Downtown Vancouver Updates - Page 848

trofirhen · #**16941** Posted **Feb 22, 2019, 1:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by city guy

my gosh, that's hideous...someone give the architect some Ritalin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metro-One

That must be the ugliest proposal I have seen in Vancouver in a while...

1998 wants their tower back...

Quote:

Originally Posted by giallo

Oh my. That Hornby tower is fantastically awful-looking.

Yes, yes, and yes!

1290 Hornby is so busy and ugly, it looks as if it were designed for a movie set or such. "Smoothing out" the sides of the building and simplifying it might help.

logan5 · #**16942** Posted **Feb 22, 2019, 3:11 PM**

The renders show a small amount of green glass and predominantly a darker tint of glass. If that’s the case then I’m fine with this tower. Last thing we need is another deadpan green tower. Sea foam green is what defines Vancouver’s skyline. I’m sure you’ll agree.

Vin · #**16943** Posted **Feb 22, 2019, 7:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

Here's a totally unexpected proposal. Bonnis have submitted a Perkins+Will designed 4-storey building for the 900 block of Granville. They only developed the site in 2006 and 2012 with 2 and 3-storey buildings (below). Now they're proposing to replace those with three floors of retail and office above that. Presumably they have tenants in mind for the upper floor retail - it wouldn't seem logical propose something this ambitious otherwise. Quite the contrast to their recent Robson building that has less retail than today. Only an elevation - no render yet, on the Changing City blog.

[source]

3 floors of retail isn't considered "ambitious". It exists in virtually everywhere else. It should be the norm here. Their past projects to put 1-storey retail in this area was a huge mistake. Now they are at least trying to rectify that, provided the City gives the greenlight.

logan5 · #**16944** Posted **Feb 22, 2019, 7:41 PM**

I know you love retail space, but is there a market for 3 story’s of retail that you suggest should be the norm? Not too many retailers are going to take up 3 floors, and you certainly don’t want your business hidden away up on the 3rd floor. Retailers want quick and easy access for their customers at street level.

trofirhen · #**16945** Posted **Feb 22, 2019, 9:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logan5

The renders show a small amount of green glass and predominantly a darker tint of glass. If that’s the case then I’m fine with this tower. Last thing we need is another deadpan green tower. Sea foam green is what defines Vancouver’s skyline. I’m sure you’ll agree.

Agreed 100% about the green glass:: What I don't like is the busy, hodge-podge scramble of angles, corners, and lines that almost "zigzag" together. IMO, that's plain ol' ugly.

Vin · #**16946** Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 2:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logan5

I know you love retail space, but is there a market for 3 story’s of retail that you suggest should be the norm? Not too many retailers are going to take up 3 floors, and you certainly don’t want your business hidden away up on the 3rd floor. Retailers want quick and easy access for their customers at street level.

It really boils down to how the retail structure is built. There should be easy access upstairs, eg. via escalators rather than stairs/lifts, and the upper floors should preferably be above of open foyers to make them more inviting. The type of business is also a determining factor of the success of the business. Food halls or restaurants would be suitable for upper floors.

An example of a successful 3-storey retail building is the Winners/Best Buy retail centre at Robson/Granville Street.

officedweller · #**16947** Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 2:13 AM**

The 3rd floor of Centrepoint (Robson & Thurlow) was targeted for a restaurant, but it sat unleased for many years (probably due to access problems (by elevator only, I think), so it was finally leased to Banana Republic to expand..

misher · #**16948** Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 2:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vin

It really boils down to how the retail structure is built. There should be easy access upstairs, eg. via escalators rather than stairs/lifts, and the upper floors should preferably be above of open foyers to make them more inviting. The type of business is also a determining factor of the success of the business. Food halls or restaurants would be suitable for upper floors.

An example of a successful 3-storey retail building is the Winners/Best Buy retail centre at Robson/Granville Street.

Is that successful? The per sqft lease they are paying has to be much less than offices would pay. No way that Winners makes enough money to pay normal downtown lease rates.

officedweller · #**16949** Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 2:16 AM**

Pics from the MCMP website - have these been posted?

155 Water St.

http://www.mcmparchitects.com/projects/water-street/

VancouverOfTheFuture · #**16950** Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 4:10 AM**

man, they are making those Gastown streets look brand new. haha.

retro_orange · #**16951** Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 4:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

man, they are making those Gastown streets look brand new. haha.

A fully gentrified utopian Gastown feverdream more-like. Nice building though. What's the large brick building with the courtyard in the background of the first image?

I wonder why there's no trains rendered on the tracks...

Changing City · #**16952** Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 6:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by retro_orange

What's the large brick building with the courtyard in the background of the first image?

Artistic licence.

Quote:

Originally Posted by retro_orange

I wonder why there's no trains rendered on the tracks...

See above.

Vin · #**16953** Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 8:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by misher

Is that successful? The per sqft lease they are paying has to be much less than offices would pay. No way that Winners makes enough money to pay normal downtown lease rates.

You would be surprised.

Metro-One · #**16954** Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 8:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by retro_orange

A fully gentrified utopian Gastown feverdream more-like. Nice building though. What's the large brick building with the courtyard in the background of the first image?

I wonder why there's no trains rendered on the tracks...

Nonetheless it would be nice to have Waterstreet’s stone work refurbished (and maintained afterwards).

I believe the last plan by the city had them simply replacing it with asphalt... how wonderful.

Changing City · #**16955** Posted **Feb 24, 2019, 1:22 AM**

Here's a render of the 950 Granville retail project from the Changing City blog

retro_orange · #**16956** Posted **Feb 24, 2019, 1:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

Here's a render of the 950 Granville retail project from the Changing City blog

Very cool building but if Bonnis is reading, please put neon or interesting LED signs instead of those ugly back lit plastic and metal box signs. A stylized address on that stone section over the far left entrance would look great too.

retro_orange · #**16957** Posted **Feb 24, 2019, 1:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

Artistic licence.

See above.

Metro-One · #**16958** Posted **Feb 24, 2019, 1:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changing City

Here's a render of the 950 Granville retail project from the Changing City blog

Love it!

Also second using LEDs / neon for the signs instead of being back lit.

Furthermore this render perfectly displays why Granville is one of the few streets that should not have trees (or at least should use a slender low variety).

jollyburger · #**16959** Posted **Feb 24, 2019, 1:42 AM**

Crane going up across from BC Place on Beatty for I assume the YWCA hotel addition.

scryer · #**16960** Posted **Feb 24, 2019, 1:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vin

3 floors of retail isn't considered "ambitious". It exists in virtually everywhere else. It should be the norm here. Their past projects to put 1-storey retail in this area was a huge mistake. Now they are at least trying to rectify that, provided the City gives the greenlight.

Agreed. Granville should have a minimum of 5 stories no matter the use.