Hamilton Artists Inc | ? | 3 fl | Approved

[realcity]

I have no idea why that building was taken down? It was a functioning clothing store months before Inc. bought it. I shopped there almost monthly, from suits to jeans.. Or I at least dropped in to let Mitch show me the newest stuff.

And the not funny thing is its not even planned to have a building replace it... just a glass hallway, with as much use and design as a bus shelter.

[Northern Stroll]

I understand minimalist art, but it usually includes some imagination and maybe some interesting lines.

This looks like a bank, and a bad example of one too. They should have just left the old building.. at least it had some character!

[realcity]

thank you -- Arts Inc. -- for your years of a hoarding wall and promises

[crhayes]

Originally Posted by realcity

I guess you missed the humour in the Blade Runner reference. I thought i was brilliant in discovering dp.Ai's inspiration. No good architect doesn't love Blade Runner. At least that concept addressed the Canon Street frontage, punched windows in along Canon and admitted -- no -- it acted like it was corner building. It's a fortunate thing to have a building on intersecting streets, to ignore that advantage is foolish. and this new ... thing .... ignores that advantage. I'd take the super billboard proposal in a heartbeat over this. In fact if they asked me for money and told me it was between these two concepts but we can't afford dp.Ai's I'd give them money for the more inspirational design.


Have a look at this 'proposal', and what's there now.

it's not much more then a fresh coat of paint and new windows. And a dorky sign.... that looks like it will blow over in the first wind storm.

What's the total budget? $25k? and we're still treated to a hoarding wall and vinyl banner sign. give it up guys. Or is it more important to give yourself a pay increase?

I like the billboard design... it would add more life to James.

[astroblaster]

Originally Posted by crhayes

I like the billboard design... it would add more life to James.

i'm cool with it too!

[sofasurfer]

Originally Posted by crhayes

I like the billboard design... it would add more life to James.

Something like that would be a video artist's wet dream... and could certainly be used for some reasonably high-profile stuff.

Although why stop there?



This just got completed in Adelaide... but my point is that these things are totally programmable LEDs, and if this place is going to even attempt to support James North as some kind of creative/artsy corridor, it'd certainly be worth considering.

[coalminecanary]

Originally Posted by realcity

I have no idea why that building was taken down? It was a functioning clothing store months before Inc. bought it. I shopped there almost monthly, from suits to jeans.. Or I at least dropped in to let Mitch show me the newest stuff.

And the not funny thing is its not even planned to have a building replace it... just a glass hallway, with as much use and design as a bus shelter.

To be fair....

That centre building was in really bad structural shape. At some point, someone had completely removed the central support beam so it was like a funhouse inside.

There is a new plan for that site... a new structure will be erected to fill in the space. They are no longer planning to integrate the skinny building and join it with a hallway/atrium. The complex will be comprised of the corner building plus a new infill building.

I'm sure once some preliminary drawings are in place we'll see something about it. But this is my understanding about what will happen there - they basically changed the entire scope of the project.

Maybe one of the board members will stumble across here and fill us all in. So far this is all word of mouth info...

[drpgq]

Last I heard was that there is no infill building, just a courtyard.

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by drpgq

Last I heard was that there is no infill building, just a courtyard.

That was my understanding too... a one-storey breezeway that connects to 161 James North, with the rest of the lot surrendered to courtyard. Replace the poetic hoarding with a glass hamster run (and presumably some landscaping) and you get the idea. The density trade-off is even more pronounced here -- the three-storey hasn't been cut to one, it's been all but eliminated. The Premi proposal may be notable for its visual facade, but it also seemed to compensate for (or at least acknowledge the need to offset) the lost square footage. The fact that it aimed higher than being the aesthetic equal of Go Tempura/Sushi Day/Pho Dau Bo is certainly a bonus.

Happy to hear that they've changed horses midstream, coalmine. Any idea when we can expect the new renderings?

[SteelTown]

They are now selling 161 James St North building.

http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/...AI_request.pdf

[sil]

does anyone know whats the status of this

[realcity]

It was June 2009 since their last proposal. I know the City gives one year grace when you tear down a building.

When is this one happening?

[oldcoote]

It's coming down. I have a pic, but it won't post from flickr

[SteelTown]

What about a web link?

[oldcoote]

IMG-20101104-00031 by oldcoote, on Flickr

[urban_planner]

was it support to come down?

[coalminecanary]

The corner building is not being torn down, it is being renovated. A shallow building is going in the middle - only half the depth of the lot or less. This will be the larger gallery space. Behind it will be a courtyard. They had planned to sever and sell the tall building to help fund the construction but it sounds like they are now only reserving that as an option and I think they hope to keep the tall building in the mix.

The photo shows hoarding which went up because they have started construction in (and on) the corner building - with gusto from the looks of it.

I have not seen the latest drawings - they have changed since the posts here in spring though

[Jon D]

I heard that Hamilton Artists Inc. finally got their building permit a few weeks ago. I drove by today and noticed some structural steel in place for that "canopy" thing (which has changed slightly since the original rendering). Expect it to take shape towards the end of April.

[realcity]

been a while

I surely do miss Jerry's Man Shop


Let's hope it;s better than what was torn down

[DC1983]

From last week


source: Me

I've gotten a sneak peak behind the hoarding and like what I see! The glass doesn't wrap all the way around, the wall will be brick. But the height of the glass wall at the corner will most likely make up for that!