Great Canadian Skyline Thread II - Page 674

Monolith · #**13461** Posted **Jul 4, 2020, 7:55 PM**

Bloedel Conservatory and Vancouver by Lee Rosenbaum, on Flickr

FrAnKs · #**13462** Posted **Jul 4, 2020, 8:23 PM**

Yesterday was Québec City's 412th anniversary.

Credit : Ville de Québec https://www.facebook.com/QuebecVille/photos/pcb.10158905997990656/10158905977110656/?type=3&theater

Credit : Ville de Québec https://www.facebook.com/QuebecVille/photos/pcb.10158905997990656/10158905960170656/?type=3&theater

Chadillaccc · #**13463** Posted **Jul 4, 2020, 8:29 PM**

Gorgeous.

From Thursday...

Sunset on the Bow by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

905er · #**13464** Posted **Jul 4, 2020, 8:44 PM**

gorgeous Quebec City pics!!
I can't help but wonder though if it would be worth having the taller modern towers retrofitted with a record to modernize them just a bit... much like Winnipeg did with 360 Main.

FrAnKs · #**13465** Posted **Jul 4, 2020, 11:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 905er

gorgeous Quebec City pics!!
I can't help but wonder though if it would be worth having the taller modern towers retrofitted with a record to modernize them just a bit... much like Winnipeg did with 360 Main.

If it's well made & leaving the old town intact, I would have no problem with it, I even think it would be a plus...but there are people out there in the downtown area that would not agree with me. The kind of people that freak out when something is taller than 6 floors...
This project per example (where is the Starbucks) at the Corner René-Lévesque and cartier. The promoter wanted 5 floors (the zoning allowed 4 floors only) The residents forced a referendum to keep it at 4 floors and they won.
https://www.google.com/maps/@46.8042566,...L2cbSz6MnysX-Xs7AOjEQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
But overall it's a nice project and it replaced an abandonned gas station. Lately, there seems to be more ''opening'' for taller buildings in the surrounding areas of downtown...You tend to see much more 7 to 15 floors projects than before.
That said, Québec City is not a city of skyscrapers and I think it will never be. Québec City has other assets...

I like skyscrapers (I am here since 2004), but I've realized that skyscrapers are not necessairly what makes me feel happy in a city. First, gimme a downtown area will full of historic buildings of 5-6 floors, lots of restaurants and an good street ambiance...second, skyscrapers will be like ''an extra'' if my first critera is already there.

905er · #**13466** Posted **Jul 5, 2020, 12:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrAnKs

If it's well made & leaving the old town intact, I would have no problem with it, I even think it would be a plus...but there are people out there in the downtown area that would not agree with me. The kind of people that freak out when something is taller than 6 floors...
This project per example (where is the Starbucks) at the Corner René-Lévesque and cartier. The promoter wanted 5 floors (the zoning allowed 4 floors only) The residents forced a referendum to keep it at 4 floors and they won.
https://www.google.com/maps/@46.8042566,...L2cbSz6MnysX-Xs7AOjEQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
But overall it's a nice project and it replaced an abandonned gas station. Lately, there seems to be more ''opening'' for taller buildings in the surrounding areas of downtown...You tend to see much more 7 to 15 floors projects than before.
That said, Québec City is not a city of skyscrapers and I think it will never be. Québec City has other assets...

I like skyscrapers (I am here since 2004), but I've realized that skyscrapers are not necessairly what makes me feel happy in a city. First, gimme a downtown area will full of historic buildings of 5-6 floors, lots of restaurants and an good street ambiance...second, skyscrapers will be like ''an extra'' if my first critera is already there.

I'm not even suggesting taller towers for Quebec City.. I just meant a renovation of the existing towers.. the current tall towers are dated but not in a good way. a reclad with some new glass perhaps.. I'd leave the rest of the city alone.. I love the history and charm.

FrAnKs · #**13467** Posted **Jul 5, 2020, 12:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 905er

I'm not even suggesting taller towers for Quebec City.. I just meant a renovation of the existing towers.. the current tall towers are dated but not in a good way. a reclad with some new glass perhaps.. I'd leave the rest of the city alone.. I love the history and charm.

My mistake, I didn't know what the word ''Retrofitted'' meant to say.
Yes, I definitely agree with you then. That's what they are already doing with the Hilton...but I don't know what's in the plans for the others...some need it, badly.

lio45 · #**13468** Posted **Jul 5, 2020, 12:56 AM**

I think I'd prefer if we left the brutalist stuff alone. There's almost nothing worse architecturally than something that tries hard to pretend to be something else.

Food for thought - the Price Building was opposed by the locals originally (as a modern abomination that's grossly out of scale with the rest of the neighborhood).

I think the G Building for example is to its era what the Price Building is to its; nice typical examples of the architectural trends of the time. Don't mess with that; leave that kind of stuff alone and let it age.

someone123 · #**13469** Posted **Jul 5, 2020, 2:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lio45

I think the G Building for example is to its era what the Price Building is to its; nice typical examples of the architectural trends of the time. Don't mess with that; leave that kind of stuff alone and let it age.

I agree. Architecture tends to be vulnerable when it has recently become outdated yet isn't old enough to be valued. The 70's stuff is just starting to feel "historic" rather than "dated". If it survives a few more decades then it might be appreciated more.

I've always thought that Quebec City and Halifax followed the two opposite ends of architectural liberalism vs. conservation. In Quebec City even the 60's and 70's stuff is preserved or modified sparingly while in Halifax building owners mess with whatever they feel like. During my lifetime, the nice early postwar office buildings have all been obliterated in Halifax. Then again, some areas have been made into something more than they ever could have been had they been preserved (nice yet somewhat small-town older preserved area vs. new development more representative of the larger modern city). It's definitely a trade-off. In the 1990's the old parts of Quebec City objectively had a lot more going on than the old parts of Halifax but I think there will be a day when downtown Halifax becomes much busier than old Quebec, just because of the infill. St-Roch does have more of the mix of old and new while Ste-Foy is too far removed from the old city to feel like an extension of it.

I don't know exactly where this cultural difference came from. The US Northeast also tends to be more preservationist (i.e. NYC is more preservationist than Toronto or Halifax). A lot of Canada is ultra utilitarian. As a side-effect Canadian cities are often ugly but then again they can be very "democractic", with a relatively large number of people being able to afford living in the more desirable parts compared to the US.

cpnfantstk · #**13470** Posted **Jul 5, 2020, 2:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgarian

I don't really like the Stantec Tower, but damn does it do wonders for the Edmonton skyline!

I'm not fond of Stantec either (original renders were fantastic) but as you say the impact is huge for our skyline. That and the Walterdale bridge puts the skyline in another league. The filler around it helps the whole picture too. Now only if the 280m Aldritt get's built. It'll make the skyline a little quirky but I'll take it.