The Great Canadian Skyline Thread!

[MTLskyline]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

It's the low - midrise filler in this picture that I don't like. Just cheap buildings that went up quickly with barely a thought given to aesthetics.

I know what you're saying, but they kind of get lost in the crowd (they don't draw too much attention). Almost every city has a good assortment of them as well. At least with the pace Calgary is growing, there is a good chance they will be replaced with something better.

I have to agree with Boris that the real uglies are the residential buildings and hotels from that time.

[MTLskyline]

Originally Posted by Brizzy82

King Street Morning by bryanscott, on Flickr

Love this shot. It could easily be a city of 5+ million. I'm really jealous of this streetscape.

[Rico Rommheim]

Originally Posted by Brizzy82

The Forks by bryanscott, on Flickr


IMG (17) by ludovic78, on Flickr


Disraeli Bridge by danielcarrasco204, on Flickr


Downtown Winnipeg at Night by aa440, on Flickr


King Street Morning by bryanscott, on Flickr


Coal Train at Dusk by Gary Allan Dean, on Flickr


Disraeli View by bryanscott, on Flickr

Winnipeg definitely does it right. That new slanted roof future tallest is still in the works? I imagine a nice 150m building in Winnipeg would truly explode that skyline into a new dimension.

I always classified the Winnipeg skyline in its own category. It's not anywhere near its Alberta counterparts but clearly humbles the two Saskatchewan cities. It's also bigger than the mid-sized Ontario cities and Quebec City. Although Hamilton I guess is the closest skyline that can match it. Not to start a whole thing here, but I would place Winnipeg above Hamilton skyline-wise.

I really liked the Winnipeg downtown when I was there 5 years ago. The downtown seemed a bit spooky with its windswept wide avenues and silent sidewalks, but I reckon those new developments will help fix that.

[Brizzy82]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

Winnipeg definitely does it right. That new slanted roof future tallest is still in the works? I imagine a nice 150m building in Winnipeg would truly explode that skyline into a new dimension.

I always classified the Winnipeg skyline in its own category. It's not anywhere near its Alberta counterparts but clearly humbles the two Saskatchewan cities. It's also bigger than the mid-sized Ontario cities and Quebec City. Although Hamilton I guess is the closest skyline that can match it. Not to start a whole thing here, but I would place Winnipeg above Hamilton skyline-wise.

I really liked the Winnipeg downtown when I was there 5 years ago. The downtown seemed a bit spooky with its windswept wide avenues and silent sidewalks, but I reckon those new developments will help fix that.

Yeah the new tallest is still in the works but I think most SSPers are pretty skeptical over it. It would be nice but I'm not holding my breath. I don't follow the construction talk as closely as most others here, I just come for the skyline pics lol.

an old one but I really like this shot


Peck Building (black and white) by bryanscott, on Flickr

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

I always classified the Winnipeg skyline in its own category. It's not anywhere near its Alberta counterparts but clearly humbles the two Saskatchewan cities. It's also bigger than the mid-sized Ontario cities and Quebec City. Although Hamilton I guess is the closest skyline that can match it. Not to start a whole thing here, but I would place Winnipeg above Hamilton skyline-wise.

I agree with you - Winnipeg has a nice peak in its skyline. Hamilton needs a concentration of more and taller office towers in its core to even things up.

Winnipeg's Exchange District also impresses the hell out of me. It's high on my list of urban places I want to walk through before I die.

[Prometheus]

Photo by David Maslen: https://www.flickr.com/photos/63428607@N05/10574517365/in/set-72157648516950517/

[Monolith]

Vancouver Super-Moon

Full Moon Over VanCity (Part 1) ~ Vancouver, BC by Michael Thornquist, on Flickr

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

I agree with you - Winnipeg has a nice peak in its skyline. Hamilton needs a concentration of more and taller office towers in its core to even things up.

Hamilton, like Quebec City, will never have a Winnipeg style skyline. Though for different reasons. Quebec City has a much older core, so skyline building there will be minimal. Hamilton meanwhile just isn't an office tower type of city. Hospitals, post-secondary education, and factories are Hamilton's main job sources (probably retail as well), those don't tend to fill office towers. Hamilton should work on maintaining it's current haphazard mess of highrises. Plus residential skylines are always better (all else being equal).

[Ramako]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Plus residential skylines are always better (all else being equal).

Disagree - residential towers look like crap compared to office towers. They're generally of poorer design and quality, and are typically covered in ugly protruding balconies.

[MolsonExport]

^agreed. This is one (of several) reasons why London (Ont) has such a mediocre skyline. A plethora of awful balconied stucco dreck.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Winnipeg's Exchange District also impresses the hell out of me. It's high on my list of urban places I want to walk through before I die.

I'm with you 100% > it's definitely worth a visit. But the whole 'before I die' thing does sounds pretty funny; we're not talkin' about the Roman Ruins here.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by Ramako

Disagree - residential towers look like crap compared to office towers. They're generally of poorer design and quality, and are typically covered in ugly protruding balconies.

Balconies are part of why I prefer residential. Buildings without balconies look dreary, soulless, and shorter than they really are. Balconies add easy to see scale, clear human presence, and character.

Give me Sao Pualo or Hong Kong over New York or Chicago any day.

[kool maudit]

you have the most eccentric tastes, i swear.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

you have the most eccentric tastes, i swear.

Thanks.

[kool maudit]

i find it interesting! corbusian field-cities, skyways and underground passages, balcony-towers... i am very 19th century in comparison.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by MTLskyline

I have to agree with Boris that the real uglies are the residential buildings and hotels from that time.

I definitely agree! https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.0479643,-...1!3m2!1siBPFkDajK8x38uQ9m787BQ!2e0?hl=en

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

Winnipeg definitely does it right. That new slanted roof future tallest is still in the works? I imagine a nice 150m building in Winnipeg would truly explode that skyline into a new dimension.

I always classified the Winnipeg skyline in its own category. It's not anywhere near its Alberta counterparts but clearly humbles the two Saskatchewan cities. It's also bigger than the mid-sized Ontario cities and Quebec City. Although Hamilton I guess is the closest skyline that can match it. Not to start a whole thing here, but I would place Winnipeg above Hamilton skyline-wise.

I really liked the Winnipeg downtown when I was there 5 years ago. The downtown seemed a bit spooky with its windswept wide avenues and silent sidewalks, but I reckon those new developments will help fix that.

Winnipeg is in the same territory as Edmonton right now I think (Edmonton wins obviously, but it is close), though Edmonton is about to jump way ahead with the current crop of towers under construction.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by Ramako

Disagree - residential towers look like crap compared to office towers. They're generally of poorer design and quality, and are typically covered in ugly protruding balconies.

Very much agree! The residential towers are what keeps Vancouver from having a totally spectacular skyline, too many towers that are the same height and massing with the same damn green glass! Shangri-La is one of my favourite towers in the country though, definitely my favourite residential (hotel counts as residential right? lol)

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Very much agree! The residential towers are what keeps Vancouver from having a totally spectacular skyline, too many towers that are the same height and massing with the same damn green glass! Shangri-La is one of my favourite towers in the country though, definitely my favourite residential (hotel counts as residential right? lol)

Toronto has been happy to prove that boring green-blue office towers are totally a thing. Ottawa has proven that stubby uninspired office tower clumps are totally a thing for cities with height limits.

Residential towers being thinner seriously helps Vancouver look less stubby. The balconies and lower ceilings also help. If Vancouver were that density of office towers with the same height limits it would probably look at lot like Ottawa's downtown. Stubby, uninspired, and often iffy building material. Maybe somewhat more of Toronto's much hated glass boxes.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Toronto has been happy to prove that boring green-blue office towers are totally a thing. Ottawa has proven that stubby uninspired office tower clumps are totally a thing for cities with height limits.

Residential towers being thinner seriously helps Vancouver look less stubby. The balconies and lower ceilings also help. If Vancouver were that density of office towers with the same height limits it would probably look at lot like Ottawa's downtown. Stubby, uninspired, and often iffy building material. Maybe somewhat more of Toronto's much hated glass boxes.

I think Vancouver would look more like Calgary. Our office towers are by far our nicest buildings, though some of the residential stuff coming up in East Village looks pretty damn slick.