They wanted to see a more modern interpretation of a historic building, not a replica (I remember comments being made about how buildings should reflect the time of their construction - and how fakes take away from actual old buildings)
They didn't like the rear balconies - also not a fan of the parking entrance at the front of the building (how many historic buildings have large garages out front?) Overall DRP had no problems with the scale, just very much not fans of the design treatment. Also important to note that the drp isn't just architects - it consists of planners, landscape architects, and designers.
There are architects who do the faux heritage thing well and Lintack isn't one of them.
So what happens now? When will they return to the DRP with a new design?
They wanted to see a more modern interpretation of a historic building, not a replica (I remember comments being made about how buildings should reflect the time of their construction - and how fakes take away from actual old buildings)
They didn't like the rear balconies - also not a fan of the parking entrance at the front of the building (how many historic buildings have large garages out front?) Overall DRP had no problems with the scale, just very much not fans of the design treatment. Also important to note that the drp isn't just architects - it consists of planners, landscape architects, and designers.
There are architects who do the faux heritage thing well and Lintack isn't one of them.
I mean buildings in Toronto and Hamilton are literally replicas of Roman temples and such. I was also of the impression that this a Core Urban project?
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Hamilton Downtown. Huge tabletop skyline fan. Typically viewing the city from the street, not a helicopter. Cycling, transit and active transportation advocate 🚲🚍🚋
That's fair, but I think that best practices today (not 75 years ago) are to make sure modern buildings read as modern while giving cues to their context with materials and massing. This is common everywhere regardless of if it's Toronto, Hamilton, or London UK. My personal opinion is that this design reminds me of the bad fake historic subdivisions of the early 2000s... it almost reads as pomo and I'm not a fan. There are countless examples of new buildings that fit in nicely within their historical contexts without imitating them.
Just a few examples from TO and beyond that (in my opinion) get it right. All of these are new, but none feel like they're trying to replicate their context. They're modern but fit seamlessly into their historic surroundings without taking away from actual old buildings
God I love Toronto's midrises. How do you feel about Core Urbans Olympia Club then, which is less a of restoration and more of a recreation of the original design. Is it more like the ship of theseus?
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Hamilton Downtown. Huge tabletop skyline fan. Typically viewing the city from the street, not a helicopter. Cycling, transit and active transportation advocate 🚲🚍🚋
I am ok with the main part of Olymipa club since they rebuilt the facade to match the one that was lost due to the 40s recladding. It makes sense here because there is a literal history to draw from and they did a pretty faithful job matching the new design to the old one from photos and other historic documents. The smaller eastern facade is less great - to me it looks very one dimensional since they used thin brick veneer instead of full sized bricks (the windows are extremely flush with the brick and the facade almost looks painted on) - I would have preferred to see something more transparent here to let the main portion shine, but I understand why Core did what they did... I just think the execution of the materials on this part wasn't great.
How big does a project need to be before it needs to go to the DRP? It just seems like a filter for blandness produced by juniors who don't have the autonomy they would like at their day jobs.
Something like either of these two would be fantastic downtown.
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidcappi
Just a few examples from TO and beyond that (in my opinion) get it right. All of these are new, but none feel like they're trying to replicate their context. They're modern but fit seamlessly into their historic surroundings without taking away from actual old buildings
I think I’ve gotten a lot more critical of proposals here from an architectural point of view over the years - but I’m a realist, and more than anything, I appreciate when developers and architects put in the thought and effort to bring forward reasonable, buildable projects that also represent good architecture.
This is one of the proposals I see in this way. It might not win any awards, but the design is several steps above average for Hamilton proposals, and Core Urban have proven themselves willing and able to execute their projects well. This is exactly what I want to see more of - an actual effort put in to build a nice building.
I live close by, and walk by this site essentially every day, and cannot wait for it to fill in. Augusta is a really nice little street with a lot of potential for more development of this scale down through to John Street.
Agreed. If there's one entity I do not really worry about, it is Core Urban.
Not sure if anyone else noticed, but the building at the corner of Walnut/Augusta sold a few months back (CBRE). It's zoned for retail/commercial. Always struck me as a cool building. At one point this was suppose to be the "Augusta Lofts," but that never materialized.
What I hate about "modern" interpretations of buildings is any design elements are stripped - only 90 degree angles - the bare minimum of design structure - anything craftsmanship is reserved to stenciled mullions basically
I miss the sweeping arches and all the fancy brickwork - all that stuff should NOT be condemned to history - if you want to make a fancy facade you should be allowed to regardless. It's all about how it looks in the end, and I want pretty looking buildings - I have tired of blocky architecture and nothing but steel and glass - it's soulless.
Modern shouldn't have to sacrifice spirit. You shouldn't have to sacrifice detail simply because it's not from this era.
As for the roman facades being non--architectural - they never were architectural even when the previous century did them - they were only done to pay homage to the design of the romans.
For me personally, it's never the glass cubes that stands out for me - it's the unique architecture that doesn't look like everything around it.
exciting stuff. I feel like we have seen quite a few construction starts recently! I wonder how many more we will have by the end of the year. I didn't expect this to start this soon.
wait, I thought this was rejected? Anyone have any pictures of the updated design?
Edit: I just watched the entire DRP video. It was not nearly as negative as users here made it sound. In fact, they praised the concept. The City just wants some minor changes. Sounds like it has been resolved if they are preparing to start work in the spring...
Last edited by TheHonestMaple; Mar 16, 2021 at 1:22 AM.
I drove by this site this morning, so I wasn't able to grab a quick photo, but this is going full bloody tilt. Already digging a section that looked to be a least one floor below ground. Bunch of other stuff there, crews of workers. These guys @CoreUrban always do it this way though, definitely one of the best in the city. I have a feeling this summer is going to hit a new height in construction this city has not seen in decades. Very nice.
Good to hear! I'll walk by later and snap some shots on my way to get 🍀🍺 from downtown. Sometimes I feel like I should quit my job and just start a Private Credit fund for financing CoreUrban developments. They get it right and have the taste to compliment the existing architecture of our city.
Good to hear! I'll walk by later and snap some shots on my way to get 🍀🍺 from downtown. Sometimes I feel like I should quit my job and just start a Private Credit fund for financing CoreUrban developments. They get it right and have the taste to compliment the existing architecture of our city.
I asked them on Instagram for an update and they said there's be an update soon.
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Hamilton Downtown. Huge tabletop skyline fan. Typically viewing the city from the street, not a helicopter. Cycling, transit and active transportation advocate 🚲🚍🚋
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