Cathedral Hill [428 Sparks St] | 21f | Completed - Page 4

S-Man · #61 Posted **Aug 2, 2011, 4:25 PM**

Curve or no curve, it's another square glass office box. The 80s are over - I would have expected something a little more...complimentary - given the site's location next to a church.
That said, the contrast between historic and modern sure makes the church stand out - not sure if that was the intention.

Uhuniau · #62 Posted **Aug 2, 2011, 7:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by S-Man

Curve or no curve, it's another square glass office box. The 80s are over - I would have expected something a little more...complimentary - given the site's location next to a church.
That said, the contrast between historic and modern sure makes the church stand out - not sure if that was the intention.

What's with the windowlessness of the cathedral-facing wall? Blech. Another building that turns its ass to its surroundings. Is it in the local code that they HAVE to do that or something?

Harley613 · #63 Posted **Aug 2, 2011, 8:30 PM**

horrible. absolutely horrible. lebreton flats and cathedral hill are turning into a write-off...terrible architecture all around.

it should look like THIS!!!!

reidjr · #64 Posted **Aug 2, 2011, 8:46 PM**

Harley613
Its not so much of a matter of bad architecture it has more to do is some are aginst taller buildings when you have people up set over a 12 floor building the chance a 50 floor building would go over well is slim to none.

S-Man · #65 Posted **Aug 3, 2011, 12:04 AM**

Hopefully the design will change. At least it's the shorter building further from the cliff edge, but still.....

Jamaican-Phoenix · #66 Posted **Aug 3, 2011, 4:18 AM**

It's ugly as hell. I think I prefer the old design...

citizen j · #67 Posted **Aug 3, 2011, 4:22 AM**

It's so demolishable circa 2027. Okay, you're right, 2037.

Kitchissippi · #68 Posted **Aug 3, 2011, 6:27 PM**

Ugly beyond belief! the new design is so insensitive to its context. It is so obvious that whatever building goes here needs a strong horizontal 2 or 3 storey podium so that the church steeple remains a vertical focal point despite a higher building beside it.

citizen j · #69 Posted **Aug 3, 2011, 9:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

Ugly beyond belief! the new design is so insensitive to its context. It is so obvious that whatever building goes here needs a strong horizontal 2 or 3 storey podium so that the church steeple remains a vertical focal point despite a higher building beside it.

Could you maybe forward this comment to the architects? It seems they skipped the class on context.

Uhuniau · #70 Posted **Aug 4, 2011, 12:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by citizen j

Could you maybe forward this comment to the architects? It seems they skipped the class on context.

But look! It's glass! Reflective! Shiny!

citizen j · #71 Posted **Aug 4, 2011, 2:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

But look! It's glass! Reflective! Shiny!

Like Bauhaus turned into crack. ... Ooooo, shiny... new... must do whatever's necessary to get my next hit of lazy, sparkly International Modernism... Plus, this one's new and improved; it has a curve, which means it's better, and hard to draw.

I must say, though, that it's better than the last try. But that's not saying much.

Uhuniau · #72 Posted **Aug 4, 2011, 3:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by citizen j

Like Bauhaus turned into crack. ... Ooooo, shiny... new... must do whatever's necessary to get my next hit of lazy, sparkly International Modernism... Plus, this one's new and improved; it has a curve, which means it's better, and hard to draw.

I must say, though, that it's better than the last try. But that's not saying much.

Right, I forgot! Curvy! And setty-backy! Almost all the latest design fads rolled into one!

waterloowarrior · #73 Posted **Aug 9, 2011, 4:30 PM**

lots of updated drawings in the city staff report
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycou...ruction%20at%20412%20Sparks%20Street.htm

S-Man · #74 Posted **Aug 9, 2011, 5:25 PM**

Well, it would be something vaguely interesting in any other place, but here it still looks out of place. Frankly, I'm not sure what wouldn't - may art deco or something like that.

Kitchissippi · #75 Posted **Aug 9, 2011, 8:27 PM**

Since they practically own the whole block, I think they should consider shuffling buildings around and move the heritage buildings to the Sparks Street side (maybe on top of underground parking) and consolidate the developable land on the Queen Street side. This would allow those Queen Anne style houses to be beside the church — not only would they be more appropriate in scale, they could also be better appreciated from the Garden of the Provinces. With most of the Queen Street frontage free, maybe they could be allowed to build something much taller.

Jamaican-Phoenix · #76 Posted **Aug 10, 2011, 12:58 AM**

New concepts are still fugly.

citizen j · #77 Posted **Aug 10, 2011, 1:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by S-Man

Well, it would be something vaguely interesting in any other place, but here it still looks out of place. Frankly, I'm not sure what wouldn't - may art deco or something like that.

Agreed. It would look better on, say, one of the university campuses... or Kanata... or Kemptville.

Uhuniau · #78 Posted **Aug 10, 2011, 5:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by citizen j

Agreed. It would look better on, say, one of the university campuses... or Kanata... or Kemptville.

In order for it to be a net improvement at Carleton, you'd have to tear something else down. What a vile campus that is.

Harley613 · #79 Posted **Aug 10, 2011, 4:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

In order for it to be a net improvement at Carleton, you'd have to tear something else down. What a vile campus that is.

and the irony is that it has one of the most beautiful properties for a university campus in the world.

Uhuniau · #80 Posted **Aug 11, 2011, 1:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harley613

and the irony is that it has one of the most beautiful properties for a university campus in the world.

Really, though! And they have the arkytekt school, exposing young minds to such dreadful, dismal, brutalistic surroundings.

On the other hand, some of the ugliness has to be reaching end of useful life in the next few decades, so maybe there's hope.