Commie-block (slabsville) capital of Canada - Page 9

O-tacular · #**161** Posted **Jan 18, 2022, 10:46 PM**

Calgary's worst 00's Commie blocks:

Vantage Pointe
Streetview: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.0430989,...P280WFwJmc5w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en-US

This one has twins:

London condos Streetview: https://www.google.com/maps/@50.9745501,...26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en-US

MolsonExport · #**162** Posted **Jan 18, 2022, 10:51 PM**

a foe for clockzilla. Le Rigaud, in Montreal

O-tacular · #**163** Posted **Jan 18, 2022, 11:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

a foe for clockzilla. Le Rigaud, in Montreal

Reminds me of a more sophisticated version of this beastie:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.039894,-...narMtVRluVbHtosjL3wPA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Out of curiosity is that in Montreal's China Town?

MolsonExport · #**164** Posted **Jan 18, 2022, 11:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Reminds me of a more sophisticated version of this beastie:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.039894,-...narMtVRluVbHtosjL3wPA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

fugly for sure. a bad case of Mansardism. My god, there is just so much fugliness.

MolsonExport · #**165** Posted **Jan 18, 2022, 11:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Reminds me of a more sophisticated version of this beastie:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.039894,-...narMtVRluVbHtosjL3wPA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Out of curiosity is that in Montreal's China Town?

alas, the monster is on the edge of le Plateau. surrounded by equally fugly structures
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.51842,-73...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

O-tacular · #**166** Posted **Jan 18, 2022, 11:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

alas, the monster is on the edge of le Plateau. surrounded by equally fugly structures
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.51842,-73...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

I find the neighbours unique and interesting:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5179393,-...ZbmnxtYJGQGCEvM6BIaKA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5174506,-...L4u0ME1RcMMrMbmtzL48Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

This, however, has to be the ugliest street in all of Montreal:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5158145,-...CF5UAfUNE2hfhAPREO8iw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5158145,-...CF5UAfUNE2hfhAPREO8iw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5161078,-...0HyWUKtywmQ_N4H19snNA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Why does Montreal's central library look like a bus terminal?

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.515721,-7...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

O-tacular · #**167** Posted **Jan 18, 2022, 11:27 PM**

King of the slabs!!!

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5164237,-...J-BT3QptYu9w1rzS0rnSA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Harley613 · #**168** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 1:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

a foe for clockzilla. Le Rigaud, in Montreal

I absolutely adore this building. I have walked around it in awe so many times. It's so outrageously horrendous it's beyond belief. Kudos to the architect for making something uniquely and singularly awful beyond belief.

WhipperSnapper · #**169** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 1:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

King of the slabs!!!

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5164237,-...J-BT3QptYu9w1rzS0rnSA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

C'mon. two 11 storey, 2010s buildings are no where near king of the slabs

MolsonExport · #**170** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 2:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I find the neighbours unique and interesting:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5179393,-...ZbmnxtYJGQGCEvM6BIaKA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I thought that this was the refurbishment of the infamous "Le Colisee" apartments in Montreal, also known as one of the roach capitals of the city.

But it isn't.

J.OT13 · #**171** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 2:12 PM**

Ambleside Commie-Block cluster, Ottawa.

https://www.railfans.ca/news/stage-2-lrt-construction-update-fedco-december-17-2021

niwell · #**172** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 2:26 PM**

I used to live in the shorter brown condo building on Ambleside. Nice enough building - very well maintained and quiet (almost all retirees) and close to the water / riverfront paths. But man that is a lot of people in one area with very few truly walkable amenities. It was a surprising hike to get to Lincoln Fields station too, particularly in winter.

Interestingly the old streetcar ROW ran right behind our building, which explains the angle it's on. With New Orchard station it looks the area will finally have rail transit again after 70 years!

HomeInMyShoes · #**173** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 3:10 PM**

The real answer is they all are. Canada is just a little (in population) Russia. Let's embrace our Eastern European roots (well my dad's side of the family anyway) and celebrate all that is slab-like and soul-crushing.

Regina by (HomeInMyShoes), on Flickr

J.OT13 · #**174** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 3:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

I used to live in the shorter brown condo building on Ambleside. Nice enough building - very well maintained and quiet (almost all retirees) and close to the water / riverfront paths. But man that is a lot of people in one area with very few truly walkable amenities. It was a surprising hike to get to Lincoln Fields station too, particularly in winter.

Interestingly the old streetcar ROW ran right behind our building, which explains the angle it's on. With New Orchard station it looks the area will finally have rail transit again after 70 years!

And another 30 storey tower is proposed to replace one of the Ambleside parking lots. No retail.

I hope to see the gas station (I think it was demolished for tunnel construction) or the car dealerships redeveloped into residential with ground level amenities. I know LF shopping centre isn't too far, but it's not very walkable.

O-tacular · #**175** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 3:29 PM**

From the proposals thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hali87

Revised proposal for a residential addition to Scotia Square at the southeast corner of the complex, ~250 units. The rendering is a bit weird - the buildings in the lower right corner are a very rough abstraction of what's there, and the "plaza" in the foreground doesn't really exist - there's a row of apartment towers there that meet the sidewalk.

Source

The site as it looks currently:

WhipperSnapper · #**176** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 3:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

The real answer is they all are. Canada is just a little (in population) Russia. Let's embrace our Eastern European roots (well my dad's side of the family anyway) and celebrate all that is slab-like and soul-crushing.

Regina by (HomeInMyShoes), on Flickr

This was the prevailing style of the modernist movement. Thousands of indistinguishable low to high end, rentals and condominiums were built globally. Any place that doesn't have them wasn't building many mid to high rises at the time. Russia built them in factory towns and distant suburbs like anyone else. I take it the association to socialist Russia is just another derogatory reference to modernism. I wonder what future generation will come up with for the window wall, green glass condos? Russia adores pre war ersatz styles.

random streetviews of city centres
https://www.google.com/maps/@59.9542668,...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@55.7634363,...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

O-tacular · #**177** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 4:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I thought that this was the refurbishment of the infamous "Le Colisee" apartments in Montreal, also known as one of the roach capitals of the city.

But it isn't.

I actually like that building's curved sides with the balconies. I saw it last time I was in Montreal in 2018 and took some pics. A rare example of this type of building in Canada it seems.

O-tacular · #**178** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 4:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

This was the prevailing style of the modernist movement. Thousands of indistinguishable low to high end, rentals and condominiums were built globally. Any place that doesn't have them wasn't building many mid to high rises at the time. Russia built them in factory towns and distant suburbs like anyone else. I take it the association to socialist Russia is just another derogatory reference to modernism. I wonder what future generation will come up with for the window wall, green glass condos? Russia adores pre war ersatz styles.

random streetviews of city centres
https://www.google.com/maps/@59.9542668,...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@55.7634363,...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

There were nicer examples of balconies from modernist buildings like these from Calgary:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.008736,-...AbbnRS7ZLs3khPkLFlWSw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.0238231,...Ub3zjKlrQcZtTx5Its0Hg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

WhipperSnapper · #**179** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 4:20 PM**

I just get frustrated at times. It's like anything with a concrete facade is therefore Brutalism. Concrete has relatively nothing to do with Brutalism.

O-tacular · #**180** Posted **Jan 19, 2022, 4:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I just get frustrated at times. It's like anything with a concrete facade is therefore Brutalism. Concrete has relatively nothing to do with Brutalism.

Notice I posted non concrete examples from the 00's. To me the qualifier is sheer width and ugliness. The materials of "Commie Blocks" are usually concrete or brick. The materials for contemporary versions are now stucco or aluminum siding it seems.