CF Pacific Centre Developments

[osirisboy]

well tons of companies like law firms like large floor plate offices and old people work in those lol

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

well tons of companies like law firms like large floor plate offices and old people work in those lol

Hush!!! Our SSP resident lawyer is forever young...

[Hed Kandi]

..

[dleung]

So London gets One New Change, and we get this...

Originally Posted by Jebby

Can we pitch in money to put a hit on James Cheng? How is wasting the entire northwest streetfront on one department store entrance any better than the existing bunker at street level? Friking put Nordstrom upstairs, and smaller retail facing the street.

Not to mention the butchering of a clean monolithic form with this non-building

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by dleung

Can we pitch in money to put a hit on James Cheng? How is wasting the entire northwest streetfront on one department store entrance any better than the existing bunker at street level? Friking put Nordstrom upstairs, and smaller retail facing the street.

I agree with this. I was hoping there would be more interaction with the street. although I do like the look of the building overall. some initial thoughts I have are, I really hope they light up that wood feature on the roof and that nordstrom actually uses that patio on the third floor

[itinerant]

The renders show some minor improvements over the first version we saw, but I hope it is still evolving. As it stands, it is starting to look more like the old VPL at Burrard and Robson after its retrofit to retail and commerical office/TV station. This is much bigger of course.

In the view from the Art Gallery across Howe it actually looks quite good, and it seems like stone facing is similar in colour to the old courthouse. But I think this is an illusion. It is probably closer to more beige colour we see from the viewpoint to the corner at Howe and Robson across from Chapters.

The blocky 3D render is a bit worrying, because it shows almost no detail whatsoever. Although, the sheared-off rotunda at Georgia and Granville earlier observed by officedweller is notable. Will the redeveloped street-level again present passersby with mostly blank walls? And will the prominent corners at Granville be as vacant as they first appear? I hope not.

I am particularly curious how the entrance to Pacific Centre will be handled from Robson Street. With a newly extended underground mall reaching all the way under Nordstrom, could the mall entrance be at the blank tower we see at the corner of Robson and Granville?

[officedweller]

I had assumed that the mall entrance would be at Robson & Howe - but with that Nordstrom sign above the entrance (and Pacific Centre above the Robson & Granville entrance) - it could be at Robson & Granville.

I think it looks looks like the rotunda has been built out to square it off rather than cut off - if cut off, it would end up flush with the north facade (sincle it's just a half circle).

Personally, I think it would have been better if Nordstrom had taken 4 floors above grade, but excluding the Granville frontage (say, 1/3rd of the floorplate) on levels 1 and 2. That would have allowed smaller retailers (including restaurants) to front Granville and Nordstrom to front Robson and Howe and (to some extent) Georgia. It would also allow a more animated facade on Granville.
Granville is also a grittier street than you'd associate with Nordstrom.
Signage visible from Georgia & Granville (or a north entrance on the plaza or the future redevelopment) would remedy the wayfinding aspect from the north.

[logan5]

Was there ever any thought of connecting Pacific Centre to Robson Square? Or I guess the parkade is in the way.

[TwoFace]

I for one think it looks great. A modern take on highest and best use.
The Fairmont and AG reflecting in the glass is music to my eyes.

[red-paladin]

Assasination of architects is not the best way to solve problems.
This is probably the best design we could have expected given the existing building, the money available, and the timeframe. I for one, agree, it looks similar to the old VPL building, and think that's a good thing. Sure, we didn't get a glowing purple phallic tower with rainbow drop light effects on it, but this sure gives us what most of us have wanted for years - to be rid of that damn Sears building.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

Sure, we didn't get a glowing purple phallic tower with rainbow drop light effects on it, but this sure gives us what most of us have wanted for years - to be rid of that damn Sears building.

What does it say about the design when the best thing you can say about it is that it's not the Sears Building?

[officedweller]

Changing City Updates has a render of the rotunda side.

Comments:

Not keen on the overhang - it even overshadows the Nordstrom sign in the render (a setback would give the store more prominence)
- the glass colour appears to pay homage to TD Tower!

The colour of the Nordstrom cladding unfortunately reminds you of Eaton's/Sears at Toronto Eaton Centre.

BUT - there is a lot of glass fronting Granville Street - not sure what's on show however...

And I'm wondering what that glass pavilion is on the plaza (beyond the station elevator) - Changing City suggests it's the office entrance.

Also - does it look like the entrance is even with the Granville sidewalk? (as opposed to the current few steps down?)


http://changingcitybook.com/2012/09/...nville-street/


http://citysightseeingtoronto.com/blog/?p=949

[osirisboy]

how does all relate to the planned addition of retail along granville?

edit i meant along georgia

[officedweller]

Is there planned retail along Granville?

[Klazu]

Good comments by many here and I do understand the somewhat dissapointment in this. However, I do think that with the given money, they are actually doing quite nice job and definitely improving a lot from the current horrible structure!

Sure, such a central location would have graved for a wow-architecture, but given the situation I am pretty pleased with the outcome. I think the original one render we have seen was the worst side of this building and the new ones add many positive things to this project.

But I also join the club of hoping to see some neon lights on the Granville Street's side.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Is there planned retail along Granville?

i meant georgia, the expansion PC had wanted to

[Conrad Yablonski]

It's still ugly and I suspect will always be ugly.

[itinerant]

The Granville Street render omits the street lights, so you'll have to use your imagination as to what that looks like... presumably it would improve the interest along that side.

I agree that it would have been preferable if Nordstrom did not have the entire floor plate at ground level so that more frontage could have been taken up with smaller scale retail (and maybe a restaurant or two). That would also have given some opportunity for a variety of signage and lighting.

There was a plan when the street was redone that the lighting in this block was going to have coloured tops, and be generally more animated. What happened with that?

I think the glass pavilion could also be a mall entrance replacing the one in TD tower perhaps? Or an office entrance. Or both.

This is so bland. But, it could be made a bit more exciting with a few tweaks I am sure. Those fins, for instance. Is there any reason they need to be so monotonously, regular? Why not have some fun with the shapes and put a ripple into the facade? Or perhaps accentuate the now-squared-off rotunda to give the building some more angular shape? Some modern angles here and there, plus some interesting lighting could make a huge difference.

One more thing... can we please redo that elevator and escalator/stair entrance to the Canada Line to something a lot more interesting than a purely functional box in the middle of the street? Just asking, but it would be very nice if someone listened. maybe open up the entrance stairway so that it encompassed more of the plaza into a wide bowl that opened down to the Mall below?

[GeeCee]

If you don't see this as an improvement on what's already there, you're delusional. But I guess people will always find something to bitch and moan about.

[SpongeG]

i think it looks great, for a dept store even more so