Sears Building: Public Art? | Idea Pool/Concept

[Yume-sama]

Is it true that Cesar Pelli, architect behind the Petronas Towers, designed the Eatons / Sears building?

Guess we all have to start somewhere.

[djh]

Originally Posted by David

I would like to note that advertising is not public art.

Precisely.

It needs decorating, not adding a gaudy giant 99cents pizza billboard or something.

Having said that, we probably see things through the dirty lens of time. Most people would love to see neon signs the length of Granville because it is "nearly" art, or at least artistic. Remember those same signs were originally created to advertise a product and grab your attention first, not necessarily to look pretty.

Maybe we'll feel the same one day about a ginormous "FUTURE SHOP" sign...

Not.

[vancityrox]

they should definitly tear this place down!

I just moved to Vancouver about one month ago and when I walked by that "thing" i was like "what the heck is this no window building". Itreminds me of that building in NYC with no windows and looks like this Sears building. I think its the CIA head quarters lol.

Anyways they should definitly tear this eyesore down. Maybe build an open roof mall like someone mentioned above like they have in LA. When i visited Hollywood there was this real cool mall called Hollywood & Highland center. It is a beauty.

http://www.terragalleria.com/images/...usca35485.jpeg

Its basically a big round circle and has about 5-6 floors. In the center there is little shops on wheels and hotdog venders and little souvenir shops and a huge fountain on the floor that spots out water... on the sides and each level there is amazing retail stores that we alll love and great restaurants with great terraces and a nice view of the mall. There are also great nightclubs in there and they are usually on the roofs. So imagine that a club on the roof. What a nice view that would be.


Do it Vancouver! Who shops at Sears anyway.....blow it up!!!!

[Yume-sama]

Hollywood and Highland is a beautiful area no doubt. It would be super inappropriate here, though.

And frankly, I doubt we're going to be getting a $2 billion shopping complex any time soon.

Not to mention you couldn't use a club on the roof 7 months of the year, and the area residents would have a complete freak out

[CBeats]

That mall sounds cool! The only problem is the club-on-the-roof idea. It's always raining in vancouver so a rooftop outdoor club would never work

[Yume-sama]

You could also fit every store on Robson St. in to that mall. There's no demand for anything more than a nicer looking Sears at the moment, that I can see.

[vancityrox]

Ya but the mall wouldnt only be used for retail stores. It can be used for restaurants with nice big terraces, coffee shops and ice cream places, bakeries and even a grocery store at the base level. Montreal (where im from) has many roof top clubs but there is also a indoor portion to it. So if you want to go outside on the clubs terrace then go ahead. If it rains stay inside. The club could have huge windows with really nice views. There could also be a pool on the rooftop for nice days n the summer. I have noticed that Vancouver isnt a big party city (compared to montreal) and it would definitly bring vancouver closer to abigger major city if it adds that little flair and personality. Like in Montreal we have a club on the top of a hotel and it has a ingorund pool on there...imagine on summer nights how great it is. The view alone is worth it.

A mall like that would be great for downtown Van. There is only Pacific center. I think another mall/center would definitly work.

[furbe]

Don't even get me started about Sears versus other department stores. Having spent significant time in Japan, that's a place where they know how to do a department store properly.

But back to the idea of reclaiming this wasted space, opportunity for art...

Here's a very cool installation in Montreal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7kL7hsw51k

I really wish Vancouver would embrace modern art of this kind, instead of commissioning artists to paint eagles, orcas, or grizzlies.

Take some risks. Do something visual. Something engaging. I want to be inspired when I walk around downtown Vancouver, but everything is so predictably boring from a design perspective.

[SpongeG]

that looks cool

remember when the metropolis food court in Burnaby had that light interactive wall? in the old food court location....

and speaking of light i saw one of those birght LED bus ads on a bus running down cambie street last night - so bright everyone in the restaurant turned to see what the light was

[LotusLand]

Originally Posted by furbe

Don't even get me started about Sears versus other department stores. Having spent significant time in Japan, that's a place where they know how to do a department store properly.

But back to the idea of reclaiming this wasted space, opportunity for art...

Here's a very cool installation in Montreal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7kL7hsw51k

I really wish Vancouver would embrace modern art of this kind, instead of commissioning artists to paint eagles, orcas, or grizzlies.

Take some risks. Do something visual. Something engaging. I want to be inspired when I walk around downtown Vancouver, but everything is so predictably boring from a design perspective.

I envision something on Granville street to possibly pull that off. Montreal is head and shoulders above us when it comes to entertainment and festivals. It's such a party city!

[djh]

Put a huge glass roof on it. Add a huge central atrium so light goes right through the building from the roof to all the floors. Restaurants with "patios" that enjoy the light and view and hustle & bustle, plus entertainment and cinemas on top floor, boutiques the floor below, offices the floor below, new Vancouver Art Gallery for the lower floors (away from daylight).

Would be an interesting addition to the mall like that.

Comments?

[phesto]

^Some of these ideas are great. Just to clarify why nothing is happening there:

A) Sears actually does OKAY at their downtown location.
B) They have 40+ years left on their lease and pay almost nothing in rent.
C) As long as they are still in business and want to be in downtown Vancouver, this thing will NOT be demolished. (Cadillac Fairview (the Landlord) would like to buy Sears out of their lease and redevelop, but that won’t be happening) The fact that downtown Vancouver has a large residential population (and growing) is probably why Sears wants to stay and won’t accept a buy-out like it did in Calgary last year –which was converted to a Holt Renfrew.

Unless Sears shuts down, the only positive outcome I can see is in about 5-10 years Sears renegotiates with Cadillac Fairview to become lead tenant in a smaller urban format for a new retail/office development on the site. Otherwise, why would Sears walk away from this location? They would never be able to open another store downtown.

As far as decorating the building in the interim? Highly doubtful. You’d be hard-pressed to argue that decorating the building at Sears’ expense is going to result in a meaningful increase in their sales. Conversely, the landlord isn’t going to spend a dime to pretty up the building because they want to redevelop.

It's a chess match between the two over money, and until it's resolved, it's going to sit as it looks now, the ugly white POS that it is. Again, not because people don't want to see it redeveloped, but because of money.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by phesto

^Some of these ideas are great. Just to clarify why nothing is happening there:

A) Sears actually does OKAY at their downtown location.
B) They have 40+ years left on their lease and pay almost nothing in rent.
C) As long as they are still in business and want to be in downtown Vancouver, this thing will NOT be demolished. (Cadillac Fairview (the Landlord) would like to buy Sears out of their lease and redevelop, but that won’t be happening) The fact that downtown Vancouver has a large residential population (and growing) is probably why Sears wants to stay and won’t accept a buy-out like it did in Calgary last year –which was converted to a Holt Renfrew.

Unless Sears shuts down, the only positive outcome I can see is in about 5-10 years Sears renegotiates with Cadillac Fairview to become lead tenant in a smaller urban format for a new retail/office development on the site. Otherwise, why would Sears walk away from this location? They would never be able to open another store downtown.

As far as decorating the building in the interim? Highly doubtful. You’d be hard-pressed to argue that decorating the building at Sears’ expense is going to result in a meaningful increase in their sales. Conversely, the landlord isn’t going to spend a dime to pretty up the building because they want to redevelop.

It's a chess match between the two over money, and until it's resolved, it's going to sit as it looks now, the ugly white POS that it is. Again, not because people don't want to see it redeveloped, but because of money.

Well said. Thanks for the reality check.

[Hed Kandi]

Originally Posted by vancityrox

http://www.terragalleria.com/images/...usca35485.jpeg

Very Cool!

[furbe]

Originally Posted by phesto

^Some of these ideas are great. Just to clarify why nothing is happening there:

A) Sears actually does OKAY at their downtown location.
B) They have 40+ years left on their lease and pay almost nothing in rent.
C) As long as they are still in business and want to be in downtown Vancouver, this thing will NOT be demolished. (Cadillac Fairview (the Landlord) would like to buy Sears out of their lease and redevelop, but that won’t be happening) The fact that downtown Vancouver has a large residential population (and growing) is probably why Sears wants to stay and won’t accept a buy-out like it did in Calgary last year –which was converted to a Holt Renfrew.

Unless Sears shuts down, the only positive outcome I can see is in about 5-10 years Sears renegotiates with Cadillac Fairview to become lead tenant in a smaller urban format for a new retail/office development on the site. Otherwise, why would Sears walk away from this location? They would never be able to open another store downtown.

As far as decorating the building in the interim? Highly doubtful. You’d be hard-pressed to argue that decorating the building at Sears’ expense is going to result in a meaningful increase in their sales. Conversely, the landlord isn’t going to spend a dime to pretty up the building because they want to redevelop.

It's a chess match between the two over money, and until it's resolved, it's going to sit as it looks now, the ugly white POS that it is. Again, not because people don't want to see it redeveloped, but because of money.

I know it's not reasonable to expect Sears to be redeveloped or otherwise.

What I do think is reasonable, however, is the donation of one, two, or all three of their surfaces to the artistic community to create some kind of visual installation that engages the public.

The first video I posted is something that I think would work perfectly for this site, and for this situation. Video projection doesn't include any kind of redevelopment, renovation, etc.

Perhaps the surface bordering Granville Street might be the best starting point. Granville street looks great with it's new renovation, and is the true entertainment district for the city. A night time visual installation, perhaps with sound, would be hugely interesting and engaging.

Even to donate the space to Emily Carr and allow their students to express themselves on this massive canvas would be hugely interesting. It could be a transformational space for expression, something we currently lack.

I can't see either Sears or Caddillac Fairview objecting, so long as the costs were born by others (which they would be). It's free marketing for their location, and makes it a focal point in the downtown core.

[djh]

Even to donate the space to Emily Carr and allow their students to express themselves on this massive canvas would be hugely interesting. It could be a transformational space for expression, something we currently lack.

Letting students "express themselves" on a high-profile building = formula for a disaster that pretty much everybody will hate.

[furbe]

Originally Posted by djh

Letting students "express themselves" on a high-profile building = formula for a disaster that pretty much everybody will hate.

I think you're underestimating Emily Carr, and the talent of its students. I have far more faith in their ability to create something interesting than I do in the city of Vancouver. All the bureaucrats can envision is painted animals it would seem.

Even if some people hated some of what they'd produce, at least it would invoke some kind of emotional response and encourage people to 'think'.

We're competing with other world centers to create a knowledge based economy. The workers of tomorrow won't build or assemble things, they'll solve problems and create stuff.

And yet, we don't embrace design in this city, and challenge people to think or be inspired. How can you expect your citizens to take risks and become entrepreneurs if you don't demonstrate that in your built environment?

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by furbe

I can't see either Sears or Caddillac Fairview objecting, so long as the costs were born by others (which they would be). It's free marketing for their location, and makes it a focal point in the downtown core.

unfortunately its not that simple - they have to worry about the content of the art and screens etc and risk of being sued etc plus if certain brands get space and they aren't in deals with sears or cadillac its all another big mess

sears probably has signed contracts with some brands not to carry certain brands and if that brand were to show up on the "sears" building it wouldn't be good

anyway its not that simple as it should be unfortunately

[djh]

nvm

[Metro-One]

Can they then at least post some ads of brands they do carry, to give some form of colour to the building!! An LED light show that just shows random shapes, colours, etc... would also not go against their "contracts."

Or at the very least give the ugly stupid thing a good scrubbing, they could at least keep it clean. The wall along Granville looks especially terrible.