[Halifax] Queen's Marque | 30 m | 10 fl | Completed

[RoshanMcG]

From this afternoon:








I think I prefer how the Muntz metal looks on the south side. It seems to be more flush than on the north side, seen in my previous post.





Some detailing:









Looks like they are adding a few of these on the north side:

[Good Baklava]

Very neat! I do like the up-close texture of the Muntz metal. Thanks for letting us see from afar.

[Haliguy]

I really like how this development turned out!

[Jonovision]

Those vents are beautiful! And that is not something I ever thought I would say.

[RoshanMcG]

[Hali87]

Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr


Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr


Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr


Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr


Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr


Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr

The interpretive panels and landscaping are spilling over to the adjacent museum:


Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr


Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Hali87

Untitled by Hali87, on Flickr

That shot of Lower Water St makes it feel a little closed off to the sidewalk. The "lighthouse" glass looks pretty cool, but maybe doesn't provide the kind of interaction we'd want for an active city street? Not that Lower Water is currently a bastion of good building/sidewalk relationships, but I feel like this project COULD have improved it.

How did it feel in person?

[mleblanc]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

That shot of Lower Water St makes it feel a little closed off to the sidewalk. The "lighthouse" glass looks pretty cool, but maybe doesn't provide the kind of interaction we'd want for an active city street? Not that Lower Water is currently a bastion of good building/sidewalk relationships, but I feel like this project COULD have improved it.

How did it feel in person?

Not OP, but was downtown this week walking by. For such a massive building, it's nice that it breaks up the street level a bit. The 'Lighthouse' isn't that large, more just feels like an entryway art installation for the hotel.

[Keith P.]

I've always felt the building loomed over the sidewalk and the street and was too much of a hulking presence in that location, which was already closed in by the Dominion Public Building across the street.

[Jonovision]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I've always felt the building loomed over the sidewalk and the street and was too much of a hulking presence in that location, which was already closed in by the Dominion Public Building across the street.

I find in person it doesn't feel like I thought it would. It doesn't loom at all. The glass tends to reflect a lot of light into the street and actually makes it brighter than it was before. And the way the glass curtainwall is angled also helps to make it feel like its opening up above you instead of closing in.

There are still no real active entrances on the sidewalk yet though. I think once the hotel is actually open as well as all of the retail is filled it will feel a lot more interactive.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

... There are still no real active entrances on the sidewalk yet though. I think once the hotel is actually open as well as all of the retail is filled it will feel a lot more interactive.

Good point. I plan to have a waterfront stroll soon and will make an effort to check out its current sidewalk interface.

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

That shot of Lower Water St makes it feel a little closed off to the sidewalk. The "lighthouse" glass looks pretty cool, but maybe doesn't provide the kind of interaction we'd want for an active city street? Not that Lower Water is currently a bastion of good building/sidewalk relationships, but I feel like this project COULD have improved it.

How did it feel in person?

It's hard to comment with too much certainty right now because so much of the ground-level stuff is still under construction or blocked off, but it didn't really feel closed off or looming to me, rather like a series of interconnected tunnels and caves with different wall materials or "themes". Most of the sidewalk adjacent to it was still sort of blocked off by construction but I'm optimistic that this will end up having some of the most interesting building/sidewalk interface in the city. The way the entrances and portals are designed is hard to compare with anything else I can think of offhand but kind of reminds me of the way some contemporary museum interiors are designed. Unfortunately just due to the construction and the lighting angle at that time of day it was hard to get pictures of any of that.

[someone123]

Source

[q12]

DSC_0350 by Eugene Rosos, on Flickr

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by q12

DSC_0350 by Eugene Rosos, on Flickr

Looks pretty good from this angle, in my opinion. I'm getting tired of waiting for them to open up the interior courtyards/connections to the boardwalk - I think those are important for this project's success as part of the city/waterfront.

[Half-Axed]

I really like it and the streetscaping (as much as you can see) looks great.

[someone123]

Some of these newer developments have a quality of finish that I'm used to seeing on nice projects in major cities. TD might have been the first new building like this. Queen's Marque seems to qualify as do the Nova Centre and perhaps Curve/Pavilion.

Some other buildings don't quite get there due to flaws like unappealing looking spandrel, conspicuous vents, etc. But many of them are pretty good too. I'd put Maple, the Roy, and Jade in this category.

[Half-Axed]

.

[Half-Axed]

Originally Posted by someone123

Some of these newer developments have a quality of finish that I'm used to seeing on nice projects in major cities. TD might have been the first new building like this. Queen's Marque seems to qualify as do the Nova Centre and perhaps Curve/Pavilion.

Some other buildings don't quite get there due to flaws like unappealing looking spandrel, conspicuous vents, etc. But many of them are pretty good too. I'd put Maple, the Roy, and Jade in this category.

The perforated panels on this building are stunning. I wish they were orange as we originally thought they would be, but they’re still just gorgeous in the illusion of texture they add to the building - rippling waves like the harbour. I don’t think there’s anything else in Halifax that compares as such a nice finishing touch.

I think the Curve and Pavilion looks pretty good too, but nothing like this.

I have to say I thought the nova centre already looked dated by the time it was finished and the strip lighting looks cheesy, like when people put purple lights under their cars lol

The other project that I think has some potential to be just as gorgeous as Queens Marque is the art gallery. If they can pull off those wooden beams well, it will be amazing.

[Jonovision]

I definitely think this is a cut above all of the other development we have seen in Halifax over the past 10 or 15 years. It is just all about quality. Quality design, quality materials and quality landscaping.

I moved to London, UK two months ago and this would fit right in among a lot of the development around here.