Tamarack Flora [488-500 Bank St] | 31m | 9fl | Completed

[phil235]

Originally Posted by SL123

I kindda like the light at the top

I do too. Though it doesn't look like it faces south or west, where it would have a bigger impact.

[AuxTown]

I just hope they keep it on. Remember the light feature that Mondrian had when it first opened? That didn't last long....

[OTSkyline]

Oh cool, didn't even know this was going to be a thing. I love the light. I find Ottawa, and even Canada is general doesn't do much with lighting which is a shame. A well-lit city, in my opinion, goes a long way in making the city look more safe, inviting & vibrant.

I find this building looks great looking south on Bank but looks pretty terrible with the two-tone bricks looking north from the Queensway.

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

I just hope they keep it on. Remember the light feature that Mondrian had when it first opened? That didn't last long....

Mondrian had a light feature?? I can't say I recall despite following that project.

[HighwayStar]

Originally Posted by UrbOttawa

For people who live in the top floor units, wouldn't that light drive them nuts??

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by HighwayStar

For people who live in the top floor units, wouldn't that light drive them nuts??

Amenity space or mechanical? Hope no one lives on the top floor. Not a fan of LED lighting. Cold and way to bright.

[Harley613]

Blah
Flora by harley613, on Flickr

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Blah
Flora by harley613, on Flickr

The streetscape seems a bit desolate with some of these new buildings. I like that it looks like there will be space for 3 stores, but I find architects don't really know how to make new buildings with good street-level interaction, especially for commercial streets. There's something to be said for commercial streets with a bunch of smaller buildings that are different from each other.

I do think that ground floor ceiling heights are too high in new buildings. They're normally around 4.5m (some are 4m), but I think it would be better to go for something that's more human scaled (closer to 3.5m) where space for signage that is more easily seen from the sidewalk (without craning your neck), instead of from the middle of the street as this building does. You can see the scaling in Harley's photo by comparing the window heights relative to the height of the people.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Blah
Flora by harley613, on Flickr

I am curious about the history behind the house converted to retail next door.

[Marshsparrow]

She's a beauty... more like this

[Harley613]

Can't wait to have 50x more of this in five years

[JHikka]

I actually don't mind its street interaction. Think it'll visually look better when it has retail tenants. What does it look like from the north?

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by JHikka

I actually don't mind its street interaction. Think it'll visually look better when it has retail tenants. What does it look like from the north?

Street Interaction?! It's literally a featureless slabby block of charcoal brick slamming into a featureless segment of concrete sidewalk. I can't imagine a more barren and cold section of streetscape outside of Murmansk and Minsk.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Street Interaction?! It's literally a featureless slabby block of charcoal brick slamming into a featureless segment of concrete sidewalk. I can't imagine a more barren and cold section of streetscape outside of Murmansk and Minsk.

I mean, it's windowed. You're making it seem like it's a blank wall as if it's some back alley.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by JHikka

I mean, it's windowed. You're making it seem like it's a blank wall as if it's some back alley.

Westboro Canyon is windowed too, and look how that's going. Actually, drab old Westboro Canyon looks like heaven relative to this sad dumpy strip Tamarack built on Bank, but that's just my opinion

canyon by harley613, on Flickr

[Marshsparrow]

I'm on team Harley613... another prime example of Ottawa doing everything ugly... intensification and urbanism does not have to be like this...

[Peenermcnoober]

Originally Posted by JHikka

I actually don't mind its street interaction. Think it'll visually look better when it has retail tenants. What does it look like from the north?

Totally agree, especially with the corner door mirroring the one across from the pawn shop. Can't immediately think of another example of two corner lots having complete integration with the sidewalk as well as corner doors.

Disregard the corner panel is clear glass not a door

[SL123]

Even Kingston does it better for a project that is similar in size. Is there something in the building code in Ottawa that prevents this? its not that hard!

[Peenermcnoober]

Originally Posted by SL123

Even Kingston does it better for a project that is similar in size. Is there something in the building code in Ottawa that prevents this? its not that hard!

Ew

[silvergate]

Originally Posted by SL123

Even Kingston does it better for a project that is similar in size. Is there something in the building code in Ottawa that prevents this? its not that hard!

Pretty sure the only difference there is the wide sidewalk? Maybe Bank would look better with a wide sidewalk