a bad thing.

FFX-ME · #**10665** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 7:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franco401

Some classic Fredericton uglies:

I'm pretty sure that's real stucco, but still...
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9634523,-...sYQ!2e0!5s20130701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

An ode to a city that was still doing Pomo in 2012...
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9645489,-...7kw!2e0!5s20130701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

Our best competitor for Résidences Soleil:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9600562,-...VrRiaXVM7CEM6x4kZOiXw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Somehow the ugliest building on a block that includes Kings Place:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9601643,-...p4w!2e0!5s20130701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

That church looks surprised!
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9609702,-...NgA!2e0!5s20130701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

Blader · #**10666** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 7:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I'll reserve judgement on the art itself but I'd say trying to improve the aesthetics of freeways with art probably isn't a bad thing.

Conceptually not bad. However, wizzing nearby at high speed, it's lost. Thus, it requires distant visibility. The scale needs to be enormous. That's costly. Also, consider the impact on driver distraction.

kwoldtimer · #**10667** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 10:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by FFX-ME

That church looks surprised!
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9609702,-...NgA!2e0!5s20130701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

Our Lady of Perpetual Astonishment.

O-tacular · #**10668** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 10:28 PM**

Beautiful Hanna AB:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.6418513,-...Eey8rYxEJbJ7pgHJInxag!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.643281,-1...zCFCL2zNB7ifVQ_vEC6xw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.6426592,-...iNYotPPTqSvkj4RGRqzyQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

How's this for a botched renovation to a historic building:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.6427692,-...yxHJC1h7CXXRO2sNSlr7Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.6392381,-...R3WK9trJ7DCbLjeNLdaBw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

There's actually something in its absolute desolation that is almost beautiful.

matthew6 · #**10669** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 10:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.6427692,-...yxHJC1h7CXXRO2sNSlr7Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Is that a park on the right?

O-tacular · #**10670** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 10:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by matthew6

Is that a park on the right?

I think so...

WhipperSnapper · #**10671** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 11:09 PM**

Damn.

Mister F · #**10672** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 11:23 PM**

God, Hanna has one of the most depressing main streets I've ever seen. So desolate and windswept, with the width of the street completely out of scale with the height of the buildings. And that's not even getting into the architecture and level of care given to the buildings themselves. So much fail.

Martin Mtl · #**10673** Posted **Aug 8, 2017, 11:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by matthew6

Is that a park on the right?

Suddenly small town Quebec looks like heaven.

TownGuy · #**10674** Posted **Aug 9, 2017, 12:09 AM**

So yeah that place is on the short list for ugliest town in Canada. Anywhere else that can compete with that?

GreaterMontréal · #**10675** Posted **Aug 9, 2017, 12:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TownGuy

So yeah that place is on the short list for ugliest town in Canada. Anywhere else that can compete with that?

J'hanna voudrais pas vivre là.

DrJoe · #**10676** Posted **Aug 9, 2017, 12:31 AM**

You guys must not know Alberta very well because most of the towns look almost as horrible Hanna. Don't get me wrong there's the odd gem but they're few and far between.

GreaterMontréal · #**10677** Posted **Aug 9, 2017, 12:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrJoe

You guys must not know Alberta very well because most of the towns look almost as horrible Hanna. Don't get me wrong there's the odd gem but they're few and far between.

those towns look like the typical Great Plains towns. Nebraska

Acajack · #**10678** Posted **Aug 9, 2017, 2:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrJoe

You guys must not know Alberta very well because most of the towns look almost as horrible Hanna. Don't get me wrong there's the odd gem but they're few and far between.

Good thing you did not show them Hobbema.

Boris2k7 · #**10679** Posted **Aug 9, 2017, 2:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrJoe

You guys must not know Alberta very well because most of the towns look almost as horrible Hanna. Don't get me wrong there's the odd gem but they're few and far between.

Given that there's hundreds of tiny little towns in Alberta that are barely over a century old, it should surprise nobody that very few of them have anything to offer. Still, for every dozen Hanna's out there, there's a Lacombe.

lio45 · #**10680** Posted **Aug 9, 2017, 3:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

those towns look like the typical Great Plains towns. Nebraska

I see a huge difference though - the architecture in the Alberta example posted is horrific, indescribably bland.

A random Great Plains town's main street would indeed have the exact same kind of volumetry as Hanna (large street without divider, 45-degree parking, continuous two-story mixed use wall of rowbuildings on each side) but the quality of the architecture is much better, which IMO makes a ton of difference.

Random example:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@35.074926,-9...XtED3jIhYHhB98Fi50wgg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

What Hanna has to offer in terms of architecture would qualify as thoroughly soul-sucking in comparison.

P.S. I recommend having a Nickelback soundtrack playing in the background while you're exploring Hanna with Google Streeview.